Chapter 8 - Watching from the shadows as the panicked woman in the black velvet gown attempts to flee across the courtyard before heavy iron gates slam shut.
Outside in the courtyard, the rain had slowed to a steady drizzle, casting a heavy mist across the manicured estate lawns.
Victoria crept down the rear service stairs of the mansion, clutching a leather overnight bag tightly to her chest.
She wore her black velvet evening gown beneath a heavy wool trench coat, her large butterfly earrings swinging with every hurried step.
Her destination was the security gate at the edge of the property where her private town car was supposed to be waiting.
As she rounded the corner of the greenhouse, the towering wrought-iron front gates suddenly began to swing inward automatically.
A pair of heavy-duty steel bollards rose from the asphalt roadway, completely blocking any vehicle from exiting the estate.
Victoria gasped, stopping dead in her tracks as the red tail lights of her waiting getaway car flashed and died.
From the shadows of the portico, head bodyguard Marcus stepped out into the misty air, blocking her only path of retreat.
"Mrs. Kensington, Mr. Sterling requests your immediate attendance in the main library," Marcus stated in a flat, unyielding tone.
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Victoria's face turned completely pale, her fingers digging desperately into the leather strap of her travel bag.
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