Chapter 4

White-hot pain exploded through my body, blanking my mind for a split second.

The entire crowd stood frozen in shock.

Julian’s voice cut through the silence like a whip.

“Clara Beaumont, do you really think you can attack a child at Dr. Hayes’s banquet and walk away? You’re going straight to prison!”

I pushed myself up, wincing. Despite everything, I had to explain.

“I didn’t hurt anyone. That was an epinephrine auto-injector—an emergency treatment for severe allergies. He’ll be fine soon.”

“When he wakes up fully, you’ll see for yourselves.”

Grace sneered, her eyes raking over me with contempt. “Don’t lie, Clara. Someone like you wouldn’t carry professional medical equipment.”

Julian’s glare was ice-cold. “Out of respect for what we once were, Grace and I won’t press charges—yet. We’ll handle our son’s care ourselves.”

“But you need to leave. Now. The Beaumonts come from old money and high standing. They despise people like you—people who’d harm a child.”

I dug my nails into my palm. “Dr. Beaumont won’t throw me out. Because I’m his—”

“Look! He’s coming around!” A guest cried out, relief flooding her voice. “That injector actually worked!”

I turned toward Andy. His skin had lost its bluish tint. His breathing was steadier, deeper.

A wave of relief washed over me. Thank God nothing worse had happened.

Julian stood rooted in place, staring at me—not with anger now, but something unreadable, almost distant.

Ethan was approaching fast. I needed to get back to our suite and change out of this ruined dress before he saw the full mess.

I took one step—then froze.

Grace’s voice rang out, sharp and deliberate: “Andy, sweetheart, tell Mama—who made you sick?”

The boy lifted a trembling finger and pointed straight at me.

“She did. She shoved peanut brittle into my mouth.”

My head spun. I’d never even seen this child before tonight. Why would he say that?

Someone nearby murmured, “That can’t be right. I came in right after her—she never touched any food.”

But the voice vanished beneath Julian’s roar.

“Clara Reynolds, you’re utterly deranged! All I asked was for you to wait one more year—and you try to kill an innocent child!”

“If you refuse to repent, then I won’t honor any promise until you finally understand your place.”

Grace stiffened. Her eyes flickered toward me—fury flashing beneath the tears.

She set Andy down and lunged at me again, slapping me hard across the face before anyone could stop her.

“Why? I’ve tried so hard to forgive you, to rebuild our bond—and you repay me by poisoning my son?”

“You’ve hated Julian and me from the start. That’s why you came here—to ruin this event and turn the Beaumonts against him!”

“Next, you’d destroy his career, wouldn’t you?”

Julian’s expression darkened instantly. Disappointment hardened his features. “So that’s your real goal—to ruin me. And all this time, I actually missed you.”

“Clara,” he spat, voice laced with venom, “a woman as cruel as you deserves to die alone, unloved and unwanted.”

Dizziness swam behind my eyes. A bitter ache rose in my chest.

Before I could speak, Grace grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked. Tears pricked my eyes from the searing pain.

“You nearly killed Andy. Now you’ll rot in jail.”

She whirled toward the entrance and screamed, “Security! Get security!”

Within seconds, three men in tailored suits and earpieces stormed in.

Grace twisted my head back, forcing me to look up at them.

“This nobody tried to sabotage Dr. Beaumont’s gala and attempted to murder my son! Arrest her!”

The lead guard’s eyes locked onto my face—and widened in recognition.

In one fluid motion, he and his team pivoted, surrounding Grace and Julian instead. One hand dropped to the holster at his hip.

“Assaulting a nationally designated research scientist in a public venue constitutes a direct threat to national security,” he said, voice low and lethal. “You’re both under suspicion of deliberate sabotage.”