Chapter 4 - The Rat in the TrapWith five days remaining before the annual gala, Julian grew arrogant. Believing Clara was completely unsuspecting, he and Vanessa became careless.
During a late-night meeting at the office, Julian handed Clara a stack of legal documents tucked inside routine operational reports.
"Just sign these routine asset releases for the European branch, sweetheart," Julian said casually, offering her a pen. "It saves us time before the big event."
Clara glanced at the documents. Tucked in the fine print was a clause transferring her voting shares to Julian in the event of an internal investigation.
"Of course, darling," Clara said smoothly. She signed the pages—using a specialized disappearing ink pen provided by her legal team, while subtly swapping the main page with an amended contract that locked Julian into full personal liability for all firm transactions.
That night, Julian met Vanessa at a private restaurant.
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"She signed it without looking," Julian laughed, raising a toast. "The trap is closed. In forty-eight hours, Clara will be ruined, and we'll control the entire firm."
Across the street, in a tinted van, Clara watched the live camera feed provided by her investigators. She smiled softly. "Celebrate now, Julian," she whispered. "Because it's your last night of freedom."
