Chapter 3 - The Stepmother
Julian Vance wasn't just a mogul; he was a brand. And a brand needed a perfect image. Enter Victoria Sterling: a ruthless, icy public relations executive who had recently become Julian’s fiancée.
Victoria despised the Newport estate. She hated the staff, and most of all, she saw Leo as a PR liability.
One afternoon, Victoria was touring the grounds with a wedding planner when she heard laughter—a rare, strange sound—coming from the old greenhouse. She pushed the glass door open and narrowed her eyes.
There was the heir to the Vance empire, sitting in the dirt, clumsily waving his hands around with the chef's raggedy daughter.
"What is the meaning of this?" Victoria snapped, her voice like a whip.
May you like
Leo couldn't hear her, but he felt the vibration of the door slamming and saw the fury on her face. He immediately stepped in front of Maya, shielding her.
Victoria scoffed. "You," she pointed a razor-sharp acrylic nail at Maya. "Go tell your mother to pack her bags."
