The Auction Floor

Chapter 3 Camera Never Lies

The Thorne Group signing ceremony ended without a problem. Before dinner, I excused myself and took the marble service stairs to the private lounge.

The stairwell had a well-known gap in the building's camera coverage. Seraphina would think I had made a mistake.

Stilettos clicked behind me before I reached the next landing.

“Leaving so soon, Chloe?” Seraphina blocked my path. “You look pale. Is keeping up the ‘happy little family’ act that draining?”

I rested a hand on the metal railing. “Just saving my energy. Pregnancy, you know.”

Her gaze dropped to my stomach. “Right. The golden ticket. Your one and only asset.” She stepped closer. “Assets can be liquidated.”

Her perfume caught in my throat.

“No one would be surprised, would they? Poor, fragile Chloe, so upset by Julian's new happiness that she had a tragic accident.”

She leaned closer. “A little trip. A little fall. Everyone knows about your self-destructive episodes.”

I kept my hand loose on the railing. The brooch at my shoulder was already recording.

“A single push is all it would take,” she whispered, her eyes gleaming with malice.

Then she lunged.

Her move was clumsy and easy to read. Three years ago, she still might have caught me.

Alexander's self-defense coach had made me drill this turn a thousand times.

I pivoted instead of stepping back. Seraphina rushed past me and hit the marble balustrade wrist-first. The c***k echoed through the stairwell.

She slid to the floor, cradling her wrist. I stayed where the lens could hold both of us in frame.

Footsteps pounded down from above. Julian arrived exactly when she had planned.

He rounded the corner and found Seraphina on the floor, sobbing over her wrist. I stood several feet away.

He looked at me with the same tired condemnation he had worn while signing my committal papers.

“Chloe.” He sighed. “I knew you couldn't handle it. I knew your jealousy would win. Attacking her? After everything?”

Seraphina’s sobs intensified. “She pushed me, Julian! She said she'd kill my baby if I ever had one with you!”

I almost smiled. She had chosen a lie Julian would enjoy believing.

“You’re right, Julian,” I said softly.

He looked momentarily surprised. “You’re finally admitting it?”

“Oh, not about that,” I clarified, reaching up to my shoulder. “You’re right that jealousy is a powerful thing.”

I unpinned the diamond-and-sapphire brooch from my dress.

A tiny lens sat between the gems. I tapped my phone and opened the live connection.

The lens was almost invisible among the stones. From the room below, it looked like another piece of jewelry from my collection.

I angled the screen so he could see.

The recording played in high definition with clear audio: “golden ticket,” “liquidated,” “a single push.” Then Seraphina lunged across the screen and crashed into the balustrade by herself.

Julian watched the screen twice. Seraphina's crying stopped.

On the second replay, his eyes stayed on Seraphina's threat instead of the impact.

“The camera never lies,” I said simply.

Two uniformed police officers appeared at the top of the stairs, followed by Alexander. His attention went straight to me.

“That’s her, officers,” Alexander’s head of security said, pointing at the still-frozen Seraphina. “Attempted assault on a pregnant woman. We have the evidence right here.”

Seraphina screamed as the officers brought her to her feet and read her rights.

Alexander came down the last few steps and placed a hand at my back. After checking my face, he kissed my temple. “My legal team will handle the rest.”

We started upstairs. At the top landing, I looked back once.

The police were leading Seraphina away. Julian had stayed beside the balustrade, staring at the phone in my hand.

Our eyes met across the stairwell. For once, he had no accusation ready.

I slipped the phone back into my clutch.

“Remember to check your mail tomorrow, Julian.”