Chapter 1 - The Chilling Denial
The grandfather clock in the corner of the grand salon finally stopped its echoing chimes.
Liam Vance kept his slate-gray eyes locked entirely on the woman he was supposed to marry in less than a week.
Claire Sterling stood her ground perfectly.
Her beautiful face quickly twisted into a flawless mask of offended innocence and deep sorrow.
"Liam, you must see that your daughter is telling a horrible lie to cover up her own bad behavior," Claire pleaded gracefully.
"She only wants to distract you from the fact that my expensive canary diamond is missing from my vanity."
Chloe gripped the fabric of her father's tailored navy jacket with tiny, trembling fingers.
The eight-year-old girl pressed her face against his leg to hide from the cruel glare of her future stepmother.
Liam slowly turned his attention away from his fiancée and looked down at his frail grandmother.
Eleanor Vance was a woman who had ruled the family empire with an iron fist for decades.
Now, she looked like a terrified prisoner trapped inside her own luxurious velvet armchair.
"Grandmother, I need you to look at me right now," Liam said with a soft but commanding voice.
"Did Claire threaten to put you in a memory ward if you refused to sign the estate transfer papers?"
Eleanor slowly raised her head, her pale blue eyes darting nervously toward the beautiful woman standing across the room.
Claire offered the elderly woman a sweet, encouraging smile that did not reach her cold eyes.
"Tell him the truth, Eleanor," Claire whispered softly.
Eleanor let out a shaky breath and tightly gripped the linen napkin resting on her lap.
"No, Liam, Chloe must have simply misunderstood our conversation," the old woman lied, her voice breaking under the weight of her fear.
Liam felt a sudden, sharp coldness wash over his entire body.
He knew his grandmother was lying to protect the little girl from Claire's wrath.
"If you have not signed any transfer papers, then you will not mind showing me the documents right now," Liam demanded.
Claire calmly walked over to the mahogany side table and picked up a thick leather folder.
She confidently handed the folder to Liam with a triumphant gleam in her eyes.
May you like
Liam opened the heavy cover and stared at the crisp legal documents inside.
The estate transfer papers had already been signed, notarized, and legally filed earlier that afternoon.
