Chapter 2 - The Name on the Notice
Edward Vance knelt on the cold marble floor of the grand corporate lobby, his silver-grey beard trembling as his gloved fingers unfolded the crisp paper.
The red stamp at the top of the legal document blared with merciless clarity: SUPREME COURT OF NEW YORK - NOTICE OF EVICTION.
Edward's dark eyes scanned down past the official court seal until they locked onto the printed tenant name: Grace Eleanor Vance.
Air trapped itself inside Edward's chest as seven years of bitter grief and engineered deception shattered in a single fraction of a second.
"Grace..." Edward whispered, his voice cracking with a raw, agonizing sorrow that sent shockwaves through his surrounding security guards.
Standing three feet away in her emerald green tailored pantsuit, Victoria Sterling felt her face drain of every drop of color.
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"Edward, please, step away from that ragged child!" Victoria shrieked softly, her slicked hair shifting as she tried to grab his arm.
"Don't touch me!" Edward bellowed, his voice echoing off the towering marble pillars like a clap of thunder.
