Chapter 4 - Shadows of the Past
Patrick felt as if the ground beneath his feet had suddenly dissolved into nothingness. The word "father" echoed through his brain like a physical blow, shattering his fragile composure into a thousand pieces. He slowly turned his head to look at Victoria, whose eyes were wide with pure, unadulterated terror, her lips trembling as she tried to form words that wouldn't come out.
"Victoria..." Patrick choked out, his voice barely a rasping breath. "What... what did she just say? Who was she talking about?"
Six short months earlier, Patrick had been nothing more than an ambitious middle-manager working for Vance Enterprises, the global hospitality empire built entirely by Clara Vance’s family. Clara’s late father, Arthur Vance, had built the multi-billion-dollar empire from scratch before passing away, leaving Clara as the sole inheritor of all corporate shares, luxury hotel chains, and private family trusts.
Patrick had swept Clara off her feet during her period of grief with calculated charm, floral arrangements, and endless promises of protection, marrying her three years ago. But behind his loving husband façade, Patrick was quietly bleeding the corporation dry. Assisted by Victoria—a woman he introduced to the board as his private financial consultant, but who was secretly his long-time mistress—he had been slowly transferring millions into untraceable offshore accounts.
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He thought he was the ultimate puppet master, pulling the strings of a wealthy, grieving heiress.
👉 Read PART 5 to see how Clara discovered their secret plot before arriving at the gala!
