Chapter 4 - The Traitor Within
Julian’s mind raced. Isabella was right. The Sterling estate employed over fifty staff members. Housekeepers, chefs, gardeners, and security guards. Someone had to know. Someone had to be keeping the secret.
He left Isabella under heavy guard and rushed back to the master suite. A private medical team had already arrived. The lead doctor, an old family friend named Dr. Aris, met Julian at the door with a grim expression.
"She's severely malnourished, Julian," Dr. Aris whispered. "Her bones are brittle. She has vitamin deficiencies, muscle atrophy, and signs of prolonged psychological trauma. But she's awake. And she’s asking for you."
Julian walked into the room. Clara was sitting up in the massive bed, swallowed by the luxurious down comforters. For the first time in years, she looked at the natural sunlight pouring through the windows.
"Clara," Julian sat on the edge of the bed, taking her fragile hand. "Isabella is in custody. But she claims she had help. Who did this to you? Tell me, and I will destroy them."
Clara swallowed hard, her eyes filling with fresh tears. "It was him, Julian. The one who brought me the scraps of food. The one who made sure the security cameras looped on the nights Isabella let me out to clean the floors."
"Who?" Julian demanded gently.
May you like
"Thomas," Clara whispered.
Julian felt the air leave his lungs. Thomas. His head butler. A man who had served the Sterling family for twenty years. A man Julian had trusted with his life. The betrayal cut deeper than any knife.
