Chapter 20 - The Mysterious Letter|
Julian’s sudden death in prison was quickly covered up by the media as a massive heart attack. But Eleanor and I knew the truth.
The Sterling Estate was immediately placed under triple-lockdown security. My mother unleashed her investigators to dig into the background of every single board member, but the enemy remained flawlessly hidden in the shadows.
That night, after singing Leo to sleep, I returned to my private study. An icy gust of wind blew the balcony curtains wildly, even though I clearly remembered locking the glass doors.
Sitting perfectly centered on my mahogany desk was a pitch-black envelope, sealed with red wax stamped with the emblem of a raven.
My heart hammered against my ribs. Sterling’s security grid was supposed to be impenetrable. Who could have bypassed the guards, cameras, and lasers to leave this on my desk?
I carefully used a silver letter opener to break the seal. Inside was a piece of aged, crumbling parchment and a yellowed photograph. The photo showed my mother, Eleanor, thirty years ago, holding a newborn baby. Standing next to her was a strange man I had never seen before—and his face was violently scribbled out in red ink.
The message on the parchment was written in sharp, elegant calligraphy:
"The death game is only just beginning, little princess. Your mother lied to you about how your father died. And I am coming very soon to reclaim what is rightfully mine. See you soon."
I gripped the edge of the desk until my knuckles turned white, my eyes piercing through the pitch-black night outside my window.
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I was no longer the pitiful, abandoned Clara weeping in family court. I was the heir to the Sterling Empire. Whoever wanted to touch my son or my family would have to step over my dead body first.
The shadows were waiting, but the lioness inside me was fully awake and ready for war.
