Chapter 9 - The Ghost from the Past
The underground safe room beneath the library was luxurious, reinforced with ten inches of blast-proof steel, furnished with plush velvet sofas, a fully stocked kitchen, and monitors displaying every camera feed across the estate.
Lily fell asleep on the massive leather sectional, exhausted from the chaotic day, clutching the teddy bear the house staff had brought down for her. Claire sat beside her, unable to rest, watching the surveillance monitors flickering with static.
The heavy steel door slid open with a pressurized hiss.
Claire jumped up, her heart leaping into her throat, expecting Vincent. But the person who stepped into the bunker made Claire’s blood run cold.
It was a woman. Tall, elegant, dressed in an emerald green silk blouse and black trousers, carrying a sleek leather handbag. Her raven hair was styled in an immaculate bob, and her sharp, aristocratic features were hauntingly familiar.
"Julianna," Claire gasped, backing up against the sofa.
Julianna Moretti—Vincent’s estranged cousin and the sister of Elena, the woman Vincent had supposedly loved.
"Hello, Claire," Julianna said smoothly, her voice laced with a cold, mocking pity. "Imagine my surprise when I heard the little ghost had returned from the dead, dragging a bastard child with her."
"Get out," Claire whispered, her voice shaking with rage. "Vincent told me what happened. I know about Elena. I know what your family did."
Julianna chuckled, a sound like dry autumn leaves scraping against stone. "Oh, did my noble cousin give you his tragic fairytale? Did he tell you he broke your heart just to keep you safe from the big, bad wolves?"
Julianna stepped closer, her eyes glittering with malicious amusement. "Vincent didn't tell you the whole truth, did he, darling?"
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Claire’s breath hitched. "What are you talking about?"
"Elena never wore a wire for the Russians, Claire," Julianna purred, leaning forward. "Elena wore a wire for *me*. And Vincent didn't banish you to save you. He banished you because the syndicate council demanded a blood sacrifice for his betrayal. He had to choose between your life... and his throne. And he chose his crown, Claire. He let you walk into the cold so he could keep his bloody empire."
