Chapter 2 - The Evidence Hidden In A Broken Watch
The ballroom was silent.
Not the peaceful kind of silence.
The kind that comes before everything falls apart.
The FBI agents moved through the crowd, showing their badges while guests stepped away from the Vance family.
Julian stared at me.
His arrogance was gone.
“What is this?”
I watched him carefully.
Because for the first time in years, Julian Vance looked powerless.
And he hated it.
The lead agent approached the table where the baby gifts had been destroyed.
“Mr. Vance, we need to speak with you.”
Julian laughed.
A small, controlled laugh.
“You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”
The agent didn’t react.
“We know exactly who you are.”
That sentence changed the atmosphere.
Arthur stepped forward.
“This family has lawyers.”
The agent looked at him.
“Good. You’ll need them.”
Beatrice’s face turned pale.
She looked at Julian.
Not me.
That told me something.
They weren’t surprised by the agents.
They were afraid of what the agents already knew.
I looked down at my watch.
The glass was cracked.
The band was broken.
But the small device inside was still working.
Julian had always mocked it.
He called it an old-fashioned gift from my father.
A sentimental object.
A useless thing.
He never knew my father had modified it before he died.
He never knew it recorded more than time.
The agent looked at me.
“Mrs. Vance, can you confirm the device is still intact?”
I nodded.
Julian’s face changed.
“You recorded me?”
I didn’t answer.
Because he answered himself.
The guests started whispering.
Chloe suddenly stepped toward the door.
An agent blocked her path.
“Ms. Chloe?”
She stopped.
“How do you know my name?”
The agent smiled slightly.
“Because you’re part of the investigation.”
Julian looked at Chloe.
And for the first time that night…
he looked betrayed.
She wasn’t just his secret.
May you like
She was evidence.
📖 Chapter 3 reveals what Julian and Chloe were hiding and why Clara’s watch captured the conversation that could destroy them both. 👇
