Chapter 18: Julian’s Proposal

The night after her interview aired, Clara found herself on the rooftop of the Lockwood Tower. The city lights stretched beneath her, endless and glittering—like dreams she once thought unreachable.

She heard the soft click of the elevator and didn't need to turn to know who it was.

Julian Ashcroft.

He approached with quiet steps, holding two cups of coffee. "Thought you might need something warm," he said, handing one over.

Clara accepted it with a faint smile. "What do you want, Julian?"

He didn't answer right away. Instead, he stepped beside her, watching the skyline. "I watched the interview. You were brilliant."

"I was terrified."

"And yet, you owned every word." He glanced at her, eyes unusually serious. "That's why I'm here."

She frowned. "Go on."

"I want to merge Ashcroft Enterprises with Lockwood."

She blinked. "You want a partnership?"

"I want more than that," he said. "With our companies united, we'd be untouchable. Together, we could bury the Whitmores, erase every whisper."

Clara narrowed her eyes. "And what do you get out of it?"

Julian's voice softened. "I get you."

The silence was deafening.

She stared at him—torn between strategy and emotion, past pain and future promise.

Was he offering salvation...

or something even more dangerous?