Chapter 2 - The Silent War
I threw my entire body over Julian's wheelchair as the bullet tore through the air.
The gunshot echoed like thunder, embedding into the marble wall just inches from his head.
Julian reacted instantly, pressing a hidden button under his armrest that dropped heavy steel shutters over every window.
The room plunged into darkness, illuminated only by the faint red glow of emergency floor lights.
"Are you hurt, Claire?" he demanded, his hands frantically checking my arms for blood.
"I am fine," I gasped, my whole body shaking violently from the adrenaline.
"My paralysis is a lie, Claire," Julian suddenly whispered in the dark.
I stared at him in utter disbelief as he slowly stood up from the wheelchair.
He towered over me, perfectly healthy and far more dangerous than I remembered.
"My own family tried to murder me two months ago to steal my company," he explained softly.
He had been faking the paralysis to draw out the traitor hiding in his inner circle.
"I need someone I can completely trust to be my eyes and ears inside this mansion," he said.
"I have two starving children at home, Julian, I cannot get involved in a billionaire's war," I pleaded.
Julian reached into his pocket and handed me a glowing cell phone.
"I just wired two million dollars to a secure trust fund in your son's name," he stated.
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He promised that Brandon would receive the best medical care in the world starting tonight.
Just as relief washed over me, the heavy oak door of the bathroom began to slowly rattle open.
