Chapter 247

Under the flickering candlelight. A woman who looked bald at first glance—thanks to the skin-colored wig sticking to her sweaty forehead—had a sharp dagger pressed right against her neck. The thin blade gleamed coldly. She didn’t dare move. Even her breathing had gone shallow. Julian Archer lowered his gaze to examine the woman’s face, a barely noticeable crease forming between his brows. So it was her… At the doorway, Claire Richards fought to steady her racing heart, then stepped closer and poked the woman’s cheek. The skin was warm to the touch, firm but lacking in elasticity—definitely a living, breathing person. "You’re not dead, Mrs. Saito." Belinda—or more accurately, the Japanese heiress Mrs. Saito behind the chaos—kept her head down, silent, her expression stony. Claire’s eyes burned with fury. She reached out and yanked off the sticky wig, then grabbed the woman’s actual hair and yanked it back hard, forcing her to look up. "Well, look who suddenly became Miss Belinda," she s