Chapter 13 - Shadows of the Past
Two weeks passed. The international press had devoured the scandal like ravenous wolves. The downfall of Eleanor Vance and Richard Sterling dominated every financial headline across the globe, but behind the closed doors of the Vance estate, an uneasy quiet had settled.
Catherine stood on the grand balcony of the master bedroom, overlooking the manicured gardens that stretched across twenty acres of coastal hillside. She was dressed in soft gray cashmere, her hair neatly brushed, but her hands still trembled whenever she heard a car door slam in the driveway. The trauma of the streets, the hunger, and the constant fear of extraction teams had etched deep grooves into her soul.
Julian stepped onto the balcony, holding two cups of steaming tea. He wrapped one arm gently around her waist, pulling her back against his chest. ""You haven't slept more than three hours a night since the trial began.""
""I keep expecting someone to burst through the door and tell me it's all a mistake,"" Catherine confessed, leaning her head back against his shoulder. ""Every time Leo cries, my heart stops. I keep thinking we’re still on that wet sidewalk, Julian.""
Julian kissed the crown of her head softly. ""It wasn't a mistake, Catherine. You belong here. Leo belongs here.""
""Does he?"" she asked, turning to face him, searching his dark eyes for truth. ""Your board members look at me like I’m a virus that infected their clean corporate world. Victoria’s lawyers are already filing civil appeals, claiming our marriage was coerced. And what about your family name, Julian? It’s stained with fraud and treason.""
""Then we will build a new name,"" Julian said firmly. ""Tomorrow, I’m announcing the liquidation of all Sterling-affiliated holdings. We are establishing a five-hundred-million-dollar foundation in Leo's name dedicated to emergency housing and legal protection for destitute mothers.""
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Catherine’s eyes welled with tears, but before she could speak, Julian's chief of security, Thomas, appeared at the balcony doors, his expression gravely serious.
""Sir,"" Thomas said quietly. ""We have a problem. The prison transport carrying Eleanor to the federal detention facility was intercepted twenty minutes ago. She's gone.""
