Chapter 15
Inside her bedroom, Clara locked the heavy mahogany door, leaning her back against the frame as she wept.
The world she thought she had reclaimed was built on a foundation of ruthless lies and manipulation.
Her father wasn't her savior... he was the mastermind behind her nightmare.
She wiped her face with the sleeve of her maternity sweater, forcing herself to calm her racing pulse for the baby.
She walked over to her desk, opening her private laptop to access her encrypted personal server.
She typed in her master password, pulling up the backup security footage from the Hamptons estate living room.
She skipped to the timestamp from three months ago—the night Ethan struck her across the face.
She zoomed in on the reflection of the living room mirror behind the fireplace mantelpiece.
Standing in the shadow of the hallway just outside the frame was her uncle, Richard Vance.
He was holding a phone, recording the entire incident with a cold, sinister smile on his face.
And on his wrist was a distinctive gold watch—the exact same watch Arthur had given him for his anniversary.
Clara clicked her mouse, copying the video file onto an encrypted external hard drive.
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"You think you own this board, Dad," Clara whispered in the dark room, her rage replacing her grief.
"But I'm going to tear your dynasty down brick by brick."
