Chapter 4 - The Stepmother’s Bargain
Morning sunshine was streaming through the blinds of my hospital room when the door clicked open.
I had barely managed three hours of fragmented sleep, my body aching from the heavy bruising along my ribs and shoulders.
I expected to see Dr. Rostova or Marcus returning with breakfast.
Instead, the sharp, rhythmic clicking of designer heels announced the arrival of my stepmother, Victoria Vance.
She looked immaculately put together, wearing a tailored Chanel suit and oversized sunglasses.
She pushed the glasses up into her highlighted blonde hair as she closed the door securely behind her.
There was no warmth in her eyes, nor any maternal concern for the dark bruises forming along my jawline.
She stood at the foot of my hospital bed like a corporate CEO preparing for a hostile merger.
“The board is in absolute chaos, Clara,” Victoria began, skipping any form of polite greeting.
Her voice was clipped and vibrating with suppressed, selfish panic.
“The foundation’s stock investments are taking a massive hit because the morning news broadcasts are running footage of Julian in handcuffs.”
She claimed we were facing a public relations catastrophe that could sink the family fortune within a week.
I adjusted my pillow, wincing as my shoulder protested the sudden movement.
“Then I suggest you hire a very good publicist, Victoria, because I am not doing a single thing to help him.”
Victoria sighed, a dramatic and condescending sound, before leaning her hands against the footboard.
“Let’s be realistic about this, Clara; Julian lost his temper, and while it was reprehensible, he is still your brother.”
She reminded me that if I pressed formal charges for felony assault, he would face actual prison time.
“We cannot allow a Vance to sit in a state penitentiary like a common criminal,” she insisted.
“He shoved a paralyzed woman into a wall of glass,” I replied coldly, staring directly into her icy blue eyes.
“He could have severed my remaining intact nerves, or he could have easily killed me.”
“And I am authorized to offer you full, uncontested control of the Vance Family Trust residential properties,” she countered without missing a beat.
She also offered an immediate two-million-dollar cash distribution from the discretionary fund into my personal account.
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“All you have to do is release a public statement calling the incident an unfortunate medical accident caused by your chair malfunctioning.”
She promised that if I signed the waiver, Julian would get probation, and we would all walk away wealthy and intact.
