Chapter 2: The Viper Returns
The tender, heartbreaking moment was violently interrupted by the sharp, rhythmic click-clack of expensive stiletto heels echoing down the hallway.
"William? Why on earth is there a filthy puddle of mud on the foyer rug?"
The voice belonged to Victoria Harrington, William’s current wife. She was a woman of icy perfection, draped in a designer fur coat and dripping in diamonds. She swept into the kitchen, her perfectly painted lips curling into a sneer of absolute disgust as she took in the scene.
"Claire!" Victoria snapped, her eyes flashing with fury. "What is this street rat doing in my kitchen? Have you completely lost your mind? Call security immediately and have this disgusting creature thrown out!"
Claire stepped back, terrified, but before she could speak, William slowly stood up. The grieving father vanished, instantly replaced by a man radiating pure, lethal rage.
"Do not speak to my son that way," William said, his voice dropping to a terrifyingly quiet register.
Victoria froze. Her haughty expression faltered, a flicker of genuine panic flashing across her perfectly powdered face. "Your... your what? William, darling, you are delirious. This is a scam. It's a beggar trying to extort you!"
"Is it?" William stepped forward, holding up the open silver locket. The photograph of Evelyn seemed to burn in the harsh kitchen light. "Evelyn didn't die in that crash, did she, Victoria? My father wanted me to marry you for your family's political connections. He told me Evelyn perished. But you knew."
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Victoria’s face drained of all color. She took a step back, her hands trembling as her darkest, most buried secret was finally dragged into the light.
"You paid the hospital staff to fake the records," William continued, taking another slow, menacing step toward her. "You and my father banished my pregnant fiancée to the streets so you could take her place. You stole the love of my life, and you condemned my rightful heir to starve in the gutters!"
