Chapter 3 - The Unveiling
The room fell into a terrifying silence as the name 'Sterling' echoed through the hall.
The board members,
who had been whispering in the corners,
suddenly went pale.
Everyone knew the Sterling name,
it was synonymous with power,
with old money,
and with a ruthlessness that kept the world in order.
Elena’s father,
a man named Arthur,
pushed his way through the crowd.
"Sterling?"
he asked,
his voice trembling.
"What does a woman like you have to do with the Sterlings?"
I stood tall,
Sophia tucked safely at my side.
"My name is Vivienne Sterling,"
I said,
each syllable sounding like a gavel strike.
"And this man,"
I pointed to Dominic,
"is my husband."
"Or at least,
he was until tonight."
Dominic was sweating now,
the fine fabric of his suit clinging to his skin.
"Vivienne,
please,
I can fix this,"
he whispered,
his voice cracking.
"I did it for the company."
"I did it for our future."
"Our future?"
I asked,
gesturing to the paper necklace Sophia was holding.
"Sophia made this for you,
Dominic."
"She spent three hours making sure the colors were perfect."
"While you were spending three months planning a life with someone else."
I took the necklace from Sophia’s hand and held it up.
"This is worth more than everything in this room,"
I said,
looking at the board members.
"Because this came from a place of truth."
"Everything else here is a lie."
Suddenly,
the heavy double doors at the entrance were thrown open once again.
But this time,
the security didn't even try to stop them.
Three men walked in,
their presence so overwhelming that people literally stepped back to make a path.
Victor,
the eldest,
in a suit that cost more than a luxury car.
Alexander,
the middle brother,
with eyes like cold steel.
And Marcus,
the youngest,
who looked like he was ready to burn the building down.
They didn't look at the guests.
They didn't look at the decorations.
They walked straight to the grand staircase.
Victor stopped at the bottom,
his gaze locking onto Dominic.
"Dominic,"
Victor said,
his voice calm,
level,
and terrifying.
"I believe we need to discuss your debt."
"Not just the financial kind,"
he added,
walking up the stairs.
"But the moral kind."
Alexander followed,
stopping next to me and placing a hand on my shoulder.
"Are you okay,
Viv?"
he asked softly.
"I am now,"
I replied.
Marcus knelt down in front of Sophia,
a rare smile touching his lips.
"Hey,
little bird,"
he said.
"Ready to go home?"
Sophia nodded,
clutching his hand.
Dominic looked like he was about to faint.
"Victor,
Mr. Sterling,
I...
I can explain,"
he stammered.
Victor didn't even let him finish.
He looked at Arthur,
Elena’s father.
"Arthur,
I believe you are under the impression that you own this company,"
May you like
Victor said.
"I’m afraid I have some bad news for you."
