Chapter 2 - The TransformationTwenty minutes later, the woman who had spent eight years scrubbing kitchen floors, washing dirty dinner dishes, and enduring the daily put-downs of the Vance family was gone.
Standing before the full-length mirror was Chairwoman Clara Sterling.
The midnight-black gown draped effortlessly over my silhouette, catching the light with every subtle movement. My dark hair was styled in sleek, commanding waves, my skin radiant, and resting against my collarbone was the massive, deep-green Sterling Sovereign Emerald, gleaming like a beacon of absolute power.
My cut finger had been treated with liquid bandage and covered by a pair of custom silk gloves.
Arthur stepped up behind me, holding a leather binder containing the master registry for the Heart of the Nation Gala at the Metropolitan Grand Ballroom.
"The gala protocol is set, Chairwoman," Arthur reported cleanly. "The President of the International Financial Board has already arrived. Julian Vance and Victoria Sterling were processed through the secondary guest check-in ten minutes ago. Julian has been introducing Victoria as his 'chief strategic partner and personal escort.'"
A cold, dry smile touched my lips under the amber lights.
"Has Evelyn Vance arrived?" I asked softly.
"Evelyn and Chloe Vance are currently sitting in the secondary VIP lounge," Arthur replied, a hint of disdain in his voice. "Evelyn has been bragging to the wives of the city council members that Julian is divorcing his 'uneducated temp wife' to marry into the Sterling advisory network."
"She thinks Victoria is connected to my family trust?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Victoria Sterling is a distant, disgraced cousin from the Western branch who was disowned three years ago for corporate embezzlement," Arthur revealed deadpan. "She lied to Julian, claiming she held voting proxies in the Sterling Investment Group to convince him to take her as his mistress."
I let out a low, breathless laugh—a sound that carried no humor, only the cold, weightless clarity of a queen watching fools trap themselves in their own greed.
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Julian had abandoned his wife—the sole owner of the Sterling empire—to parade around a disgraced, penniless imposter in front of Manhattan's elite.
"Prepare the executive convoy, Arthur," I commanded, pulling on my heavy black cashmere coat. "It's time to attend the gala."
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