Chapter 2: The Empire in Ash
The panic didn't hit Vivian all at once; it arrived in waves. The first wave was the phone. It vibrated in her designer clutch—a persistent, frantic buzzing. She tapped the screen, expecting to see her personal assistant confirming a dinner reservation. Instead, she saw a banking alert that made her stomach drop into her shoes.
ACCOUNT FROZEN: UNAUTHORIZED TRANSACTION ATTEMPT.
She swiped to her secondary account. ACCESS DENIED. She tried to open her brokerage app, the one linked to the trust fund that paid for her lifestyle, her parties, and her standing in the New York social register.
INVALID CREDENTIALS.
"What did you do?" Vivian shrieked, her voice losing its polished veneer, descending into a frantic, high-pitched whine. "Julian! You can't do this! I am your fiancée! We are to be married in June!"
Julian stood up, leaving Elena in the care of his personal doctor, who had appeared out of nowhere. Julian turned to Vivian, and for the first time, she saw the predator she had been sleeping next to for two years. He wasn't a man who loved her; he was a man who had been playing a very long game, and she had just tripped the wire.
"You aren't a fiancée," Julian said, his voice cold as a winter night in Chicago. "You were an investment. An accessory. I needed a partner who could play the part of a socialite while I solidified the firm's acquisition of the St. Claire conglomerate. I didn't care who you were, as long as you were presentable."
He stepped closer, backing her toward the window. "But you see, Vivian, you aren't presentable. You are cruel. And in my world, cruelty is a liability. You thought you owned this house? You thought you owned the staff? You didn't even own the dress you’re wearing. That was leased by the firm."
"I... I can call my father! I can call the board!"
Julian let out a short, sharp laugh. "Your father? He was liquidated three hours ago. The board? They resigned the moment I showed them the footage of you abusing staff in my home. You are not just fired, Vivian. You are irrelevant."
May you like
Vivian looked around the opulent room. The gold leaf, the art, the view of the city—it was all dissolving. The security guard walked into the room, holding a bag of her personal belongings. He didn't look at her with respect. He looked at her like she was the trash she had treated Elena as.
"You have ten minutes to leave the building," Julian said, turning his back on her. "If you are not gone by then, I will have you removed as a trespasser."
