Chapter 9 - The Second Wife.
The stranger entered the ballroom as though he owned it.
Harrison’s face revealed something Claire had never seen in a billionaire.
Submission.
Sloane noticed it too.
“Who is he?”
Harrison did not answer.
The man stopped beneath the chandelier.
“My name is Victor Dane.”
Claire had heard the name.
Everyone in the city had.
Victor Dane owned shipping companies, construction firms, private aircraft, and enough politicians to make newspapers careful with adjectives.
He smiled at Claire.
“Mrs. Cross.”
Claire’s skin crawled.
“Don’t call me that.”
Victor looked amused.
“Fair.”
Julian moved toward him.
Victor ignored him.
That seemed to bother Julian.
Victor extended his hand to Claire.
“The drive.”
“No.”
Victor’s smile disappeared.
“You don’t understand what you have.”
“I understand bank records.”
“You understand pieces.”
Claire stepped behind the laundry cart where Anne sat.
“Then explain the rest.”
Victor looked at Harrison.
“You always did raise difficult daughters.”
Claire felt another jolt hearing him include her.
Harrison said nothing.
Sloane stepped beside Claire.
Victor noticed.
“Interesting.”
“What?”
Sloane asked.
“You two finally chose the same side.”
Sloane’s jaw tightened.
Julian moved closer.
“Victor, we had an agreement.”
Victor finally looked at him.
“You had an agreement with people who work for me.”
Julian’s face changed.
Claire saw fear.
Victor continued.
“You were supposed to move Harrison’s money.”
“I did.”
“You were supposed to disappear after the audit.”
“I did.”
“You were not supposed to steal eighty-four million dollars.”
Julian glanced at Claire.
Victor followed his gaze.
Then smiled.
“Ah.”
The room became silent.
“You told her.”
Claire understood that Julian had revealed too much.
Victor stepped toward him.
Julian backed away.
“What happens to stolen money usually?”
Victor asked.
Julian said nothing.
“It gets returned.”
“I can return it.”
“You can’t.”
Victor’s eyes became flat.
“You spent twenty-six million buying your way into this family.”
Sloane recoiled.
Her engagement.
The gifts.
The investment partnerships.
Julian had used Claire’s stolen money to court Harrison’s other daughter.
Claire almost felt the cruelty had become too perfect to be real.
Sloane looked at Julian.
“The penthouse?”
He said nothing.
“My engagement ring?”
Silence.
“The foundation donation?”
Julian looked away.
Sloane removed the enormous diamond ring from her finger.
She threw it.
It struck Julian in the chest.
He did not move.
Claire almost smiled.
Then Victor spoke again.
“There is another problem.”
Everyone looked at him.
“Julian Cross is already married.”
Claire touched her wedding ring.
“Yes.”
Victor shook his head.
“Not to you.”
Claire stared.
Sloane whispered.
“What?”
Victor turned toward the ballroom entrance.
A woman entered.
She was around forty.
Dark hair.
Gray suit.
No jewelry.
Julian went completely white.
Claire knew instantly that this was not another mistress.
The woman looked at Julian with hatred.
Then she looked at Claire.
“My name is Rebecca Shaw.”
Nathan made a sound that did not resemble a word.
The woman turned toward him.
Her face collapsed.
“Nate.”
Nathan crossed the room.
For eight years, he had believed his sister was gone.
Now she stood twenty feet away.
Claire looked at Julian.
Rebecca reached for Nathan.
Then stopped.
May you like
She pointed toward Julian.
“I was married to him first.”
