Chapter 7 - The Enemy of My Enemy
Clara sat on the cot in the freezing basement, reading Elena’s note until the words were burned into her retinas.
The woman who had humiliated her upstairs was secretly plotting to murder their mutual tormentor.
It was a dangerous gamble, but Clara knew this was the only leverage she was going to get.
The next morning, Julian left for a supposed business meeting, locking the deadbolt from the outside.
He was confident that Clara wouldn't try to escape as long as Lily was held hostage in her own playroom.
As soon as Julian’s car pulled out of the driveway, Elena marched down the basement stairs.
She dropped the hostile act completely, her dark eyes flashing with a desperate urgency.
Elena revealed that she wasn't Julian's mistress at all.
She was an auditor sent by the criminal syndicate to figure out why Marcus Thorne's money had gone missing.
Julian had been skimming millions off the top of the money laundering operation for years.
Elena needed the master ledger to prove his theft to her bosses, which would result in Julian's immediate execution.
She promised Clara that once she had the ledger, she would ensure Julian disappeared and Lily remained perfectly safe.
Clara agreed to help, knowing Julian had a hidden wall safe behind the mahogany bookshelves in his home office.
They sneaked into the forbidden office, carefully bypassing the motion sensors Julian had installed.
Clara used a small metal paperweight to pry the wooden paneling away, revealing the digital keypad of the safe.
She input the date of Lily's birth, praying her monster of a husband possessed at least one predictable human trait.
The safe beeped twice, a green light flashing as the heavy steel door clicked open.
Inside sat a thick, leather-bound notebook containing every dirty transaction Julian had ever made.
Elena reached out to grab it, a triumphant smile spreading across her face.
Suddenly, the heavy oak door of the office slammed shut with a deafening crack.
Julian stepped out from behind the heavy velvet curtains, holding a silenced pistol casually by his side.
He didn't look angry at all.
He actually looked incredibly amused.
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Julian raised the gun, pointing it directly at Elena's chest as he chuckled darkly.
He told Elena that he knew who she really was the moment she stepped off the plane.
