CHAPTER 4 – Welcome to the Voss Family
CHAPTER 4 – Welcome to the Voss Family
The gates stood nearly fifteen feet high.
Black iron.
Stone walls.
Armed guards every twenty meters.
When Iris's car entered the Voss estate, she finally understood why newspapers called it a fortress instead of a mansion.
"I shouldn't be here."
Nikolai looked at her.
"You should."
"I'm a florist."
"You are."
"I arrange wedding bouquets."
"You do."
She laughed nervously.
"And you cancel weddings."
For the first time all day...
He smiled.
A real one.
Small.
But real.
"I suppose I do."
The mansion doors opened before they reached the steps.
Dozens of staff members lined both sides of the entrance hall.
Housekeepers.
Security officers.
Chefs.
Drivers.
Lawyers.
Doctors.
No one spoke.
Everyone stared.
The rumors had reached them already.
The missing bride.
The canceled wedding.
The mysterious woman.
Then another figure appeared.
An older man.
Silver hair.
Perfect posture.
Cold blue eyes.
Victor Voss.
He studied Iris carefully.
Not with hatred.
With calculation.
"So..."
His voice filled the marble hall.
"You're the young woman who made my son destroy a billion-dollar alliance."
Iris immediately lowered her eyes.
"I'm sorry."
Victor frowned.
"Why are you apologizing?"
She blinked.
"I..."
"My son slept with you."
"Yes."
"My son failed to investigate who he spent the night with."
"..."
"My son nearly married another woman while you carried his child."
"..."
Victor looked toward Nikolai.
"Explain to me why any of this is her fault."
Nikolai remained silent.
Victor nodded once.
"Exactly."
He turned back to Iris.
"Lift your chin."
Slowly, she obeyed.
He saw fear.
Exhaustion.
And quiet dignity.
She wasn't pretending.
She wasn't chasing money.
If anything, she looked ready to run.
Victor sighed.
"You've eaten?"
She shook her head.
"No."
He snapped his fingers.
"Dinner."
The staff scattered instantly.
"Doctor Emilia?"
A woman in her fifties stepped forward.
"Prepare a full prenatal examination."
"Yes, sir."
"Security?"
"Already doubled."
"No one enters this estate without my approval."
"Understood."
Nikolai watched his father in surprise.
"I expected an argument."
Victor looked at him as though he were an idiot.
"You've already started a war."
"..."
"The only logical response..."
Victor walked toward Iris.
"...is making sure my grandchild survives it."
The words hit Iris harder than any bullet.
Grandchild.
He believed her.
Without demanding proof.
Without insulting her.
Tears finally spilled down her cheeks.
Victor awkwardly handed her a linen handkerchief.
"I don't handle crying very well."
Despite everything...
She laughed through her tears.
It was the first genuine laugh she'd had since seeing the newspaper.
Nikolai watched quietly.
He realized something important.
For the first time in years...
His house sounded like a home.
But miles away, inside the Renard estate, Celeste carefully folded the canceled wedding note.
She looked toward the man sitting in the shadows.
Her father.
Lucien Renard.
"They chose her."
Lucien nodded once.
"Then we remove her."
Celeste's eyes became ice.
"And the baby?"
Lucien slowly lit a cigar.
"No heirs."
"No witnesses."
"No mercy."
Outside the mansion...
A sniper settled onto a rooftop overlooking the Voss estate.
May you like
His crosshairs slowly found the nursery wing that had just been prepared...
...for a baby who wasn't even born yet.
