Chapter 3 - The Midnight SignatureDominic scrambled blindly across the floor, his fingers clawing at the interior pocket of his discarded wedding jacket until they brushed against a heavy gold Montblanc fountain pen. He fumbled with the cap, his hands shaking so violently he dropped it twice before managing to uncork it.
I eased my pressure on his arm just enough for him to sit up, though I kept my stance balanced and ready, ensuring he had no room to try any foolish heroics. He didn't even attempt it. He was completely broken, his ego shattered into a million pieces on the Persian rug.
"Page four," I instructed coldly, sliding the manila folder directly in front of him. "Initial the financial waiver, sign the grounds for annulment, and date it."
Dominic hurriedly scrawled his signature across the dotted lines, pressing down so hard the nib of the pen nearly tore through the thick paper. When he finished, he looked up at me with pathetic, pleading eyes, like a dog begging its owner for mercy.
"There," he whispered. "It's done. Are you happy?"
I picked up the documents, carefully inspecting every signature, every initial, and every date. Everything was legally binding, witnessed by the very audio recording still flashing red on the velvet sofa. I slipped the papers back into the manila envelope and tucked it securely under my arm.
Victoria stood frozen by the door, her hands trembling. The mighty Vance dynasty—which she had guarded so fiercely, scheming and manipulating every aspect of her son’s life to maintain their social standing—had just been brought to its knees by a quiet waitress in a jeweled wedding gown.
"You're making a catastrophic mistake, Audrey," Victoria hissed, her voice dripping with venom even as her hands shook. "You think you've won, but you'll be hunted by every tabloid in the country. We will make sure your name is dragged through the mud."
I turned slowly to face her, letting a cold, sharp smile touch my lips.
"Try it, Victoria," I said softly. "My father owns a controlling stake in three major media networks. Let's see how well your PR team handles a multi-part investigative exposé on the Vance family's financial fraud and domestic intimidation tactics."
Victoria opened her mouth, but no words came out. She looked like she had just swallowed glass.
I didn't bother looking back at Dominic. I walked past Victoria without slowing down, stepping over the threshold of the master suite and heading straight for the private penthouse elevator. The heavy gold doors slid open instantly at my touch.
As I stepped inside, the cool air of the elevator shaft washed over me, carrying away the suffocating scent of the penthouse. I pressed the lobby button, watching through the glass panels as Dominic slumped pathetically against the floor while his mother stared into space in absolute ruin.
My phone buzzed again in my hand. It was a text message from my father.
May you like
Car is waiting downstairs, sweetheart. Let's go home.
A profound, weightless sense of relief washed over me. The wedding night was over, but my life—truly my own life—was just beginning.
