Chapter 1 - The Fall of the Queen
Chapter 1 - The Fall of the Queen
Julian didn't strike her. He didn't have to.
He lunged forward and gripped Victoria by the throat of her silk designer blouse, slamming her backward into the heavy oak banister of the grand staircase. The crystal champagne flute shattered on the marble floor, a sharp mirror to the ruin she had just brought upon herself.
"Julian, stop!" Victoria gasped, her hands clawing desperately at his iron grip. "You're hurting me!"
"Hurting you?" Julian’s voice was a terrifying, low growl that vibrated through the massive foyer. "You haven't even begun to understand the meaning of the word."
He shoved her aside, letting her crumple onto the stairs like a discarded ragdoll. He didn't care about her anymore. His only priority was Clara.
Julian dropped to his knees on the tea-stained floor, ignoring the ruined leather of his shoes, ignoring the terrified gasps of the remaining staff. He reached out, his hands hovering over Clara's trembling shoulders as if she were made of glass.
"Clara," he choked out, the tears he had held back for four years finally breaking free. "My God, Clara. I'm here. I've got you."
Clara flinched instinctively, a trauma response that sent a fresh spike of murderous rage through Julian's heart. But then, she looked up into his eyes. The fog of fear parted just enough for her to recognize the man who had never stopped loving her.
She collapsed against his chest, burying her face in his suit jacket, sobbing with the raw, agonizing sound of a soul that had been buried alive and finally pulled to the surface.
"He's calling the police!" one of the maids whispered frantically to the butler.
"Nobody moves!" Julian roared, his voice echoing off the vaulted ceilings. "The gates are locked. The security system is armed. If any of you try to leave before the police arrive, I will personally ensure you spend the rest of your pathetic lives in a federal prison."
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Victoria, panting and humiliated on the stairs, pulled out her phone with trembling fingers. "You can't do this, Julian. I'm a Sterling! My father will destroy you!"
Julian didn't even look at her as he cradled his sobbing wife. "Your father works for me, Victoria. And by tomorrow morning, the Sterling name won't be worth the dirt on Clara's feet."
