Chapter 9 - The Ashes of the Empire
The next forty-eight hours were a blur of flashing lights, sterile hospital waiting rooms, and aggressive lawyers.
The evidence Clara provided was airtight. The FBI raided the Whitmore mansion and the corporate offices. Charles Whitmore was denied bail, facing life in prison for massive fraud, embezzlement, and conspiracy to commit murder.
Victoria was placed under armed guard in a prison hospital ward, facing the same charges, plus the attempted murder of Clara and Elias. The elite society that had laughed at Clara at the gala now publicly condemned the Whitmores, desperate to distance themselves from the radioactive scandal.
By the terms of the grandfather's real will, which was validated by a federal judge, Clara was officially named the sole heir and controlling shareholder of the Whitmore empire. In a single day, the 'mistake' became one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in the country.
But sitting in the private waiting room of the ICU, Clara didn't care about the billions in her name. She didn't care about the news anchors praising her bravery.
She only cared about the giant sleeping behind the glass doors.
The bullet had missed Elias's vital organs by millimeters, but the blood loss had been severe. He had been in surgery for six hours.
On the third day, the doctor finally allowed her into the room.
Elias looked strange in a hospital bed. He was too large for it, and seeing the invincible enforcer pale and connected to monitors broke Clara's heart. She sat in the chair beside his bed, gently taking his massive, scarred hand in her small ones.
"You're an idiot," she whispered, tears pricking her eyes. "You jumped in front of a bullet for me."
Elias's eyes slowly fluttered open. He looked at her, his gaze clearing as he took in her tired face. "It's my job."
"You quit, remember?" she sniffled, managing a weak smile.
"Ah. Right," his voice was gravelly, dry. "Guess I'm just a civilian now."
Clara leaned forward, resting her forehead against his hand. "Thank you. For believing in me. For giving me the strength to fight back. You gave me justice, Elias."
Elias turned his head slightly, his dark eyes softening in a way the criminal underworld would never believe. "You always had the strength, Clara. I just held the shield so you could find your sword."
She looked up at him, the tension, fear, and trauma of the past months finally melting away. In the ruins of her toxic family, she had found the one person who truly valued her.
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"So," Elias rasped, a tiny smirk playing on his lips. "What does the billionaire CEO want to do now?"
Clara smiled, a genuine, beautiful smile. "I want to take you home."
