Chapter 5 - Shadows of Malice
The quiet tranquility of the household was soon disrupted. One evening, two weeks after Victoria’s departure, Elena was walking down the stone path from the staff quarters to the main kitchen when she noticed an unfamiliar black sedan parked near the perimeter fence.
Before she could alert estate security, a figure stepped out from behind the tall hedges. It was a man in an unbranded trench coat, holding a heavy telephoto camera.
"Miss Cruz?" the man called out, flashing a fraudulent press pass. "Just a few questions. How much did Marcus Vance pay you to frame Miss Sterling? Was this an orchestrated plot to break the prenuptial agreement?"
Elena stopped, her expression calm yet guarded. "I have nothing to say to you. You are trespassing on private property."
"Come on, Elena," the photographer smirked, stepping closer. "A girl from humble origins suddenly becoming the trusted confidante of the Vance family? That doesn’t happen by accident. Are you angling for a ring yourself?"
Before Elena could reply, the harsh beam of a high-intensity flashlight swept across the photographer’s face. Two armed Vance estate guards closed in swiftly, pinning the intruder against the stone wall with practiced efficiency.
Marcus arrived moments later, his coat unbuttoned, his face dark with fury. "Who hired you?" Marcus demanded, his voice chilling.
May you like
The photographer spat on the grass, trembling despite his sneer. "Call your lawyers, Vance. The Sterlings are writing the narrative now. Tomorrow morning, your devoted nanny will be plastered across every tabloid as a gold-digging opportunist."
Marcus walked directly up to the man, his eyes flashing with lethal calm. "Tell Victoria Sterling that if she touches one hair on this young woman’s head, or breathes my son’s name into the press again, I will not use lawyers. I will use the entirety of my wealth to dismantle her father’s shipping empire down to the last dry dock. Now get off my land."
