Chapter 2: The Silent Witness
Eleanor didn't flinch. She didn't recoil at the insult, nor did she raise her voice to defend her son. Instead, a cold, knowing smile bloomed on her face—a smile that held the weight of a thousand secrets.
Slowly, with the poise of a queen, Eleanor reached onto the table and lifted her smartphone. The screen was illuminated, showing an active, ongoing phone call on speaker. The silence that followed was absolute, heavy with the weight of impending doom.
"Did you get all that, son?" Eleanor asked softly.
The silence on the other end lasted only a second, but it felt like an eternity. Then, a voice broke through—hollow, jagged, and cold.
"Loud and clear," Julian said. "The wedding is canceled."
Isabella’s smug smile didn't just fade; it disintegrated. Her face went deathly pale, the foundation of her perfectly constructed life cracking in real-time. She turned toward the grand staircase, expecting to see Julian descending, but the lobby remained empty. He wasn't there; he was listening from the security room, watching through the very cameras Isabella had assumed were for his protection.
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"Julian? No, baby, wait! It’s a trick! She’s trying to manipulate you!" Isabella shrieked, her voice cracking as she took a desperate step toward the door.
Two tall, imposing figures stepped out from the shadows of the heavy velvet curtains. They were Blackwood security—men who were trained to handle anything from corporate espionage to physical threats. They blocked her escape, their faces stone-cold, their hands resting on the lapels of their tactical suits.
