Chapter 61 61

Chapter 61 61
The morning sunlight slipped through the gaps in the curtains, sweeping across the suite floor in golden hues. Clara stretched slowly, feeling a pleasant soreness throughout her body. She reached for the side of the bed, but the space was already cold. Raymond was gone.

He must have already left for the new office, Clara thought with a faint smile. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Nine in the morning. She had truly slept in today.

Clara was just about to head to the bathroom when her phone, lying on the small table, vibrated. A message notification appeared.

She reached for her phone, brow furrowed. Who would be messaging this early?

As soon as she unlocked the screen, her eyes widened. The message was from an unknown number. However, the content made her blood run cold in her veins.

\[Be careful with Raymond, Mrs. Clara. You have no idea what kind of man your husband is.\]

Clara’s heart began to race. She continued reading the next lines with bated breath.

\[He had the heart to kill the woman who loved him. He has bloody secrets hidden behind his expensive suits.\]

Clara was stunned; the phone in her hand felt incredibly heavy. She felt a sudden sense of unease, choking her lungs.

\[If you want to know the truth about your husband, we can meet to talk further. I will be waiting for you at the Kensington art gallery this afternoon.\]
\[Julian\]

Clara sat frozen on the edge of the bed, staring at her phone screen as if it were a bomb ready to explode.

"What does this Mr. Julian mean? I don't believe him," Clara muttered to herself. Her voice sounded shaky in the quiet room. "He must just want to destroy my relationship with Raymond. This is just his cheap trick to seduce me."

However, deep in the recesses of her heart, a curiosity began to grow like a parasite. Why did Julian seem so sure? And who was the woman he referred to? Why did that man hate Raymond so much?

Clara tried to push those dark thoughts away. She hurried into the bathroom, dousing her body with cold water to clear her mind. She could not waver. Raymond had proven his love time and time again. She could not let a stranger ruin their happiness.

After dressing in a casual cream-colored dress, Clara went out to the spacious breakfast room. There, she found Raymond sitting at the head of the table, still wearing his work shirt but without a tie. Beside him, Alexander was busy playing with his chocolate cereal, while Noah was in the arms of a happy-looking Michael.

Raymond looked up as soon as he noticed Clara’s presence. A sincere smile appeared on his face. He stood up, approached Clara, and gently kissed his wife’s cheek.

"Did you sleep well, darling? I’m sorry I had to get up early to check the reports from Joel," Raymond said in a loving tone.

Clara nodded slowly, trying to force a smile. "Yes, very well."

However, Clara could not hide her anxiety completely. She sat in her chair and began to eat her breakfast mechanically. Throughout breakfast, Clara was mostly silent. She kept watching Raymond, who was joking with Alexander, laughing freely as his son tried to imitate the way his father held a coffee cup.

This man... could he really be a murderer? Clara asked herself. She stared at Raymond’s hands as he stroked Alexander’s cheek. The hands that had touched her so gently last night, even touching her intimate parts with affection—the hands that always protected her. No, that was impossible. Julian must be lying.

Raymond, who possessed a very sharp intuition, immediately realized there was something different about his wife’s demeanor. He set down his coffee cup and looked at Clara with a probing gaze.

"What are you thinking about, darling? You seem... different this morning?" Raymond asked. He reached out, taking Clara’s chin so that his wife would look directly into his eyes. "Is something bothering you? Are you still thinking about what happened at the restaurant last night?"

Clara was stunned for a moment. She almost wanted to show him the message, but she hesitated. If she showed him now, Raymond would surely explode in anger and might cancel all his business affairs just to hunt down Julian. She didn't want to add to the chaos.

"I'm fine, Ray. Maybe just exhausted from the long trip and last night's event," Clara lied, trying to offer a smile as soft as possible.

Raymond narrowed his eyes, not entirely convinced, but he decided not to press further. He glanced at his watch.

"Alright, then you should get more rest today," Raymond said. He stood up and put on his suit jacket, which was draped over the chair. "I’m heading to the new office; there are some documents I need to sign before Julian comes there again. I’ll try to be home by the afternoon. I want to take you all for a walk in Hyde Park."

Raymond kissed Clara’s forehead once more before saying goodbye to Michael and the children. His steps were steady as he walked out the suite door, followed by Joel, who was already waiting outside.

As soon as he entered his Maybach, which would take him to the city center, Raymond’s face, which had been warm, instantly turned as cold as ice. His CEO aura returned with full force, creating a chilling atmosphere inside the car.

He turned toward Joel, who was sitting in the front seat. "Joel."

"Yes, Mr. Craig?"

"Find out everything about that fucking Vane. I want every small detail of his life on my desk before lunch. His past, his family, his secrets... whatever it is," Raymond hissed in a voice that was very low but deadly. "My hands are itching to destroy that arrogant face of his."

Joel nodded promptly. "I’ve already started on it, sir. I will complete it immediately."

"That man is trying to play with fire with me, Joel. And he doesn't know that I wouldn't mind burning all of London just to make sure he never dares to touch what is mine again," Raymond muttered, staring out the window with eyes flashing with vengeance.

Meanwhile, in a classic-style mansion in the elite Kensington area, the atmosphere felt very contrasting. Julian Vane sat in his study, which was filled with expensive paintings. He was sitting relaxed in his leather chair, one hand holding a cigarette, the smoke curling slowly into the air.

Before him, a monitor screen displayed a photo of Clara, taken secretly during dinner the previous night.

Julian smiled slightly, a smile that looked very satisfied. He took a drag of his cigarette, then exhaled the smoke toward the screen.

"Come on, Clara, believe me. I’m not giving you lies; I’m just giving you the bitter truth," Julian muttered, his voice sounding like a devil’s whisper.

He spun his chair, looking toward the window that displayed a neatly manicured garden. His thoughts returned to Chloe, his poor sister. Every time he thought of Raymond, the pain returned, fueling the hatred he had nurtured for ten years.

"I want to meet you again, Clara Hamilton. You possess extraordinary beauty, beauty that is too precious to be wasted by a cold-blooded man like Raymond Craig," Julian said.

He reached for his phone, looking at reports from his men who were constantly monitoring movements at The Savoy. He knew Raymond had just left for the office. This was the perfect moment.

"Let’s see if your curiosity is stronger than your loyalty, Clara," Julian hissed. "Because once you know who Raymond really is, you will be the one running to me, begging me to save you from that monster."

Julian stubbed out his cigarette in a crystal ashtray with a very calm movement. He had set his net perfectly, and he was sure that his prey would soon walk into the trap willingly. For him, destroying Raymond wasn't just about taking over business; it was about shattering the man’s heart into pieces—just as Raymond had shattered his sister’s heart and life years ago.