Chapter 9 - Framed
Clara stared at the glowing tablet screen in horror. Her own employee identification photograph filled the local news feed under bold, crimson lettering: DOMESTIC WORKER SOUGHT IN ATTEMPTED MURDER OF BILLIONAIRE HEIR.
""They found the bloody towel in my locker,"" Clara gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. ""Evelyn told me to throw it away, but I left it in the laundry hamper to wash later. She planted it.""
""Not just the towel,"" Marcus said grimly. ""Julian provided the police with tampered mezzanine security footage. The clip is cut right before the shove, showing only Clara arguing with Christian near the railing earlier that afternoon.""
""I was delivering his tea!"" Clara cried, tears of rage finally spilling down her cheeks. ""He knows that!""
Christian stepped forward, placing a steady, protective hand on Clara's shoulder. ""Julian is moving faster than I anticipated. He wants the board to declare me incapacitated and Clara arrested before tomorrow's noon vote. If the board ratifies his proxy vote, he takes absolute control of Whitfield Maritime.""
""And if you show up alive?"" Clara asked, looking up at Christian.
""If I walk into that boardroom without concrete evidence, Julian will claim I'm suffering from brain damage, have me institutionalized, and Clara goes to prison for my 'assault,'"" Christian replied darkly.
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""There is evidence,"" Marcus chimed in, opening a secure folder on his tablet. ""Your father's personal safe in the downtown penthouse. He kept an encrypted drive containing proof of Julian’s offshore embezzlement. But getting into that building right now is suicide.""
Christian looked down at his father's broken watch resting on the wooden table. ""Then we don't walk in the front door.""
