Chapter 13

Richard collapsed that night, rushed away after losing consciousness from sheer rage. Julian shut down the party and everyone returned to the Sterling estate in disgrace. The whole affair had become a public spectacle.

Someone had filmed it and posted it online, and the story exploded. Comments poured in from every direction. "My God—that's Grace Sterling's daughter. The Oscar-winning actress. If she knew what happened to her child after she died, it would break her heart all over again."

"I used to attack Claire online. I believed she'd actually hired someone to kill Vivienne. I had no idea it was all a lie. I'm so sorry."

"The stepmother and the illegitimate daughter I can understand—but her own father and brother? How could they treat her like that?"

"Wasn't Richard Sterling supposed to be madly in love with Grace? And then after she dies, he and his son gang up on her daughter?"

"Being betrayed by the people you love most in the world—I can't even imagine how much pain Claire must be in."

Ethan and Julian saw every single comment. Each one drove a spike through their hearts. But more than the pain, they felt terror—because from the moment Vivienne's birthday disaster unfolded and they returned home, Claire was nowhere to be found.

That was when they finally noticed. Every trace of Claire had vanished from the house. Ethan found the wedding dress discarded in a corner, coated in a thick layer of dust. His eyes turned bloodshot.

Julian slammed his fist into Ethan's face. "This is your fault. If your affair with Vivienne hadn't come to light, Claire never would have left."

Ethan hurled the dust-covered necklace from the nightstand straight at Julian's face. "You've got some nerve blaming me. If you'd cared about Claire enough to warn me sooner, none of this would have happened."

"This is on you. All of it."

Julian's breath caught. The pain was like a blade twisting in his chest. The next second, Ethan knocked him to the floor. Fury erupted, and they were at each other's throats.

"You're one to talk—you're the one who enabled Vivienne. You helped her humiliate Claire over and over again. What right do you have to lecture me?"

Ethan's eyes blazed. "Vivienne was nothing. A distraction. Claire is the only one I've ever loved. When she comes back, I'm going to marry her. I'll explain everything."

Julian let out a derisive laugh, his gaze cold enough to freeze. "You? Marry my sister? In your dreams."

Ethan's knuckles cracked as his fists tightened. Rage twisted his features as he drove his fists into Julian without mercy. "Shut up. Shut your mouth!"

They fought like animals. When it was over, both were so battered they spent two weeks in the hospital. After they were discharged, Ethan and Julian threw every resource they had into finding Claire. The search consumed them to the point of madness.

Richard, meanwhile, had locked himself in his room since that night. The very next day, he'd filed charges against Vivienne and Diane and had them taken into custody.

They broke down, begging him for mercy. Richard looked like he'd aged thirty years overnight—haggard, hollowed out, drowning in guilt. "Get out. Get out of my sight. This is my fault. I failed Grace. I failed Claire. All of it is my fault."

He didn't emerge again. Night after night, he drank himself into oblivion, mumbling Grace's name through his tears. Ethan and Julian tracked down Vivienne. She sat in custody with swollen, reddened eyes.

"Ethan, Julian—please, ask my father to see me. It was just a mistake. We just loved you all too much."