All Chapters of The Lie That Killed Her Love: Chapter 11 - Chapter 18

It was the seventh day without a single public response from Vance Enterprises.It was the seventh day the company's stock had hit bottom on the trading floor.And it was the seventh day since Clara vanished without a trace.Inside corporate headquarters, shareholders circled like panicked prey while badgering Julian's executive assistant. "Has Mr. Vance come up with a strategy yet?""If he just holds a press conference, even if it's a brief denial, our PR team can work with that to curb the damage!"Instead, Julian spent the previous week ignoring every call. He even locked himself inside his bedroom and drowned himself in alcohol.If this continued, the Vance Empire would collapse entirely.With a heavy sigh, Austin carried the weight of the entire company on his shoulders and knocked on Julian's door.A slurred voice called out from within. "Come in."As Austin pushed the door open, he nearly gagged on the overwhelming stench of liquor and stale tobacco smoke.Through a

"I did so many terrible things to you. I haven't stopped thinking about you for a single second. "Without you by my side, I've been nothing more than a walking corpse for two years."Overcome by emotion, Julian stepped forward and grabbed Clara's hand.He laced his fingers through hers with a desperate, crushing grip. "Clara, come back with me. Let's get married. I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. We can build a good life together..."Slap!Before Julian could finish, Clara struck his hand away with brutal force. Her voice was ice cold. "Mr. Vance, keep your hands to yourself. You and I are nothing to each other. You are standing inside the Sterling Group and we are complete strangers."Clara's calm composure flickered for a fraction of a second when he uttered those three words, 'I love you.'But it vanished as quickly as it came.Two years ago, this confession would have been her absolute dream. It was the one answer she had fought so desperately to he

Running into Julian hadn't left so much as a ripple in Clara's heart.The moment he walked away, she dove straight into her second meeting of the day and successfully secured a major international business deal.By the time the board adjourned, night had already fallen.Her new business partners shook her hand and spoke with genuine sincerity, "The Sterling Group suits you far better than Vance Enterprises ever did, Clara. "You deserve a platform where your brilliance can truly shine."A sudden wave of warmth hit Clara and it brought a slight sting to her eyes. She smiled softly and thanked them.Gavin was waiting for her in the underground garage. The second she slipped into the passenger seat, he leaned over to fasten her seatbelt.After that, he pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. "You worked hard today," he murmured gently.The car merged smoothly into the evening traffic as they drove home to the Sterling estate.Gavin's mother, Madam Rachel, was thrilled to see h

Clara felt nothing. No matter how low Chloe had fallen, it had nothing to do with her anymore.The burly park attendant grabbed Julian, whose body had grown soft from two years of neglect, and dragged him away.No one looking at him could ever guess he had once been the revered CEO of Vance Enterprises.He was ruined, pathetic, miserable and utterly deserving of it all.After Julian's desperate cries had faded into the distance, Clara took a deep breath. She borrowed a broom from the groundskeeper and carefully swept the stone path until it was spotless.Silence settled over the hillside once more. Clara stared at the blank headstone for a long time. Her lashes dipped and a few hot tears escaped but she quickly sniffed and wiped them away.Chloe had destroyed the last remaining photograph of her mother. Clara had tried every digital restoration method available, but the generated images never matched the face of her mother in her memory.When she first established the