Chapter 7 - THE ENTRAPMENT
By four o'clock in the afternoon, the rain had returned, heavy drops lashing against the floor-to-ceiling glass windows of the grand manor.
Inside the library, Julian Sterling was pacing back and forth across the Persian rug, adjusting his cuffs while Richard Vance reviewed a stack of legal documents on the mahogany desk.
"She’ll sign," Julian sneered, checking his gold watch—the very watch Adrian had spotted on Victor at the gate earlier that morning. "Grace has no choice. Her brother dies without that corporate health grant. By six o'clock, we’ll have her signed affidavit claiming Adrian was losing his sanity."
"Good," Vance replied without looking up from his laptop. "My offshore accounts in the Caymans are ready to receive the liquidated reserves. The moment the state magistrate receives the affidavit, Adrian Whitmore’s empire is legally ours."
A soft, rhythmic knock echoed at the heavy oak doors.
"Come in," Julian called out, straightening his jacket to project authority.
The door swung open, and Grace stepped into the library. Her face was pale, and her hands trembled slightly as she held a black leather folder against her apron.
"Ah, Grace," Julian smiled, a predatory gleam in his eyes. "I see you’ve reconsidered my generous offer. Have you brought the signed affidavit?"
Grace stopped three feet from the desk, keeping her gaze steady. "I came to tell you that I won't do it, Mr. Sterling. I won't lie about Mr. Whitmore, and I won't help you steal this estate."
Julian’s smile vanished instantly, replaced by a dark, ugly snarl. He stepped around the desk, towering over her.
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"You foolish, ignorant girl," Julian spat, grabbing her by the arm. "Do you think you have a choice? I am the master of this house now! I hold your brother's life in the palm of my hand! You sign that paper right now, or I will see to it that your family is thrown onto the street by morning!"
"Is that how you manage my estate, Julian?" a cold, gravelly voice echoed from the shadowed balcony above the library.
