Chapter 12 - The Truth About the Three Hundred Thousand
Clara went alone.
Or so Marco believed.
Cassian secretly followed.
The warehouse was dark.
Elena sat tied to a chair.
Marco stood behind her.
Clara entered.
“Mom.”
Elena began crying.
“Clara.”
The word shattered something inside her.
She ran forward.
Marco raised his gun.
“Stop.”
Clara froze.
“Let her go.”
“Give me the company.”
“I don't have it.”
“You control it.”
“I don't know how.”
Marco laughed.
“Your mother taught you nothing.”
Elena spoke.
“Because I wanted her to have a normal life.”
Marco looked at her.
“You stole her from us.”
“No.”
“You stole the Rossi inheritance.”
Elena shook her head.
“I saved my daughter.”
Marco's expression changed.
Clara looked between them.
“What happened?”
Elena finally told her.
Years earlier, the company had been used to hide illegal money.
Elena discovered it.
She refused to participate.
Derek later found records of the scheme.
He saw an opportunity.
He created fake debts.
He emptied Clara's account.
He sold information to Viktor.
The supposed $300,000 debt was only part of the plan.
Derek wanted control of Clara's inheritance.
Marco wanted the same thing.
Viktor wanted the company.
And Clara had unknowingly been the key.
“Then why did Derek sell me?”
Elena looked at her.
“Because he believed you would eventually inherit everything.”
Clara's eyes filled.
“He never loved me.”
“No.”
“He married me for money.”
“Yes.”
Clara's tears fell.
Cassian stepped out of the shadows.
Marco turned.
“You.”
Cassian raised his weapon.
Marco laughed.
“I knew you'd come.”
Cassian looked at Elena.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
Marco aimed at Clara.
“Drop the gun.”
Cassian slowly lowered it.
Marco smiled.
Then Elena kicked the chair backward.
The gun went off.
Cassian tackled Marco.
The warehouse erupted.
Clara grabbed Elena.
They ran.
Police sirens approached.
Marco was arrested.
Viktor disappeared.
Derek was taken into custody.
For the first time in months, Clara could breathe.
Later, Cassian sat beside her in the hospital.
“You okay?”
She nodded.
“My mother is alive.”
“Yes.”
“My son is safe.”
“Yes.”
“And you?”
Cassian smiled.
“Still here.”
Clara took his hand.
“Why did you risk your life?”
“Because I love you.”
She froze.
Cassian looked nervous for the first time.
“I know I shouldn't say it now.”
Clara smiled through tears.
“I love you too.”
He kissed her forehead.
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
His lawyer spoke.
Cassian's expression changed.
“What?”
He listened.
Then looked at Clara.
“The three hundred thousand dollars…”
“What about it?”
“It was never Derek's debt.”
“Whose was it?”
Cassian looked toward the hospital window.
“Mine.”
Clara stared.
“What?”
Cassian slowly explained.
Years ago, he had borrowed money to protect his mother.
The debt had been transferred through shell companies.
Derek discovered it.
He used Cassian's old debt to create the entire trap.
Clara's face went pale.
“So Derek didn't just target me.”
“No.”
“He targeted you too.”
Cassian nodded.
“And someone else financed him.”
“Who?”
May you like
Cassian looked at the hospital door.
The handle began turning...
