Chapter 3 - Behind Closed Doors
The smooth leather seats of the Maybach were warm, but the silence inside the vehicle was heavy.
Nathaniel sat beside Claire, staring out the tinted window as the city lights of Seattle blurred past. His jaw was tight, a visible muscle twitching near his cheekbone.
Claire looked down at the oversized charcoal blazer draped around her shoulders. It smelled faintly of cedarwood and faint tobacco—his signature scent. She sighed quietly, leaning her head back against the headrest.
"I told you not to come to the venue, Nate," she said softly.
Nathaniel didn't look away from the window immediately. "And leave you alone in a room full of wolves?"
"I was doing my job. The catering outfit was the perfect cover. I traced the wire transfers straight to Lucas's offshore accounts within two hours."
Nathaniel finally turned to her, his dark eyes ablaze with controlled fury. "Your job does not require you to let arrogant socialites tear your clothes and call you trash, Claire."
"It was a distraction. I was going to handle Madison quietly after I secured the digital ledger from Lucas's private tablet."
"You shouldn't have to handle anything alone," Nathaniel said, reaching across the space between them to take her hand. His grip was tight, almost possessive. "When I walked in and saw her standing over you holding that fabric... I almost burned the entire hotel down."
Claire offered a small, rare smile. "I know. That's why I didn't want you there. You have a terrible habit of overreacting."
"Protecting my wife is not an overreaction."
"Nate, Lucas is family. Broken family, but still your blood. What you did back there... it starts an open war inside the Everhart board."
Nathaniel leaned in close, his fingers brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Lucas started this war the moment he stole from our foundation. Madison Vale just ensured that I won't leave any survivors."
The car pulled up to the private underground entrance of the Everhart Estate in Bellevue. The steel gates slid shut behind them, sealing them off from the chaotic media storm that was already beginning to brew online.
As they stepped into the private elevator, Claire’s phone buzzed sharply. She pulled it out and looked at the screen.
May you like
It was an encrypted text from an unknown number: You think being Nate's secret wife protects you? Look at what Lucas just leaked to the press.
Claire tapped the attached link, and her breath hitched.
