Chapter 6 - The Uninvited Guest
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The secret of the pregnancy stayed between them for exactly three weeks.
Nathaniel was carefully liquidating some of his personal assets, preparing to step away from Ashcroft Holdings entirely if his father forced his hand. He was planning to buy a townhouse in a quiet neighborhood. A safe place for Clare and the baby.
But the Ashcroft intelligence network was faster than he anticipated.
Clare was sitting in her favorite coffee shop on 47th Street, waiting for Nathaniel, when a woman slid into the booth across from her.
She wore a flawless Chanel suit and a smile that didn't reach her ice-blue eyes.
"You must be Clare," the woman said, signaling the waiter for an espresso.
Clare slowly closed her notebook. "And you must be Victoria Bowmont."
Victoria laughed softly. "Nathaniel warned me you were sharp. I'll get straight to the point, Clare. I know about the baby."
Clare's blood ran cold. She kept her face blank, refusing to give Victoria the satisfaction of seeing her panic.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Clare said evenly.
"Please," Victoria sneered, pulling a manila envelope from her designer bag and sliding it across the table. "My family has private investigators who could find a needle in a haystack. Medical records aren't as private as you think."
Clare stared at the envelope but didn't touch it. "What do you want?"
"I want you to understand the reality of your situation," Victoria said, leaning in. "Nathaniel is an Ashcroft. He is destined to run an empire. You are a distraction. And that baby? That baby is a liability."
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"Get out of my sight," Clare warned, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
"If you don't walk away," Victoria said, standing up, "Douglas Ashcroft will ruin you. He will destroy your career, your reputation, and your life. Consider this your only warning."
