Chapter 2 - The Coward’s Regret
The mention of General Alexander Hawthorne’s name sent a violent shockwave of panic through the Sterling family.
General Hawthorne was a ruthless, legendary figure who had spent two decades hunting for his missing granddaughter.
Julian, Maya’s husband, finally snapped out of his cowardly paralysis.
He rushed forward, aggressively pushing past the frozen security guards.
"Maya, honey," Julian pleaded, reaching his hands out toward her.
Maya instinctively took a step back, clutching her baby tighter to her chest.
"Do not touch me," she said, her voice shaking but laced with a sudden, unfamiliar strength.
Julian’s handsome face twisted into a pathetic mask of pure panic.
"Maya, please, you know I love you," he begged.
"I was just in shock, my mother was out of line, and I was going to stop her!"
Maya looked at the man she had loved and served for five years.
She remembered the countless nights she cried alone while he ignored her pain.
She remembered the constant verbal abuse from his mother that he pretended not to hear.
"You stood there while she slapped me," Maya said, her voice echoing in the dead quiet of the hall.
"You stood there while she called your own child a mistake."
Julian fell to his knees in his expensive designer suit, completely abandoning his dignity.
"I was wrong, Maya, I was so incredibly wrong!"
"We are a family, we can fix this right now!"
Victoria, suddenly realizing her entire empire was on the verge of collapse, rushed over.
"Maya, my dear, sweet daughter-in-law," Victoria said, her tone sickeningly sweet and desperate.
"We are just stressed about the big merger tonight."
"You know I have a terrible temper, please let’s go to a private room."
Maya touched the burning red handprint still visible on her cheek.
"We are not family," Maya whispered coldly.
"We never were."
Colonel Vance stepped firmly between Maya and the pleading Sterlings.
"Back away from Ms. Hawthorne," Vance ordered, his hand resting on his holstered weapon.
Before Vance could say another word, the heavy oak doors of the ballroom rattled violently from the outside.
A massive, deafening explosion of sound echoed outside the building.
May you like
The rhythmic, heavy chopping of military-grade helicopters vibrated through the floorboards.
The grand doors were suddenly kicked open with brutal, terrifying force.
