Chapter 1
The heavy silence inside the modern kitchen felt as sharp as broken glass scattered across the gleaming tile floor.
Victoria’s emerald green silk dress seemed to lose its vibrant luster as the color drained completely from her face.
"What... what did you just say to me, Ethan?" Victoria stammered, her voice trembling with an unnatural, breathless pitch.
Ethan did not blink, his dark eyes remaining locked onto her panicked expression with the unyielding chill of deep winter ice.
He took another slow, deliberate step forward, forcing Victoria to stumble backward until her spine pressed against the stainless steel refrigerator.
"You heard every single word, Victoria," Ethan whispered, his voice dropping into a register that carried lethal authority.
"Arthur didn't drown in that sailing accident off the coast of Maine five years ago, and you know it better than anyone."
Victoria’s manicured fingers dug desperately into the edge of the counter, her breath coming in short, jagged gasps.
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"That's a vile lie! The Coast Guard ruled it an accidental drowning!" Victoria shrieked, her control finally shattering entirely.
"The Coast Guard didn't look at the offshore bank transfers that hit your Swiss account forty-eight hours later," Ethan replied coldly.
