Chapter 3 - The Unbroken VowThe silence that followed Emily’s words was deafening.
Even the ruthless Manhattan paparazzi seemed stunned into absolute stillness.
Ryan turned his head sharply toward Amber, noticing the subtle tremor in her manicured hands.
"Amber..." Ryan murmured, a dark suspicion taking root in his heart. "What does she mean?"
"She's lying, Ryan!" Amber shrieked, her composure completely shattering. "She's an impostor trying to ruin our family!"
Emily didn't argue or shout back; she simply stood her ground with dignified elegance.
She adjusted the collar of Noah's light blue shirt and kissed the top of his head.
"Come, boys," Emily said gently. "We have a press conference of our own at the Plaza Hotel."
"Wait!" Ryan yelled, reaching out to grab her wrist as she turned to leave.
Before his fingers could touch her fabric, two tall men in black suits stepped out of the luxury black SUV.
"Step back, Mr. Vance," the lead bodyguard said, standing firmly between Ryan and Emily.
Ryan stared at the security detail, recognizing the insignia on their lapel pins.
They belonged to the Blackwood Security Group, the most elite private intelligence firm in the United States.
hiring them required billions of dollars and high-level federal connections.
"How are you paying for this, Emily?" Ryan whispered, realizing he no longer knew the woman he once loved.
"The woman you abandoned five years ago was weak and penniless, Ryan," Emily said over her shoulder.
"The woman standing in front of you today owns forty percent of your company's foreign debt."
Ryan froze as if struck by lightning.
For the past three years, a mysterious offshore entity called Apex Holdings had been buying up Vance Enterprises' bonds.
He had spent millions trying to uncover the owner of Apex Holdings, to no avail.
It was Emily.
"You..." Ryan stammered, his mind spinning out of control. "You're Apex?"
"I'll see you in the boardroom tomorrow morning at eight, Mr. CEO," Emily said coolly.
She guided Ethan and Noah into the back seat of the black SUV.
The heavy door slammed shut with an authoritative thud that echoed across the plaza.
As the SUV pulled away into the congested Fifth Avenue traffic, Ryan felt his knees go weak.
Amber rushed to his side, grabbing his arm desperately. "Ryan, we need to call our lawyers right now!"
Ryan shoved her arm away, his eyes filled with a terrifying darkness.
"Did you know she was alive, Amber?" he asked in a dangerous whisper.
"Of course not!" Amber lied, though her darting eyes gave away her panic.
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Ryan looked up at the giant American flag fluttering near the entrance of his tower.
He realized his entire empire was built on a mountain of dangerous lies, and the storm had finally arrived.
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