Chapter 4 - THE PRICE OF BETRAYAL
"You think you’ve won, don’t you, Clara?!" Eleanor spat, using the edge of the mahogany table to pull herself to her feet.
Her burgundy velvet gown was ruined, but her pride burned with a dangerous, feral intensity as she glared at the young blonde woman.
"I built this empire with my own hands while your father was rotting in a federal penitentiary!" Eleanor declared, her voice booming across the silent hall.
"You didn't build it, Eleanor... you stole it from my father before you framed him for corporate embezzlement," Clara corrected smoothly.
The ballroom gasped in collective horror as Clara pulled a yellowed paper document from Ethan’s leather folder.
"Twenty-six years ago, you forged his signature on the transfer of rights for the Hudson River logistics contract," Clara stated clearly.
"My father died in a prison cell in Pennsylvania protecting a legacy you ripped out of his bleeding hands," Clara added, her voice dropping an octave.
"He was a weak, pathetic fool!" Eleanor shouted back, losing all remaining shreds of her high-society decorum.
"He lacked the stomach to do what was necessary to build a billion-dollar empire in New York City!" Eleanor boasted arrogantly.
Ethan stepped between them, his powerful frame shielding Clara as two private security guards finally reached the perimeter of the banquet space.
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"Mrs. Sterling, federal marshals are entering the lobby downstairs," the lead security guard reported in a panicked whisper.
***
