Chapter 4 - The House of Lies
At midnight, a storm raged over the Long Island coast.
Julian drove his black armored sedan up the winding gravel driveway of the Vance family estate—a sprawling, cold stone mansion overlooking the crashing waves of the Atlantic.
He didn't knock. He pushed open the heavy front doors, stepping into the grand marble foyer where Eleanor Vance sat in a velvet armchair, sipping sherry by a dying fire.
She looked up, her expression cold, composed, and entirely unbothered by the storm outside.
"You ruined forty years of reputation in forty seconds, Julian," Eleanor said, setting her glass down on a side table. "Victoria’s family is suing us. The stock price dropped eight percent after hours."
"Where is she, Mother?" Julian’s voice was dangerously low, reverberating off the high ceilings.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Eleanor replied coldly.
Julian slammed his fist onto the side table, shattering the crystal glass into a dozen sharp shards. Eleanor flinched, her eyes widening in rare surprise.
"Clara!" Julian roared. "Where is she?! You drove her away seven years ago when she was pregnant with my child! You told me she took your money! You lied to me every single day of my life!"
Eleanor slowly stood up, pulling her silk robe tighter around her shoulders. "I did what was necessary to protect you! That girl was a nobody! A waitress from Maine with no family and no status! She would have dragged you down into the gutter! You were destined to lead a global empire, Julian!"
"She carried my children!" Julian shouted, tears of fury burning his eyes. "She lived in fear for seven years because of you! And today, two men kidnapped her from her home!"
Eleanor’s brow furrowed, a faint flicker of genuine confusion crossing her features. "Kidnapped? Julian, I didn't have her kidnapped."
"Don't lie to me!"
"I am not lying!" Eleanor barked back. "Yes, seven years ago I offered her five million dollars to leave. She rejected the money, Julian! She told me to go to hell! She left on her own because she knew my legal team would make her life a living nightmare if she stayed! But I haven't touched her since! I didn't even know she had children until that brat walked into the cathedral!"
Julian stared at his mother. His instinct for reading people—honed through a decade of high-stakes corporate warfare—told him she was telling the truth. She was ruthless, arrogant, and selfish, but she was genuinely ignorant of today’s abduction.
If Eleanor didn't take Clara... who did?
Julian’s phone buzzed violently in his pocket. He pulled it out. An unknown number flashed on the screen.
He answered, placing it on speaker. "Julian Vance."
A smooth, raspy voice echoed through the speaker over the sound of rain: "You made a very entertaining scene at the church today, Mr. Vance. It’s a pity you broke Victoria’s heart. Her father is extraordinarily upset."
May you like
Julian’s grip on the phone tightened until his knuckles turned white. "Sterling."
"Richard Sterling doesn't like losing investments," the voice continued. "He hired my team to clean up the Clara problem three days ago. We have her, Mr. Vance. And if you ever want to see her breathe again, you will bring those two children to the docks at Pier 42 by sunrise."
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