Chapter 12 - Whispers in the Dark
While we secured our technological fortress, the ripples of the scandal continued to echo through the high-society circles of the city. Former friends who had once fawned over Amanda and me now avoided my gaze entirely, terrified of being associated with the wreckage of her fraudulent empire.
Yet, not everyone had retreated into silence.
Late one Tuesday evening, my private security system alerted me to movement near the perimeter gate of our coastal estate. I stepped out onto the front porch, the cool night air biting at my skin. Standing just outside the automated iron gates was a familiar figure wrapped in a dark trench coat.
It wasn't a hitman or an operative. It was Clara, Amanda’s former maid of honor and closest confidante during the wedding planning.
“Clara?” I called out, walking cautiously toward the gate. “What are you doing here? You know you’re barred from this property.”
Clara looked terrified, her hands trembling as she clutched a small leather purse against her chest. “Ethan, please… I didn't know the full extent of what Amanda and Marcus were planning! I swear to god, I thought it was just a regular pre-nup dispute!”
“You helped her draft the guest lists, you managed her secondary luggage where the burner phone was hidden, and you lied to investigators,” I replied, my voice hard as stone. “Why should I listen to you?”
“Because Amanda isn't finished yet,” Clara whispered, casting fearful glances over her shoulder at the dark road. “She has a backup. Even inside federal prison, she managed to smuggle out a message through a corrupt guard. There’s someone else—a silent investor who funded their entire operation from overseas. He lost millions when Marcus was arrested, and he blames you for everything.”
My eyes narrowed. “Who is the investor?”
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Before Clara could answer, the screech of tires echoed down the coastal highway. Headlights flashed violently against the fog, illuminating a black sedan slowing down fifty yards away.
“Get inside, Clara! Now!” I ordered, grabbing her arm and pulling her through the side security gate just as a volley of silenced gunshots cracked through the night air, shattering the glass of the gate’s intercom pillar.
