Chapter 14

Before Clara could fire back a stinging retort, a sharp, urgent chime echoed from the secure wall-mounted terminal near the mahogany door.
Julian’s private security chief stepped into the room without waiting for permission, his face pale and contorted with genuine tactical distress.
"Sir, we have an unscheduled perimeter breach at the front gates; a federal subpoena delivery team is forcing entry," the chief reported crisply.
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The atmosphere in the library shifted instantly from a high-society marriage audition into a high-stakes federal confrontation.
Julian did not panic; instead, his micro-expressions hardened into an impenetrable wall of calculated, razor-sharp defiance.