Chapter 2 - Shadows in the Vault
The heavy oak doors clicked shut behind the bewildered, muttering guests, leaving Clara alone in the echoing grandeur with a man whose wealth was matched only by his ruthless reputation. Julian walked the length of the table, his footsteps deliberate, heavy, and rhythmic. He didn't look like an employer scrutinizing domestic staff; he looked like a predator cornering a forgotten ghost.
""My brother took Helena away twenty years ago,"" Julian whispered, stopping just inches from Clara. His shadow engulfed her completely. ""He vanished into the dirt with her and swore never to touch this family’s name again. Why are you in my kitchen, Clara?""
""I didn't seek your charity, Lord Vance,"" Clara stated, chin lifting in defiance despite the tremor in her knees. ""I sought honest work. The agency sent me here without mentioning who owned the estate. But the recipe belongs to her. It’s the only inheritance she left behind before she died of the winter lung last month.""
Julian studied her face with an intensity that made Clara's skin prickle. He saw the high cheekbones, the stubborn curve of her lips, and the distinct, piercing hazel-green eyes that belonged exclusively to his late brother, Marcus.
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""She died?"" Julian’s voice cracked minutely, fracturing his aristocratic veneer. He stepped back, running a hand through his dark wavy hair, his breath ragged. Then his gaze hardened into steel once more. ""Then you have no idea what you walked into, do you?""
Before Clara could answer, Julian snatched her wrist, pulling her toward the dark corridor leading down toward the estate's private vaults. ""Someone poisoned that pie, Clara. And they used her secret recipe to do it.""
