Chapter 26 - The Web Tightens
Sarah’s eyes flared with panic. She instinctively slammed the tablet shut and tucked it behind a stack of leather-bound legal volumes.
I held up a hand, signaling her to remain absolutely quiet. I took a deep breath, smoothing down my linen blouse, and walked toward the double doors. Unlocking the deadbolt with a soft click, I pulled the door open just enough to frame my face.
Daniel stood in the dim corridor. He had changed into a dark navy cashmere sweater, his hair still damp from the shower. The clean scent of bergamot radiated from him, but in the shadows of the hallway, his sapphire eyes looked unreadable.
"Daniel," I said softly, leaning against the jamb to block his line of sight into the room. "I was just going over the wedding seating chart with Sarah. We realized we forgot to allocate tables for the foreign ambassadors."
Daniel’s gaze flicked over my shoulder. Through the crack in the door, he could see Sarah standing awkwardly by the desk, holding a clipboard.
"At this hour?" Daniel smiled, but the warmth didn't quite reach his eyes. "You've been working yourself ragged, Clara. The trial took a lot out of you. And now the wedding planning." He raised a hand, his knuckles gently grazing my cheek. His skin was warm, but a violent shiver rippled under my flesh. "Marcus just arrived at the front gate. He brought the revised guest credentials and the final vows binder."
Hearing the name *Marcus* made my pulse spike, but I kept my expression flawlessly neutral.
"How wonderful," I replied smoothly. "Send him to the sunroom. Sarah and I will join you both in five minutes."
Daniel didn't move immediately. His eyes lingered on mine, searching, peeling back layers. For a second, I thought he knew. I thought he knew that I had seen the Geneva certificate, that I knew his brother's blood ran through his veins, that I knew about Marcus's hidden custody trap.
"Clara," Daniel whispered, his tone dropping into an intimate, heavy cadence. "You know you can trust me with anything, right? No matter what shadows the past drags up... you and I are on the same side."
"Of course," I lied, looking straight into those piercing blue eyes that had once been my sanctuary. "I know that, Daniel."
He gave a slight, satisfied nod, stepped back, and turned toward the stairs.
The moment he disappeared around the corner, I turned back into the library and locked the door once more. Sarah exhaled a breath she seemed to have been holding for centuries.
"We have to leave," Sarah whispered urgently. "Take Leo and let's go. We have the private jet on standby in Nice. We can disappear before Marcus even sits down."
"No," I said, a fierce, venomous resolve hardening in my chest.
I looked down at the photo of my grandfather resting on the desk. Charles Vance had spent his entire life building an empire to protect me. Brandon had tried to break me. Victoria had tried to steal my child. Julian had tried to ruin my family. I had crushed all three of them into dust.
I wasn't running anymore.
"If I run, Marcus uses the pre-signed registry filings to declare me unstable and takes Leo through the French courts," I said, my voice razor-sharp. "We don't run. We turn the board upside down."
"What are you going to do?" Sarah asked, trembling.
"You are going to take the back stairs, get to your car, and upload that birth certificate directly to Interpol’s private financial crimes unit under Inspector Girard," I commanded. "Tell Girard that the true identity of Julian Vance’s silent partner is about to be revealed at tonight’s dinner."
"And you?"
I reached into my bag, pulled out a miniature audio recording pin disguised as a diamond brooch, and fastened it to the collar of my silk shirt.
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"I’m going to have a glass of wine with my fiancé and his dear godfather," I said with a cold, terrifying smile. "And I’m going to make Marcus Sterling show his fangs."
***