Chapter 17
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The tension at the Thorne Estate the following day was palpable, even though Marcus and Khloe tried their best to maintain a facade of normalcy for Maya's sake. They were waiting for the federal prosecutor to secure the warrants, a ticking clock that made every hour feel like an eternity.
In the late afternoon, Khloe walked out onto the veranda to get some fresh air. The estate's heavy iron gates were closed, and the private security detail had been doubled at Marcus's insistence.
As she stood by the railing, she noticed a small, elegant black box resting on a wrought-iron patio table. It hadn't been there an hour ago.
Khloe’s heart skipped a beat. She didn't touch it. Instead, she immediately called out to one of the security guards stationed nearby.
"Where did this come from?" Khloe asked, pointing at the box.
The guard frowned, looking confused. "I don't know, ma'am. The perimeter hasn't been breached. Perhaps one of the house staff left it?"
Marcus, hearing the commotion, stepped out onto the veranda. Seeing the box, his protective instincts flared. He instructed the guard to step back and carefully approached the table. He put on a pair of leather gloves and slowly opened the lid.
Inside the box, resting on a bed of black velvet, was a single, perfectly preserved black rose. Beside it was a small, handwritten note.
“The foundation of an empire is fragile. Be careful not to let it collapse on the ones you love.”
Marcus crushed the note in his fist, his eyes blazing with a lethal fury. "Julian."
"He got someone inside the gates," Khloe whispered, feeling a cold knot of fear in her stomach. "He is trying to tell us that no matter how much security we have, he can still reach us."
"He is panicking," Marcus said, pulling Khloe into a tight, protective embrace. "He knows the audit isn't enough to force me out quickly, so he is resorting to psychological warfare. He wants us terrified."
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Khloe pulled back, looking up into Marcus’s eyes. The fear in her stomach was quickly replaced by a fierce, undeniable anger.
"I am not afraid of him, Marcus," Khloe said, her voice steady and resolute. "Isabella Rossi tried to kill me, and I survived. Julian Vance sending a flower isn't going to make me break. Let him try to intimidate us. It only proves he is losing."
