Chapter 44 The Fault Lines

• The morning sun barely pierced the heavy drapes in the penthouse as Clara sat at the edge of the sleek kitchen island, her phone buzzing uncontrollably against the marble surface. Her coffee sat untouched, its steam curling lazily into the air, already forgotten.
• “Clara Whitaker: The Gold-Digger Behind the Marriage,” blared across the headline of The Manhattan Times website. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she scrolled through a flurry of hateful comments and sensationalist quotes.
• The TV mounted on the wall switched to breaking news, the anchor’s voice smooth but cutting. “Sources say the Whitaker marriage might not be as real as it seems. Rumors swirl that Clara Whitaker married Ethan Whitaker purely for his fortune. A business transaction masked as love?”