Chapter 2 - The Fallen IllusionSilence gripped the dining hall. The air grew so thick it felt impossible to breathe.
Julian stared at the holographic crest hovering above my palm, his eyes blinking rapidly as his brain tried to process the impossible image. Victoria was still sitting on the floor, holding her swollen cheek, her mouth open in stunned disbelief.
“What... what kind of fake toy is that?” Genevieve stammered, stepping back, her confident posture wavering for the first time. “Julian, she’s bluffing! She’s just trying to embarrass us!”
Julian tried to force a laugh, but the sound caught in his throat. “Elena... what is this ridiculous play? You don't have a father. You told me you were an orphan from a rural village!”
“I lied,” I said quietly, holding Maya close against my chest. “I lied because seven years ago, my mother wanted me to learn humility before I inherited the Sovereign Empire. She wanted me to find a man who would love me for me, not for my fifty-billion-dollar trust fund. So I ran away. I met you. I believed you were that man.”
I looked Julian up and down, sweeping my gaze over his custom suit, his gold watch, and his pompous posture.
“I gave your struggling company three hundred million dollars through anonymous angel investors,” I continued, every word landing like a sledgehammer. “I arranged for the city zoning board to approve your headquarters. I built the foundation beneath your feet while you forced me to live in this mansion like a servant.”
“That’s impossible!” Victoria shrieked, scrambling to her feet. “You’re a beggar! You mend our clothes! You clean our dishes!”
Suddenly, the heavy double oak doors of the Vance estate were thrown open with such violence that the glass lanterns on the wall shattered.
A dozens-strong fleet of black armored SUVs screeched to a halt on the front lawn, their headlights blinding the room through the tall floor-to-ceiling windows. Heavy boots rattled against the stone steps.
Dozens of elite tactical guards in sleek black suits marched into the hall, forming two immaculate lines from the entryway straight to where I stood. Behind them walked a towering man in a tailor-made charcoal suit with silver hair and razor-sharp blue eyes.
It was Harrison—the Chief Executive Officer of the Sovereign Conglomerate, a man who answered to only one person on Earth.
Harrison walked past Julian as if he were invisible. He reached my side, immediately dropping to one knee on the hard marble floor.
“My Princess,” Harrison bowed his head respectfully. “Your father, the Grand Duke, has dispatched the royal air fleet. He is waiting for you at the private terminal.”
Harrison looked down at Maya, his hardened, stoic face instantly softening into warm reverence. He pulled a white velvet handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped the blood from Maya’s lips.
“Lady Maya,” Harrison said softly. “Forgive us for being late.”
Julian’s face drained of every drop of color. His knees trembled so violently that he had to grab the back of a dining chair to keep from collapsing.
“H-Harrison?” Julian gasped, his voice cracking. “Harrison Vance... the chairman of Global Sovereign Holdings? The man who controls our bank loans?”
Harrison stood up slowly, turning his head to face Julian. The warmth vanished from his eyes, replaced by a terrifying, lethal darkness.
“Julian Vance,” Harrison stated coldly. “Effective thirty seconds ago, Sovereign Holdings has revoked all credit lines extended to Vance Tech. We have called in your seventy-million-dollar mortgage on this property. You have two hours to vacate these premises before federal marshals seize the land.”
“No!” Victoria screamed, clutching her heart. “You can’t do that! This is my house! My son is the CEO of the year!”
“Your son is a bankrupt peasant,” Harrison replied smoothly. He turned to the lead tactical guard. “Escort the Princess and the young Lady to the vehicle.”
I picked Maya up, tucking her head safely into the crook of my neck. As I walked past Genevieve, I stopped for a fraction of a second.
“That dress looks expensive, Genevieve,” I murmured softly. “Enjoy it. It’s the last luxury item you’ll ever wear.”
“Elena! Wait!” Julian cried out, throwing himself forward, reaching out a hand to grab my sleeve. “Elena, please! It was a mistake! I didn't know! I love you, Elena!”
May you like
Before his fingers could touch me, two security officers slammed Julian to the floor, pinning his arms behind his back.
I didn't turn around. I walked out into the cool night air, stepping into the back of the limousine as the gates of the Vance estate closed behind me forever.
