Chapter 7
The fallout was immediate, catastrophic, and completely devastating for the Sterling family empire. Julian’s legal team handed the evidence directly to the FBI, completely bypassing the corrupt local authorities Victoria’s father controlled. Within twenty-four hours, heavily armed federal agents raided Senator Sterling’s Washington D.C. offices and his sprawling Virginia estate.
News helicopters hovered over the Sterling mansion, broadcasting live as agents carried out boxes of hard drives and classified ledgers. The morning talk shows that had defended Victoria just a week prior quickly pivoted, tearing her reputation to absolute shreds. She was no longer the tragic, abandoned bride; she was the face of a massive, despicable criminal conspiracy.
Julian watched the news coverage from the safety of his private jet, soaring thirty thousand feet above the chaos. He had pulled Lily out of her elite private school, determined to shield her from the toxic media storm engulfing the city. They were flying to a secluded, heavily guarded ranch he owned deep in the pristine mountains of Montana.
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"Look, Daddy, snow!" Lily cheered, pressing her small hands against the jet window as the majestic, white-capped Rockies came into view. She was wearing a cozy oversized sweater, her previous anxiety melting away with every mile they put between them and New York. "We're going to build the biggest snowman in the world, sweetie," Julian smiled, feeling a profound weight lifting off his chest.
Back in Manhattan, Victoria’s world was crumbling into dust at a terrifying speed. Her father had frozen her bank accounts to save himself, her elite friends refused to return her calls, and her lawyers had formally resigned. She was sitting alone in a dark hotel room, clutching a glass of cheap wine, waiting for the inevitable knock on the door.
