Chapter 25 Unveiled
Valenticia's POV~
I held the crumpled note in my hand, Meet me at midnight. I know Galden’s next move. The words offered information on what Victor Galden planned to do, but there was danger woven through them, a snare I could not dismiss. I was in the estate's library, the air hung thick with the odor of old leather and wax, and last night’s red rose was still sitting on the table, its thorns pointed like an unsaid accusation. I had smashed Natasha’s tracking device with my heel at the auction, but her obsession was shackling me.
My grandmother's voice sharp and hard pierced through my thoughts. “Valenticia, you’re going to meet Stefan Myles tonight. Let’s talk about the contract marriage.”
My heart dropped, and a familiar ache started. Another loveless transaction, like Dmitri’s betrayal, the starry promises that had turned to ash. “Grandmother, I can’t. Not another cage.”
Grandmother's gaze softened but her tone was firm. “This isn’t about love, child. It’s about survival. Stefan’s New Dream also blocks Galden’s attacks against Clawford. Your parents would’ve got it.”
I turned to face the window. Stefan had rescued me that night. Pulling me from the kidnappers’ grasp. He would always make me feel like I owed him a debt. Which I did. Grandmother's strategy was sound, but it also felt like a betrayal of the girl who’d once dreamed of more.
“All right,” I murmured, my voice ringing false. “I’ll meet him.”
__
The setting was a candlelit rooftop lounge, with its amber glow. Stefan was leaning on the rail, his eyes sharp as I came closer. My sapphire dress seemed too sheer, my sadness something he’d notice, certainly.
“Valenticia,” he said, his tone cold. “Sit.”
I did, my fingers intertwined to keep them from shaking. “What’s your offer, Stefan?”
He pushed a contract over his table, looking as if it would eat me alive. “A one-year marriage. New Dream and Clawford combine resources. My money, your family's. We match Galden’s land deal and ruin Nexus Ventures. You keep your legacy.”
I read the terms, my throat constricting. Collective decision-making, with the pretense of unity. “And my debt to you?” I said, my voice barely steady. “Is this the price for your saving my life?”
His lips tugged; not a smile. “You owe me, Valenticia. This marriage squares us. Stop acting like there’s no trade there.”
I’d dared to imagine foolishly, that there was warmth in him. Now his eyes contained nothing, but strategy, and I felt insignificant – a pawn in his game. Dismay curled in my chest but I clenched my voice to steel. “Equal partnership, Stefan. No games. I’m not your puppet.”
There was a flicker of amusement on his face. “Agreed. Equal terms, or nothing.
My hand was steady as I signed the draft, despite the ache in my heart. My hand met his as I handed him the pen, demeaning the woman I was by feeling a tingle in my gut at the touch. He leaned back, studying me. “You are stronger than you look, Clawford. Don’t forget it.”
I so wished to believe him, but his lack of warmth made me feel hollow. At Clawford Corporation, the contract hung on me like wet silk. The office was worse. Natasha’s sabotage had intensified. Doctored emails, now the latest viral sensation in the board, depicted me as an embezzler, stealing millions of dollars.
I found Marcus in a dimly lit conference room, “I have something,” he said, passing a tablet across the table. “A payment from Nexus to Natasha, which went through Lovtan shell company. It ties her to Gregor.”
I felt my breath get caught in my throat despite my sadness. “Can we use this?” I asked, my voice urgent.
“It’s a start,” Marcus said. “But we’ll need more to get them. I’m sniffing into Galden’s books — those patent raids he’s on. Be careful, Valenticia. They’re desperate.”
I nodded, my resolve hardening. I'll reveal Natasha and Gregor, bring what they'd done out into the open. But Elaine’s cautioning in the staircase nagged at me. “That midnight meeting,” she began, “It’s a trap. “Our people in Galden don’t give things without expecting something in exchange.”
I hoped to obey her, to be cautious. But, the offer of Galden’s intentions was too valuable to dare ignore. If I can get evidence then I can change it.” “I have to leave,” I whispered to her, and my voice was strong even though fear slithered in my gut. “It’s my only shot.”
Elaine frowned again, but she didn’t protest. “Then take precautions. Don’t go alone.”
I swore I would, though as midnight drew close, I'd sneaked out alone, the address handwritten on the note. My heart kept pounding, sadness colliding with defiance. I was Valenticia Clawford, a legacy I’d die for and I wasn’t about to cower.
A shadowy figure stepped out, his fedora pulled low, his coat flapping in the wind. “You kept us waiting,” he said, his voice gruff but one I knew. “Gideon. I work for Stefan.”
My breath hitched. “You wrote the note?” I asked, taking a step toward him, my eyes searching the dark.
He nodded, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a USB drive. “Evidence of Galden Musen’s patent theft—contracts, payments, everything connected to Nexus. ”
I wanted to grab it, to keep my hope flowing, but doubt hung on. “Why help me? Stefan’s not generous that way.”
Gideon’s laugh was dry. “He’s got his reasons. You’re all in this together now, whether you like it or not.”
The USB felt cold in my hand. I started to speak, wanting to ask more, but a glare of headlights pierced through the fog. A van sped toward us and its doors slid open to reveal masked figures inside