Chapter 27 Blood and Bonds
Valenticias POV~
Gideon’s blood remained damp and clung to my skin.
The USB drive felt like a cold lump in my hand, slick and red with his blood. I stood in the hospital’s sterile corridor, my lungs burning with that antiseptic smell, paramedics shouting as they raced Gideon into surgery. Stefan steadied me, his arm holding me up with a firm grip just as he had done back at the pier when he’d protected me from the masked attackers. That act of protection, etched my heart, marriage contract or not. The next vehicle had been police, the sirens a distant salvation, but the attackers had disappeared, leaving only Gideon’s broken body and my breaking resolve.
I blamed myself.
It was my search for Victor Galden that had led Gideon to that pier; his loyalty to Stefan left him losing blood that night. My hands shook. I had gone too far, and now a man was dying for it.
“He’ll be all right,” Stefan said, but the tension in his jaw betrayed his certainty. “Gideon’s loyal to a fault.”
I swallowed a knot in my throat and nodded. “Why did he risk it?” “What the hell is going on?” I whispered.
Stefan’s eyes clouded over as a memory washed over him. “Gideon’s family to me. He believes in you. Don’t let his sacrifice be in vain.”
The words hit me, making sadness swirl in my chest. I folded my hand around the USB, the data in it was my evidence. The evidence I use to avenge Gideon, for my parents, for Clawford. Grandmother's call came in as we were leaving the hospital, her voice direct through the phone. “Valenticia, we’re going to have to make a public announcement of your marriage with Stefan. It’ll show strength and cause Galden to think twice about the next move.”
I hesitated, my heart aching. That contract that I signed was my armour, but it conveniently reminded me of Dmitri’s empty promises and the betrayal that had wounded me. “Grandmother, but what if it’s a different kind of trap? Trusting Stefan—”
“Trust is not the issue,” she interrupted me, sharply, “power is. Galden’s closing in. This alliance is our only strength.”
I shut my eyes, the city's shadow fading past the window of the car. Stefan had assigned me to one of his drivers. Grandmother was right. But I was plagued by the fear of betrayal. Stefan had saved my life twice, but at dinner, his reminder that I owed him had grown cold and unwelcome. “Yes,” I listened, the sound of my voice hollow, the weight of responsibility drowning the girl who once hoped to find love.
The office felt stuffy.
Natasha’s sabotage had reached a new level. Her fake emails, now became a topic among the board, who depicted me as a thief stealing millions. I met with Elaine and Marcus in a secret server room. Marcus plugged the USB drive into a laptop and tapped the keyboard.
“It’s encrypted, but I’ve unlocked it,” he said, his voice strained. “Galden’s scheme—meticulous contracts about robbing Clawford’s AI patents. Payments made by Lovtan banks to Nexus Ventures. He’s wanted this for years.”
Elaine's eyes widened and she clutched at my arm. “This would be enough to take him out, Valenticia. Take it to the board, show them the truth.”
I felt a pang of hope bristle underneath me. The USB was my salvation, evidence that would bring down Galden’s kingdom and clear my name. But the look Natasha had given me at the auction, replayed in my head.
Natasha stopped me in the hallway as I got ready for my presentation. “Valenticia,” she smirked, bending close. “You will lose everything like with Dmitri. You’re no match for me.”
“You’re a coward, Natasha,” I hissed, my voice shaking with anger. She laughed. Her laugh was piercing, “Keep dreaming, heiress. You’re already finished.” I turned away, my temper hardening. I would fight, for Gideon, for my parents, for every Clawford who’d built this empire.
The conference room had grown dense with tension now, board members’ eyes cold and suspicious. The chairman, Mr Larson, was at the head, looking inscrutable. I paused, the data from the USB displayed onscreen, my voice calm despite the tempest raging in my chest.
“Victor Galden’s been stealing Clawford’s patents,” I started, flipping through contracts and bank records. “His front is Nexus Ventures, who’s giving his money to fuck our company. These documents prove it.”
Murmurs spread through the room, as some faces softened, and others turned to stone. I forged on, filling everyone in on the vendetta, the connection to my parents’ crash. I felt for a moment like the tide had turned, as though everything was finally working out for me. And then Vance rose, wiry and tense, to read from a tablet.
“Ms. Clawford,” he said, his voice corny, “We have new evidence.” And he projected an email, purportedly sent by me, authorizing payments to Nexus Ventures. “That means you’re an accomplice.”
The board exploded with voices crashing against each other. My heart sank, Natasha’s hand at work. It had to be! Is this what she meant? By me losing everything? Larson banged his hand on the table, and his voice rang out through the room. “Valenticia, you’re suspended, and I’ll see you at an investigation. Step down.”
Devastation washed over me, my legs went numb, and I held onto the table. Suspended? My legacy, my struggle snatched away in one attempt. I glanced around the room and saw Natasha’s smirk. As the board broke up, I watched her slide a file to Vance, their exchange fast, and professional. I felt rage and despair raging through me as she seemed so untouchable.
I managed to stagger out into my office, my breath shallow, the USB drive still in my pocket, a painful reminder of my shortcomings. Elaine caught my pace, her voice urgent. “We’ll get through this Valenticia. The USB is real. We’ll make it happen.”
I nodded, but heaviness pulled at me, Gideon’s blood and Stefan’s chilling trade still flooding my thoughts. I had believed too much, and fought too hard, and still I had lost. Heading out, my phone buzzed with a video. I recognized the lady in the video instantly.
It was Clara.
She worked here.
Clara, a loyal Clawford employee, strapped and gagged in the video. Her eyes are wide with terror. Immediately, Natasha’s voice whispered over the static, “Step down, or she dies.”