Chapter 3 3

At exactly eight o'clock in the morning, the heavy brass doorbell of the Beverly Hills mansion echoed through the silent hallways.

Julian stood on the front porch. He rubbed his hands together, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. Behind him, a massive camera crew shifted their weight, balancing heavy lenses and boom microphones on their shoulders.

The live feed was already connected to the network's streaming platform. The viewer count in the top right corner of the monitor was skyrocketing. Three hundred thousand people were already watching a live shot of a closed door.

The comment section on the side of the screen was moving so fast it looked like a blur of angry text.

"Open the door, you gold digger!"

"I bet she is inside painting on a new face right now."

"Let us see the crypt keeper she married!"

Julian signaled the cameraman to zoom in on the doorknob.

With a soft mechanical click, the heavy oak door slowly swung inward.

The camera lens pushed forward, capturing the interior of the house. The live chat paused for a fraction of a second.

Instead of the tacky, gold-plated, animal-print disaster everyone expected from Justina Cash, the entryway was a masterpiece of minimalist design. Clean lines, neutral tones, and a single, breathtaking piece of modern art hanging on a stark white wall.

The chat immediately recovered.

"Wow, the old man's money bought some good interior designers."

"She probably does not even know what that painting means."

Julian stepped into the foyer, holding a microphone.

"Good morning, Justina!" he called out, his voice loud and overly cheerful. "Are you ready for..."

He stopped talking. His mouth hung open slightly.

The cameraman adjusted his focus, panning up the sweeping spiral staircase.

Justina was walking down the steps.

She was not wearing neon pink. She was not wearing sequins. She was wearing the plain black Lululemon leggings and the long-sleeve top.

Her feet were bare, her toes sinking into the plush carpet on the stairs. Her hair was pulled back into a messy, careless knot at the base of her neck.

But it was her face that made Julian lose his words.

She was wearing absolutely no makeup. No foundation to hide the faint freckles across her nose. No heavy eyeliner. Her skin looked pale, clean, and startlingly flawless in the morning light streaming through the skylight.

The live chat froze again. This time, the pause lasted a full two seconds.

"Wait. Is that her real face?"

"WTF she looks... normal?"

"I hate her but her skin is literally perfect."

The HappilyNeverAfter hate group administrators immediately started typing furiously, trying to regain control of the narrative.

"Do not fall for it! She is just trying to look innocent! A vase is still a vase, even without paint! She still sold herself to a disgusting old man!"

Justina reached the bottom of the stairs. She did not put on the wide, fake smile she usually wore for the cameras. She did not strike a pose.

She looked directly into the main camera lens. Her expression was completely blank.

"Morning," she said. Her voice was flat, devoid of any forced enthusiasm.

She walked past Julian, ignoring his outstretched microphone, and headed straight for the living room.

Julian blinked, shaking off his surprise. He signaled the crew to follow her. This cold, dismissive attitude was entirely new. It was not the dramatic, crying mess he had planned for, but it was creating a strange, heavy tension in the air.

He hurried after her into the living room.

"Justina," he said, trying to regain control of the interview. "The viewers are dying to know. Is your husband still resting?"

Justina sat down on the edge of a massive, gray linen sofa. She crossed one leg over the other.

Before she could open her mouth to answer, a sound echoed from the deep hallway leading to the east wing of the house.

It was the sound of footsteps.

They were slow. They were heavy. They sounded like someone dragging their feet slightly against the hardwood floor.

Julian's eyes widened. He aggressively pointed his finger at the main cameraman, silently screaming at him to turn the lens toward the hallway.

The camera whipped around. The live chat exploded in anticipation.

"Here he comes!"

"Get ready to puke, guys!"

"The crypt keeper awakens!"

Out of the shadows of the hallway, a figure slowly emerged into the bright light of the living room.

It was a man. He had thinning, completely white hair. He wore thick, gold-rimmed bifocal glasses that magnified his watery eyes. He was dressed in a stiff, incredibly old-fashioned black tailcoat and gray striped trousers.

He looked to be at least seventy-five years old.

In his trembling, liver-spotted hands, he carried a silver tray holding a single porcelain teacup.

The viewer count on the live stream smashed past one million. The servers struggled to keep up with the sheer volume of comments.

"OH MY GOD MY EYES!"

"IT IS TRUE! HE IS LITERALLY ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE!"

"This is the most disgusting thing I have ever seen. She married her great-grandfather for cash!"

Julian felt a massive surge of adrenaline. This was television gold. The rumors were true. The husband was a decrepit old man. He deliberately kept his mouth shut, letting the camera linger on the old man's wrinkled face.

The old man-Mr. Peters, the estate's head butler-stopped walking. He noticed the massive camera lens shoved in his direction. His bushy white eyebrows drew together in a deep frown of disapproval. He looked annoyed and deeply uncomfortable.

The internet instantly translated his expression.

"Look at that arrogant old creep!"

"He looks like he wants to eat the cameraman. Harvey Weinstein vibes for sure!"

Justina sat on the sofa. She watched the entire scene unfold. She saw Julian's greedy, excited face. She saw the red light on the camera pulsing.

She knew exactly what they were thinking.

She felt a sharp prick of annoyance, but she pushed it down. Her right hand rested on her knee. Her fingers did not twitch. She did not reach for her temples.

She simply leaned forward.

"Mr. Peters," she said softly.

The old butler turned his attention to her. He walked over to the sofa, his joints popping slightly in the quiet room. He lowered the silver tray.

"Your Earl Grey, Madam," he said, his voice raspy and formal.

"Thank you," Justina said. She picked up the delicate porcelain cup. The tea was hot. The steam warmed her face. She took a small, deliberate sip.

The chat went absolutely nuclear.

"SHE IS MAKING HIM SERVE HER TEA?!"

"This is sick. This is actually sick."

"Cancel her right now!"

Julian could not hold back anymore. He shoved the microphone toward Justina.

"Justina," he said, his voice dripping with fake politeness. "Are you not going to introduce us to the man of the house?"

Justina lowered the teacup. It clinked softly against the saucer. She looked at Julian. She saw the trap he was setting. She saw the millions of people waiting for her to humiliate herself.

She opened her mouth to speak. She was going to tell them that Mr. Peters was the butler.

But before she could form the first syllable, a sharp, electronic beep cut through the room.

It came from the front foyer. The heavy oak door had an electronic smart lock.

The beep was followed by the heavy, metallic clunk of the deadbolt sliding open.

Everyone froze. Julian stopped breathing. The cameraman lowered his lens an inch.

Mr. Peters instantly straightened his spine, ignoring the ache in his back. He turned his body completely toward the foyer, his hands clasping tightly behind his back in a posture of absolute respect.

The front door opened.

The sound of footsteps hit the hardwood floor.

These were not slow, dragging steps. They were sharp. They were heavy. They were the rhythmic, powerful strides of leather dress shoes hitting the wood with absolute authority.

The sound carried a physical weight. It sent a strange, cold vibration through the floorboards.

The footsteps moved out of the foyer and headed straight for the living room.