Chapter 4
The bright, airy warmth of the solarium felt completely incongruous with the dark, heavy realization settling over the Vance family. The vivid colors of the roses and the shattered pink cake seemed to mock Richard's sudden, catastrophic loss of power.
"Julian, be reasonable," Olivia intervened, her voice shrill as she stepped to her son's side. "You cannot possibly believe this... this fairytale! She has lived under my roof for five years! She cleans the silverware! She is a nobody!"
Julian turned his sharp, calculating gaze to the older woman. "Olivia, your family controls three shipping ports and a handful of local judges. The Sterling syndicate owns half the eastern seaboard. Do you truly want to test my memory?"
Julian reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a heavy, platinum pocket watch. He snapped it open, revealing an intricate, hand-painted portrait of a young girl with dark hair and bright, intelligent eyes. He held it up next to Maya’s face. Despite the years and the frosting, the elegant bone structure, the high cheekbones, and the distinctive arch of her brows were an undeniable match.
"Her name is Alessia Sterling," Julian stated, his voice ringing with absolute finality. "The sole heir to the Sterling empire. And you have treated her like a dog."
Maya stood perfectly still, letting the truth wash over the room. She looked at Richard, who was breathing heavily, his fair skin slick with a cold sweat.
"You told me I had nowhere to go, Richard," Maya said, her voice a low, melodic purr of pure ice. "You told me I was nothing. Because it made you feel like a king to step on my neck."
"Maya—Alessia, listen to me," Richard stammered, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "We are married. We have a child together. Lily is a Vance! You can't just take her and leave. We can talk about this. We can fix this."
"There is nothing to fix," Maya replied, her eyes narrowing. "You showed me exactly who you are today. You did it in front of my daughter. You did it for a crowd." She glanced at Vanessa Cole, who was desperately trying to inch her way toward the exit. "You wanted a show. Now, you have one."
Julian stepped to Maya's side, pulling out his encrypted cell phone. "I am calling my security detail. We are leaving this house immediately."
"She is my wife!" Richard yelled, his panic turning into reckless anger. He signaled to the four heavily armed bodyguards standing by the solarium doors. "Lock the doors! Nobody leaves this room until I say so!"
The guards hesitated, looking between Richard and Julian Sterling. They were loyal to the Vance family, but drawing a weapon on the head of the Sterling syndicate was a guaranteed death sentence.
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"If any man in this room touches that door," Julian warned, his voice a lethal, measured whisper, "I will ensure that his entire bloodline is erased from public record by tomorrow morning."
The guards slowly stepped away from the doors, lowering their hands. Richard looked around, realizing that his money and his name were entirely useless in the face of true, absolute power.
