Chapter 3
Chapter 3: The Locket and the Law
Only four people remained in the cavernous ballroom: Richard, Eleanor, Clara, and the terrified little boy.
Eleanor’s elegant facade had completely fractured. The pristine posture was gone; she paced like a caged predator, her fingers clawing at her silk dress. "You are making a mistake, Richard. Think of the family name. Think of the press! If this gets out, your stocks will plummet by tomorrow morning!"
"You think I care about the market right now?" Richard walked slowly toward Clara. He knelt down, bringing his eyes level with the weeping boy. "Ethan. Look at me, son."
Ethan slowly turned his head, his eyes red and swollen. "Daddy... don't be mad at Clara. She didn't do anything wrong. She only sings the song when the bad dreams come."
Richard looked at Clara, his voice thick with unexpressed agony. "The lullaby... 'Where the starlight meets the sea'. My late mother wrote that for me before she passed. No one in this world knew those lyrics except me... and the young nurse who cared for her in the hospice seven years ago." He closed his eyes as the final piece of the horrific puzzle locked into place. "It was you. You were the nurse."
"Yes," Clara whispered, tears streaming down her face. "I was pregnant, alone, and vulnerable. Eleanor found out about the connection. She realized that if she took my baby, you would see the child as a miracle, a blessing tied to your late mother's memory. She didn't want a child, Richard. She wanted an anchor to secure your millions."
"You lying bitch!" Eleanor screamed, lunging forward with her manicured nails aimed directly at Clara’s face.
But Richard intercepted her mid-air. He caught her wrist with a grip so tight the bone audibly popped. He flung her back onto the floor, where she collapsed against the remains of the birthday cake.
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"Security!" Richard roared toward the corridor. Two guards entered immediately, their faces solemn. "Lock her in the study. Call the federal authorities and my personal legal team. Inform them that Eleanor Vance is being detained for child trafficking, extortion, and institutional forgery."
"Richard! You can't do this! I am your wife!" Eleanor shrieked as the guards grabbed her arms, dragging her kicking and screaming down the long marble hallway. Her voice echoed off the walls until the heavy oak doors of the study slammed shut, cutting off her cries.
