Chapter 2: The Ghost in the Headlines
"Julian," Sophia said, her voice cutting through the silence like a scalpel. "Tell our guests why Elena is confused."
Julian couldn't speak; his jaw was locked. Sophia didn't wait for an answer. She tapped her screen, and instantly, a projector behind them flickered to life. The guests turned to look at the massive screen. A headline from the Chicago Tribune flashed in bold, black letters: "RECLUSIVE BILLIONAIRE JULIAN STERLING DECLARED DEAD AFTER PRIVATE JET CRASH: SEARCH EFFORTS CALLED OFF."
The date on the article was exactly one week ago.
A murmur rippled through the room. "But... he’s right there," a guest whispered.
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Elena looked at the screen, then at Julian, her expression shifting from righteous anger to pure, unadulterated terror. "That’s... that’s not true. I saw him yesterday! We had dinner! He told me he was divorcing you!"
Sophia stepped forward, her heels clicking on the marble like a countdown. "Elena, you didn't have dinner with Julian. You had dinner with a hired actor—a man who has been meticulously trained to imitate my husband’s gait, his voice, and his mannerisms. You weren't his mistress. You were his pawn. And that man? He’s been dead for seven days."
