Chapter 4 - The Unwelcome Fiancee
Victoria froze at the entrance of the foyer, her diamond earrings catching the ambient lighting. Her sharp gaze swept from Julian’s disheveled state to Catherine huddled on the white designer sofa, nursing an infant wrapped in Julian’s cashmere blanket. A slow, poisonous smile curled the edges of her crimson lips.
""Well, isn't this an unexpected domestic tableau,"" Victoria murmured, her voice dripping with calculated disdain. She clicked across the hardwood on red-soled heels, stopping just outside Julian’s reach. ""Your mother warned me you were acting erratic tonight, darling. She said a blackmailer might try to breach the building.""
""Give me the key, Victoria,"" Julian said, his voice dropping an octave into dangerous territory. ""And leave.""
""Leave?"" Victoria scoffed softly, tilting her head toward Catherine. ""Julian, the annual shareholder gala is in four days. The announcement of our union is supposed to finalize the merger between Vance Global and Sterling Maritime. Do you really think you can harbor a stray from the gutter and her bastard without the board stripping you of your CEO title?""
""Watch your tongue,"" Julian snapped, stepping into her space with an aura so menacing Victoria involuntarily stepped back. ""You have no right to be in this apartment.""
""I have every right when forty percent of your family's stock depends on our contract,"" Victoria hissed, dropping her mask of elegance. She cast a disgusted glance at Catherine, whose eyes burned with quiet fury from the sofa. ""Look at her! You really think she was faithful to you during that brief, pathetic summer? Your mother ran an investigation, Julian. Catherine was seen entering a downtown clinic with another man three weeks after you separated.""
Catherine shot to her feet, holding Leo tightly against her chest. ""That was my brother, you snake! He was helping me get prenatal vitamins because your mother had frozen my bank accounts!""
""Convenient story,"" Victoria sneered, turning her back on Catherine and looking up at Julian. ""Eleanor has called an emergency board meeting for tomorrow morning at nine. If this woman is still in your life when the sun rises, the board will invoke the morality clause in your grandfather's trust. You will be stripped of your shares, your penthouse, and your name.""
Julian stood unmoving, his gaze fixed on Victoria with deadened calm. ""Are you finished?""
""Julian, be reasonable—""
""Get out.""
Victoria’s jaw clenched. She realized she had miscalculated the depth of his stubbornness. Snatched off her high horse, she tossed the gold key card onto the console table. ""Fine. Ruin yourself for a street beggar. But remember, Julian... your mother always plays to win.""
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She turned and marched back into the elevator. The doors sealed shut, leaving a suffocating silence in her wake.
Julian turned back to Catherine. He looked exhausted, defeated, yet intensely awake. But before he could take a step toward her, Leo let out a weak, raspy cough, his tiny body shuddering violently as a high fever suddenly flushed his pale skin crimson.
