Chapter 2 - The Files of Vance HoldingsBy sunrise, the lawyer’s encrypted courier arrived at my hospital room, sliding a heavy, wax-sealed manila folder directly into my hands before slipping out as quietly as a ghost.
Julian had spent months plotting his escape with Victoria, relying on the assumption that I was a penniless orphan from Brooklyn with no financial independence. He didn't know that my uncle had foreseen the family's ruthless ambition and engineered an ironclad safety net. As I looked down at Maya, sleeping peacefully against my chest, a fierce, calculated strategy took shape in my mind. I wouldn't cry, and I wouldn't beg. I would let Julian walk right into the trap he had prepared for me, believing he held all the cards, while I held the entire deck.
