Chapter 2 - The Illusion of Normalcy
Gregory left that night, his face pale and his arrogance temporarily shattered.
As the door clicked shut behind him, I finally let out a long, heavy exhale. I didn't cry. My tears had dried up years ago during my training.
Instead, I walked over to the shattered porcelain on the floor, picked up a broom, and methodically began to clean up the ruins of my three-day marriage.
Who was I, really?
Gregory thought he had married Elara Vance, a timid, mid-level financial analyst who made a decent salary, baked on the weekends, and kept her head down. He thought I was lonely and desperate for a handsome man’s validation.
That was the illusion I had meticulously crafted.
In reality, my late father was a former military intelligence officer who founded Aegis Global, one of the most elite private security and intelligence firms on the East Coast.
When he passed away three years ago, I inherited everything. The wealth, the company, and the grueling martial arts training he had instilled in me since I was eight years old.
But the corporate world of security was ruthless, filled with paranoia, bodyguards, and endless suspicion. I wanted a break. I wanted to know what it felt like to be loved for who I was, not for the billions attached to my surname.
So, I created a fake identity within one of my own subsidiary finance firms. I bought this modest condo instead of living in my father's estate.
And then, I met Gregory.
He was charming, attentive, and seemingly perfect. He showered me with affection, listened to my fake office complaints, and proposed under the stars.
I ignored the small red flags—the way he sometimes looked at my belongings, the subtle probing questions about my credit score, the slight temper when things didn't go his way. I wanted the fairy tale so badly that I chose to be blind.
But a tiger cannot change its stripes, and three days of marriage was all it took for his mask to slip.
I walked to my safe, unlocked it, and pulled out a secure, encrypted phone that I hadn't used in months.
I dialed a number. It rang only once.
“Miss Vance,” a deep, gravelly voice answered immediately. It was Marcus, my father’s former second-in-command and the current head of Aegis operations.
“Marcus,” I said, my voice crisp and authoritative, shedding the soft-spoken analyst persona instantly. “I need a full, unrestricted background check on my husband, Gregory Hayes. Deep dive. Offshore accounts, debts, text records, everything.”
“I told you I didn't trust him, Elara.”
“You were right,” I admitted, staring at the empty dining room. “He showed his true colors tonight. He thinks I'm a weak target. Let's find out exactly why he targeted me.”
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“You'll have the file by morning,” Marcus promised.
I hung up, looking out the window at the rain. Gregory thought he could control me by cutting off my banking passwords. He had no idea he had just declared war on a woman who owned the bank.
