Chapter 8
The hotel manager jumped as if he had been struck by lightning. "Right away, Mr. Sterling. Immediately," he stammered, fumbling for the radio clipped to his belt.
"And get my driver to bring the car to the front doors," Alexander added, his voice slicing through the frantic whispering of the crowd. "We are leaving."
Victoria, realizing the absolute finality of the situation, lost the last shred of her dignity. She crawled forward on the marble floor, her expensive gown soaking up spilled champagne, and grabbed the hem of Alexander’s trousers.
"Alexander, please!" she begged, tears of genuine terror streaming down her ruined face. "You can't do this! The scandal will destroy the family name! It will ruin the company! I am your mother!"
Alexander looked down at the clawing hands staining his pants. He felt absolutely nothing. No pity. No residual familial love. Just a cold, sterile void where his mother used to exist. He casually kicked his leg, breaking her grip, and stepped back.
"The family name is already destroyed, Victoria," Alexander said quietly. "And as for the company, I hold the controlling shares. By tomorrow morning, you will be entirely divested. You won't have a cent to your name to pay the legal fees for the child abuse charges coming your way."
He wrapped his coat tightly around Sophia, shielding her from the prying eyes of the onlookers who were now blatantly recording the scene on their smartphones. He turned his back on the weeping woman on the floor and began to walk toward the grand exit of the ballroom.
Suddenly, three large men in dark suits stepped into the aisle, blocking his path. They weren't hotel security; they were Victoria's private detail, men paid exorbitantly to protect the matriarch and her assets at all costs. The lead guard, a towering man with a broken nose, held up his hands in a placating gesture, but his stance was wide and aggressive.
"Mr. Sterling, sir," the guard said, his voice gravelly. "Mrs. Sterling has instructed us not to let the child leave the premises until a proper medical and psychiatric evaluation can be conducted. We don't want to cause a scene, but we can't let you take her."
May you like
Alexander stopped. He looked at the three armed men blocking his exit. He looked down at his terrified daughter, who had begun to cry silently against his chest. Then, Alexander let out a low, dark chuckle that sent chills down the spines of everyone in the room.
"You think," Alexander whispered, his eyes locking onto the lead guard, "that you are going to stop me from taking my daughter?"
