CHAPTER 2
(Clara POV)
The elevator was a mirrored cage of glass and polished steel, and the moment the doors shut, I broke. The image reflected back at me,a perfectly dressed woman with mascara streaking her flawless foundation,was a pathetic lie. My breathing hitched, coming out in ragged, useless sobs. The cold, impenetrable facade I'd shown Ryan and Julian shattered, and the tsunami of grief and betrayal finally washed over me.
In the silence of the descent, the rage was overwhelming. How could a mistake look so practiced? So hungry? The knowledge that I had just signed myself up for a performance,a role as Ryan Shawn's loving fiancée made the air thin and suffocating. I had made the decision in the office, fueled by pure adrenaline and instinct. Now, I needed a witness, a confidante, and, crucially, a lawyer.
I stumbled out onto the street and hailed a taxi. I gave the driver Chloe's address, settling into the back seat, the cold plastic a grim comfort.
As the taxi drove away, the tears finally stopped. They were replaced by a cold, calculating resolve. I wasn't just heartbroken; I was utterly humiliated. I would not let Ryan win this cleanly. I had to secure the means of his absolute destruction.
I pulled out my phone and called Chloe, the one person who would understand that this was no longer about a broken heart; it was about a broken contract.
"Clara," Chloe's voice, sharp and worried, cut through the phone. "What's wrong? You sound like you've been crying."
"I'm almost at your building," I said, my voice hollow, stripped of all emotion. "Can I come up? And bring your laptop. I need your professional head."
The moment she opened the door, her professional attitude dropped. She saw the state of my face and pulled me into a big hug. "Oh, honey," she whispered.
"Chloe," I choked out, a final sob tearing from my chest. "He did it. Ryan cheated. With Julian."
The shock in Chloe's eyes was devastating,a universe of disbelief and betrayal. She was genuinely horrified, but quickly moved past the personal betrayal into the strategic space I needed.
"God, Clara. I am so sorry. That snake," Chloe spat, pulling back, her eyes blazing with fury. "What did you say? Did you tell him it's over? We need to start asset protection immediately."
I took a deep breath, the cold air calming the turmoil in my chest. "I already went in there and told him the wedding is still on. Two weeks, as planned."
Chloe's jaw dropped. She was a lawyer, trained for every contingency, but this shock was physical. "You did what? Clara, why? Why give him the satisfaction of keeping you? We could sue him for emotional distress! You could walk away clean!"
"Walk away clean? And let him rebuild? No," I stated, my voice steady. "He thinks he's getting a reprieve. He thinks I'm weak and prioritizing public image. He has no idea I just secured the perfect legal weapon."
I leaned forward, my voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "He told me everything about NovaCom. The offshore shell companies. The manufactured debt to drive the valuation down. It's fraud, Chloe. If I leave him now, I'm just a jilted fiancée. If I marry him, I become his spouse,with access to marital assets and, more importantly, with the legal standing to expose financial crime."
Chloe's professional brain instantly kicked into high gear, processing the severity of the NovaCom file. Her eyes, which had been full of sympathy, now gleamed with a dangerous, dark understanding. "The timing is terrible. The merger is set to close just after your wedding. If we expose it now, you risk a criminal investigation involving yourself. But as his wife…"
"As his wife, he trusts me even more," I finished for her. "He'll let his guard down. I will marry him, and for two months, I will be the perfect, cold, distant wife, gathering every last file, password, and transaction detail before he can bury it. Julian's betrayal handed me the emotional justification. Ryan's arrogance gave me the legal leverage."
Chloe gripped my hands tightly, the initial horror giving way to a shared, chilling resolve. "This isn't revenge, Clara. This is a cold-blooded execution. It will destroy him financially, but it will also change you."
"Good," I replied, standing up, the decision settling like concrete in my soul. "Ryan thinks he's getting a wife. He's getting a predator. This isn't about me anymore. This is about absolute destruction. Now, tell me, legally, what files do I need access to before I sign those papers? The game is on."