Chapter 3 - The Matriarch's Verdict
Eleanor Vance stood on the balcony overlooking the foyer, draped in midnight silk and heavy pearls. Her silver hair was coiffed with severe precision, her lips painted a severe blood-red. Beside her stood Julian Thorne, Damian’s chief legal advisor and Eleanor’s long-standing confidant.
""What is this intolerable racket?"" Eleanor’s voice was like ice clinking in crystal. Her gaze swept downward, past Damian, past the broken cups, until her eyes landed squarely on Clara. For a fleeting second, the matriarch’s composure cracked, a flash of pure terror vanishing into haughty disdain. ""I see the catering agency failed to properly screen its trash.""
""Mother,"" Damian called up, his voice dangerously level. ""Clara is here.""
""I have eyes, Damian. And I also remember having that wretched woman signed off on an NDA and an eviction settlement half a decade ago,"" Eleanor retorted, descending the marble stairs one measured step at a time. Her cane echoed rhythmically. ""Call the police, Julian. Have this vagrant escorted off Vance property before the ambassador arrives.""
""Wait!"" Clara stepped out, her grip tightening around little Daisy's hand. Daisy buried her face in Clara’s hip, trembling slightly at Eleanor’s venomous tone. ""Tell him the truth, Eleanor. Tell him why I left. Tell him about the offshore shell company you used to fake my signature, and the phone calls threatening Daisy’s life before she was even born!""
Damian turned sharply to his mother. ""Did you touch her?""
Eleanor stopped at the base of the staircase, laughing softly without warmth. ""Damian, be reasonable. She was an opportunistic assistant who used a brief affair to orchestrate a payout. Look at her. A servant. If that child were truly a Vance, do you think she would let her wear rags while scraping crumbs off our floor?""
""She has my signet ring,"" Damian said, his voice dropping into an ominous whisper that made even Eleanor’s lips tighten. ""The ring that vanished from my safe the night Clara disappeared.""
Eleanor scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. ""She stole it. She’s a thief, Damian. Arrest her.""
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""Run, Daisy!"" Clara suddenly gasped, noticing Julian subtly unholstering a phone to signal private security at the rear gate. Clara scooped Daisy into her arms, sprinting not toward the kitchen, but toward the side terrace doors leading into the misty gardens.
""Stop her!"" Eleanor shrieked, losing her mask. ""Do not let that child leave this estate!""
