Chapter 8
Caught In The Trap
“He didn't marry you off to me because you were ‘ugly’ or ‘unstable,’ Clara,” I realized, the full horror of the plot dawning on me.
“He chose me because my family was heavily in debt to his holding company.”
“He knew I would accept the marriage agreement without asking questions, giving him a puppet husband to control her trust funds.”
Suddenly, the heavy steel door at the top of the stairs slammed shut with a deafening, metallic crash that shook the room.
The loud sound of a heavy iron bar dropping into place echoed down the stone staircase, sealing us inside the underground chamber.
High above us, a speaker mounted near the stone ceiling crackled to life with static, followed by Arthur Vance’s cold laugh.
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“You always were a nosy little monster, Clara,” Arthur’s voice echoed through the speaker, filled with smug, unadulterated triumph.
“And Julian, I must admit, I expected a broke aristocrat like you to be far more compliant on his wedding night.”
