Chapter 4 - Blood and Boardrooms
The transformation wasn't just physical; it was psychological. Under Victoria's guidance, I learned the intricacies of Thorne Industries. I had a sharp mind—a survivor's mind—and the ruthless business acumen ran in my blood.
To cement my position, Victoria threw a massive gala at the estate. The elite of the city were invited: politicians, CEOs, and socialites. It was a statement of power.
I descended the grand staircase wearing a midnight-blue gown that elegantly accommodated my eight-month bump, diamonds glittering at my throat. The room fell silent.
But the silence was shattered by a commotion at the front doors.
“Let me go! That’s my wife! That’s my baby!”
Victor had crashed the gate. He burst into the ballroom, flanked by paparazzi he had tipped off. He looked disheveled, playing the part of the desperate, heartbroken father perfectly. Cameras flashed blindingly.
“Maya!” he cried out, dropping to his knees in the center of the ballroom. “Please! They’re brainwashing you! Come back to me. I love you!”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. This was exactly what he wanted—a public spectacle to make us look like the villains keeping a family apart.
Victoria stepped forward to call security, but I put a hand on her arm.
No. This is my fight.
I walked slowly down the remaining stairs, every eye in the room glued to me. I stood over Victor, looking down at the man who had once been my whole world.
“You love me?” I asked, my voice amplified by the dead silence of the room. “Is that why you served me divorce papers when I was seven months pregnant? Or was it because Chloe is also pregnant, and you needed my half of our savings to buy her a townhouse?”
The crowd gasped. Flashbulbs went off like strobe lights.
Victor’s face drained of color. “M-Maya, you don’t know what you’re saying—”
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“I have the receipts, Victor. Literally.” I snapped my fingers, mirroring my mother's gesture from the courtroom. Marcus handed me a microphone.
“Victor Sterling is a fraud, an embezzler, and a liar,” I announced to the room and the cameras. “Security, remove this trash from my home. If he steps foot on Thorne property again, he will be arrested for trespassing.”
