Chapter 3 - Rising from the Ashes
While Dominic was experiencing his first taste of absolute poverty, I was sitting in a penthouse suite overlooking the ocean.
The air here was crisp, clean, and smelled of salt and freedom.
I was dressed in a simple, elegant cashmere set, a far cry from the bargain-bin clothes Victoria had forced me to wear.
My bruises were fading, turning from violent purple to dull yellow.
But the phantom pain in my stomach—the loss of my child—was a wound that would never fully heal.
It was a fire that kept my resolve burning bright.
Sophia sat across from me, sipping a macchiato, a thick tablet resting on her lap.
“The eviction went flawlessly,” she reported, a rare, vicious smile playing on her lips.
“Victoria tried to slap one of the officers. She was almost arrested for assault.”
I stared out at the crashing waves, feeling nothing for the woman who had killed my baby.
“Where are they now?” I asked, my voice calm, devoid of any emotion.
“They checked into a mid-tier hotel downtown. Paige is with them.”
“How long can they afford it?”
Sophia tapped the screen. “With his personal credit cards frozen? Maybe three days. Max.”
The door to the suite opened quietly, and a man stepped inside.
Julian Thorne.
He was the CEO I had hired to manage Apex Holdings, my proxy in the corporate world.
Sharp, relentlessly brilliant, and fiercely loyal to my father's memory.
“Good morning, Boss,” Julian said, taking a seat beside Sophia.
“The financial sector is in a frenzy. Vance Construction’s stock is plummeting.”
“Good,” I said, turning away from the window to face them.
“Dominic thinks a mystery investor betrayed him. He still hasn't connected the dots.”
“Because his ego won't allow him to believe his 'charity case' wife is a billionaire,” Julian chuckled darkly.
“He requested an emergency board meeting for tomorrow at noon.”
Julian slid a sleek, black folder across the glass coffee table toward me.
“He is going to beg the board to overrule Apex Holdings. He expects me to be there to negotiate.”
I picked up the folder, feeling the heavy, expensive cardstock under my fingertips.
Inside were the documents that would officially strip Dominic of his title, his shares, and his dignity.
“You won't be attending that meeting, Julian,” I said softly.
Julian raised an eyebrow, a knowing grin spreading across his face.
“I was hoping you'd say that.”
“It’s time to take off the mask. I’ve played the victim long enough.”
I stood up, walking toward the grand mirror in the hallway.
The woman looking back at me was no longer the timid, submissive wife who walked on eggshells.
Her posture was straight. Her eyes were sharp, calculating, and cold as ice.
“Sophia, book the finest stylist in the city. I need a wardrobe that demands respect.”
“Already on it,” Sophia replied, typing rapidly on her phone.
“Julian, prepare a press release. Announce that the true owner of Apex Holdings is stepping out of the shadows.”
“With pleasure, Audrey. What about the criminal charges for Victoria?”
My reflection in the mirror darkened.
“The police have the hospital records and the doctor's testimony regarding the physical trauma.”
“But I don't want her in a cell just yet. I want her to lose her mind first.”
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I turned back to my team, the only real family I had left.
“Tomorrow, Dominic Vance loses his company. Then, he loses his pride.”
