Chapter 2 - The Shattered Illusion
"What did you just say?" Nathan’s voice was dangerously low, a storm brewing beneath his calm exterior.
Victoria rushed forward, grabbing his arm. "Nathan, don't listen to this crazy woman! She's delusional! She's a gold-digger trying to extort us before the wedding!"
Nathan didn't look at Victoria. He didn't even blink. He gently but firmly pried her fingers off his suit jacket and walked toward the two figures huddled on the floor.
He knelt down, ignoring the expensive fabric of his trousers pooling on the kitchen floor. He reached out a trembling hand, brushing a stray curl away from Lily's tear-stained face. The resemblance was undeniable. The shape of her jaw, the shade of her eyes. It was like looking at a ghost of his own childhood.
"Grace," Nathan said, his voice cracking. "Five years ago... you disappeared. You changed your number. You quit college. You just vanished."
"I was forced to," Grace sobbed, holding Lily tighter. "Your father, Arthur. He found out I was pregnant. He told me if I didn't leave, he would make sure the child was taken by child protective services. He said he had judges in his pocket. He said I would rot in a psych ward while my baby was raised by strangers."
"That's a lie!" Victoria shrieked. "Arthur was a saint! He built the Cole Empire!"
"Your father didn't act alone," Grace continued, ignoring Victoria. "The Sterling family—Victoria's family—knew. They demanded I be removed before they agreed to merge their tech conglomerate with your company. Victoria has known about Lily this whole time."
Nathan slowly stood up. The betrayal felt like a physical knife twisting in his gut. He turned to Victoria, his eyes completely hollow.
"Is it true?" he asked softly.
Victoria took a step back, her mask slipping. "Nathan, darling, it was business. We are building a dynasty! You can't let some peasant maid ruin billions of dollars and our future!"
"Get out," Nathan said.
"Nathan, you can't be serious—"
"Get out of my house before I call the police and have you arrested for attempted murder!" Nathan roared, his voice shaking the crystal chandeliers in the adjacent dining room.
Victoria’s eyes narrowed into terrifying slits. "You're making a mistake, Nathan. A very big, very expensive mistake. My father won't let this slide." She turned on her heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
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Nathan immediately picked up Lily, who buried her face in his neck, and gently helped Grace to her feet.
"I've got you," he whispered, pressing a kiss to his daughter's head. "I've got both of you now. No one is ever going to hurt you again."
