Chapter 3 - The True HeirEleanor let out a bitter, mocking laugh, though her hand was shaking as she held Daniel’s arm. “Financial liquidation? Who do you think you are? You're just some low-class old man from out of town! Vivienne came to us with nothing but a beat-up sedan and cheap clothes!”
“I came to your family in an old car,” I said, stepping forward from behind my father’s shoulder, “because I wanted to know if Daniel loved me for who I was, or for my father's bank account.”
Daniel stared at me, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. “Vivienne... what are you talking about?”
Mr. Harrison, the hotel director, stepped into the middle of the circle. His forehead was slick with cold sweat as he pulled a thick leather folder from his arm.
“Mrs. Montgomery,” Harrison stammered, his voice trembling. “This gentleman is Arthur Vance. Founder and Chairman of Vance Global Enterprises. He is the sole owner of this property, the land beneath it, and the primary venture capitalist holding ninety percent of your family firm’s corporate debt.”
A dead silence fell over the two hundred guests.
Chloe’s jaw dropped. She looked at me, then at the black card sticking out of my pocket, realization finally crashing over her face like icy water.
“No...” Chloe whispered, her eyes wide with terror. “No, that’s impossible! She works at a non-profit!”
“She manages the Vance Philanthropic Foundation,” my father corrected her sharply. “A charity that donates twenty million dollars a year to pediatric health. A charity she founded herself.”
My father turned to Mr. Harrison. “Harrison.”
“Yes, Mr. Vance?”
“Cancel the event contract for this room immediately. Issue an eviction notice for the Montgomery Corporation’s lease on the 4th floor offices in our downtown tower. And call our legal team—I want every loan agreement we hold with Montgomery Enterprises called in for full repayment by 9:00 AM tomorrow.”
Eleanor’s face turned from red to ash white. She clutched her pearl necklace, her eyes darting frantically toward her husband, who was standing near the bar, looking as if he were about to vomit.
“You can’t do that!” Eleanor gasped, her arrogance vanishing into sheer panic. “We paid a fifty-thousand-dollar deposit for this venue!”
“The deposit is forfeited due to a breach of safety protocols,” my father replied smoothly. “Specifically, the physical assault of my daughter and unborn grandchild.”
Daniel rushed toward me, falling to his knees right on the marble floor. He reached out to grab the hem of my father’s coat, tears springing to his eyes.
“Vivienne! Please!” Daniel cried, his voice crackling with desperate remorse. “I didn't know! I swear I didn't know! I was just trying to keep the peace between you and my mother! I love you!”
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I looked down at the man I had spent three years supporting, the man I had cooked for, cared for, and believed in while his mother treated me like dirt.
“You didn't keep the peace, Daniel,” I said softly, looking him dead in the eye. “You handed her my purse.”
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