Chapter 4 - Unearthing the Rot
The estate was eerily quiet that evening. A private pediatrician had come and gone, treating the girls' scratches and diagnosing them with acute stress. They were now asleep, heavily tucked into their massive beds, holding tightly to the edges of Clara’s apron even in their dreams.
Downstairs in his sprawling study, Julian Vance was pouring himself his third glass of scotch. Across his mahogany desk sat Marcus, his head of security, and a private investigator.
“Tell me everything,” Julian ordered, his eyes bloodshot. “I want to know who the hell I almost brought into my family.”
The investigator slid a thick manila folder across the desk. “Eleanor Sterling is a fraud, Mr. Vance. Her family’s wealth dried up a decade ago. She’s over ten million dollars in debt to some very unsavory people. The ‘high society’ galas she attends? She pays for entry on credit to hunt for a wealthy target.”
Julian clenched his jaw, staring at the financial records. “And the girls?”
“She made several inquiries,” Marcus chimed in, looking grim. “To strict, year-round boarding facilities in Switzerland. The kind that don't allow parental visits for the first six months. She was planning to ship them off the moment the wedding ring was on her finger. With them gone, and you distracted by your business, she planned to slowly siphon your accounts to pay off her debts.”
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Julian hurled his crystal glass at the fireplace. It shattered into a hundred pieces, the expensive liquor hissing against the flames. He had been played for an absolute fool. He had prioritized a glamorous aesthetic over the safety of his own flesh and blood. And in doing so, he had nearly destroyed the one woman who genuinely loved his children.
He looked out the window toward the staff wing. He needed to make this right with Clara. But how do you apologize to a woman whose heart you almost broke, when you realize she’s the true heart of your home?
