Chapter 2 - The Redacted File
Christian turned slightly, angling the screen away from Clara, but not before she caught the red banner of an encrypted security alert. He stared at the display for three long seconds, his thumb tightening against the glass case until his knuckles turned white.
""Put your things down,"" Christian commanded, his tone shifting back to the authoritative executive who commanded empires, yet missing its usual cruelty. ""Take the master guest suite down the eastern corridor. Julian will bring breakfast and milk for the little one.""
""Mr. Vance, I can't stay here,"" Clara pleaded, her voice shaking as Lily rubbed her sleepy eyes against Clara’s collarbone. ""This is your home. People talk. The building staff—""
""The staff works for me, Clara. And right now, none of them matter."" He stepped toward the massive mahogany desk, opening a concealed drawer beneath the polished surface. He withdrew a thick manila folder stamped with a crimson seal. He did not open it in front of her, but his knuckles traced the edge of the paper with deliberate tension. ""You didn't list a father on your employment background check.""
The room seemed to drop ten degrees. Clara’s breath caught in her throat, her heartbeat pounding against her ribs like a trapped bird. ""I... I told HR he wasn't in our lives. That he died before she was born.""
Christian slowly looked up, his grey eyes piercing straight through her desperate facade. ""Then why is Marcus Kane’s private security firm tracking your social security number across three state lines?""
Clara’s blood ran cold. Lily stirred in her arms, whimpering softly at the sudden tension radiating from her mother’s trembling body.
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""You know Marcus?"" Clara whispered, terror stripping every ounce of color from her face.
Christian closed the drawer with a definitive, hollow click. ""Marcus Kane is my estranged half-brother. And if he finds out this baby is alive, this entire building won't be enough to stop him.""
