Chapter 4 - THE FRACTURED FACADE
"It was a misunderstanding, Mr. Ashford," Eleanor said evenly, stepping back just enough to break the gravitational pull of his proximity. She couldn't let him defend her. If he turned on Sabrina now, the trap Eleanor was setting would spring too early. "Ms. Whitmore and I have settled the matter."
Vincent’s jaw locked. He looked from Eleanor’s stoic face to Sabrina’s smug expression. He wasn't a fool. He knew Sabrina's cruelty, but he had tolerated her presence because their engagement was a strategic alliance meant to unify two warring factions in New York. However, looking at Eleanor’s ruined hair, the strategic value of Sabrina Whitmore suddenly felt entirely worthless.
"Leave us," Vincent commanded the room. The few staff members present scattered like ghosts.
Sabrina crossed her arms. "Vincent, you are overreacting over a servant."
"A servant?" Vincent’s voice was lethally calm. He turned slowly to face his fiancée. "Eleanor has been with this family for five years. She was here when my father died. She knows the pulse of this house better than I do. If you ever touch her again, Sabrina, I won't care whose daughter you are. I will break your hands."
Sabrina paled, her aristocratic mask slipping to reveal pure, unfiltered venom. "You would threaten me over a curvy nobody who scrubs your toilets? You need my family, Vincent. Without my father's men, the Morettis will swallow you whole."
"Let them try," Vincent snarled.
May you like
Eleanor slipped out of the room before the argument could escalate, her heart pounding against her ribs. The timeline had just accelerated. Vincent's explosive reaction meant Sabrina would feel threatened, and a threatened viper strikes blindly. Eleanor knew she had to secure the ledger tonight.
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