“I AM HEAVEN AND EARTH.” MY HUSBAND AND HIS MISTRESS HURT MY DAUGHTER. SO I BECOME A TOP MERCENARY TO TAKE REVENGE THEM!

The woman stared at the money. Then, she let out a forced, hysterical laugh.

“It’s fake,” she stammered, pointing a shaking finger at the briefcase.

“It has to be. Where would you get a million dollars? Print it out yourself? Trying to scare me with counterfeit bills? I know money. You think I’m stupid? You really think I would fall for this?”

She turned to Marcus, a desperate smile on her face.

“I get it. You hired them. Actors! That’s it. A million bucks? Some thugs? You rented a few guys and some fake cash to scare me? You really thought I’d buy that?”

She reached into her purse again.

“How much did she pay you?” she demanded, looking right at Marcus. “I’ll double it. Triple! You throw her out for me, I will pay you ten times whatever she is giving you!”

Marcus slowly turned his head. He looked at the woman with eyes as dead as a winter lake.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s real or not,” Marcus said. “Not anymore.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” the woman asked, her voice finally trembling.

“Dead people don’t spend money,” Marcus replied.

The woman took a step back, bumping into her daughter.

“You can’t do this,” she shrieked, her fake confidence finally shattering. “Do you know who my husband is? Simon Sterling! Second in command of Vermillion! He runs the whole operation. You lay one finger on me, he will end you. You are nobody! Street trash!”

She pointed wildly at her daughter.

“Do you have any idea how many men answer to Vermillion? My husband can tear this whole city apart with one phone call! Let me make this crystal clear. My Chloe is about to become the heir to Vermillion. My husband promised. Once he makes it official, the entire syndicate belongs to my daughter! And your daughter? She is nobody! A courier’s kid. If she dies, she dies! Worth a payout. That’s it!”

I listened to her rant. I let her get it all out.

“Simon,” I whispered to the empty air. “You son of a bitch. Your real daughter is fighting for her life in the ICU, and you can’t even make a phone call. But you will name your mistress’s brat the heir to my organization. Have you forgotten who I am? Who Isabella is?”

I turned my attention back to the screaming woman.

“Hey, you see this woman?” she yelled at Marcus, thinking she could still buy him.

“She’s losing it. Think about it. You help me clean this up, my husband will make it worth your while. Maybe even get you a seat at the Vermillion table.”

Marcus actually let out a short, dry laugh.

“What’s so funny?” she demanded.

“I’m going to inherit Vermillion. You stick with me, you get money, power, respect. Everything. Why throw it away for some crazy lady?”

“You are both so painfully stupid,” Marcus said, shaking his head.

“You,” the woman snapped, pointing at me.

“Fine. Name your price. What will it take?”

“Not interested,” Marcus said before I could speak.

“I only take orders from my boss.”

“What boss?” the woman yelled.

“Her? She’s nobody! My husband is the one who runs Vermillion. She has been lying to you all.”

“Wrong,” Marcus said, his voice echoing loudly. “She is the one who really runs Vermillion. You want to know who put your precious second in command in power? She did. My boss. She gave him that seat, and she can take it away.”

The woman stared at Marcus like he had grown a second head.

“Her? Are you people insane? Calling her boss? What did she do? Drug you? Listen to me, Simon runs Vermillion. He is the one with power. He manages hundreds of men and millions of dollars. You throw in with this crazy woman, what is your future? She can’t even protect her own daughter, and you think she will protect you?”

She turned to her hired thugs. “What? Am I wrong? Her daughter is in the ICU and all she’s done is run her mouth. You claim you run Vermillion based on what? Your word?”

“Simon’s been in the family for years,” one of the thugs muttered, looking at me skeptically. “Everybody knows him. Who the hell are you? You ever set foot in a Vermillion meeting? You ever even seen the crest?”

“Him? He calls you boss so it’s true?” the woman mocked. “If I get some guy to call me queen tomorrow, am I the queen of England? Look at her. She can’t even say a word. A million bucks in prop money, a couple of rented goons and a fake gun, and you think you can pass as the head of Vermillion? Pathetic.”

“Are you finished?” I asked.

“What’s the matter?” she sneered. “Mad I figured you out?”

“Good. Then it’s my turn.”

I moved faster than any of them could track. In a fraction of a second, I had crossed the space between us.

“What are you doing?” the woman gasped as I bypassed her completely.

I grabbed Chloe by the front of her expensive shirt.

“Which hand?” I demanded, staring into the terrified girl’s eyes.

“What?” Chloe stammered, trying to pull away.

“Which hand did she shoot with?” I yelled at the mother.

“You wouldn’t dare!” the woman screamed. “My husband’s on his way! Vermillion’s on his way! If you dare lay a finger on my daughter…”

“Which hand?” I repeated, my grip tightening.

“What are you two doing?” the mother shrieked at her thugs. “Stop her!”

The thugs stepped forward, but Marcus had his weapon drawn and leveled at their heads before they could take a second step. They froze.

“You useless trash!” the woman cried. “I paid you so much money and this is how you treat me? I am warning you! Simon will not let you go! Vermillion will not let you go!”

“You got one thing wrong,” I said quietly.

“What?”

“Our boss doesn’t need anyone’s permission.”

I pulled my sidearm from my holster and pressed the barrel directly against Chloe’s right wrist.

“No! You hurt my daughter and I will kill you!” the mother screamed, lunging forward. Marcus shoved her back effortlessly.

“Move,” I told the girl.

“No! My daughter is Vermillion’s heir. If you hurt her, you are going against all of Vermillion! Simon won’t let you go! Hundreds of men won’t let you go! You’re just a…”

“Move,” I repeated.

“No! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it!” Chloe sobbed, finally realizing she was not untouchable.

“Which hand?” I asked one final time.

“My mom said… my mom said I’m going to be Vermillion’s heir. You can’t touch me! You can’t…”

“Fine,” I said coldly. “Neither hand is needed. Don’t worry, I’ll make it quick.”

“No, you can’t! You can’t! Simon! Simon, come quick! Help!”

I pulled the trigger.

The gunshot was deafening in the enclosed hallway.

Chloe’s scream ripped through the air as the bullet shattered the bones in her right hand. She collapsed to the floor, clutching her bleeding wrist.

“Mom’s here! Mom’s right here!” the woman wailed, dropping to her knees beside her sobbing daughter. She looked up at me, her eyes filled with raw hatred and absolute terror.

“You lunatic! You ruined her! You ruined my daughter’s hand! What’s going to become of her life?”

I looked down at her, holstering my weapon.

“That,” I said, repeating her exact words from earlier, “was an accident.”

“An accident?” she screamed. “So money fixes everything, right?”

Before she could continue, the heavy doors at the end of the hallway burst open.

Simon came running down the corridor, breathing heavily. He was dressed in a tailored suit, looking every inch the powerful syndicate boss he pretended to be.

“Daddy! You finally came!” Chloe cried from the floor.

“What the hell is going on here?” Simon yelled, pulling a silver pistol from his jacket.

“Simon, you finally came!” his mistress shrieked, pointing a bloody finger at me. “Look at Chloe! Her hand! That woman ruined her hand!”

Simon didn’t look at my face. He only saw a woman standing over his bleeding, makeshift family.

“You dare hurt my daughter?” Simon roared, aiming his gun directly at my chest. “You know who I am? You hurt my daughter, I’ll make sure you don’t leave this building alive!”

I turned around slowly.

I looked him dead in the eye.

Simon’s hand began to shake. The color completely drained from his face. The gun slowly lowered until it was pointing at the floor.

“How… how is it you?” he whispered, his voice cracking.

“Just now, were you trying to kill me?” I asked, taking a step toward him.

“Darling… I… I didn’t know it was you,” Simon stammered, taking a step back. “I thought…”

“Thought what?” I pressed. “Thought it was some fool who dared to hurt your mistress and bastard daughter?”

“Simon! What are you waiting for?” the woman yelled from the floor, entirely oblivious to the dynamic shifting in the room. “She ruined Chloe’s hand!”

“What are you standing there for?” Simon suddenly screamed at her, his voice frantic. “Get them to the ER! You want someone to die?”

The woman stared at him, bewildered. “Let’s see what you’re trying to do. What are you doing? Simon, what is this?”

“Just go!” Simon yelled, his eyes wide with panic. “I’ll handle this here!”

“You… you want me to leave?” she asked, outraged. “She ruined Chloe’s hand and you’re just letting it go?”

“I am begging you,” Simon said, his voice dropping to a desperate whisper. “Go. If you don’t, no one gets out of here.”

The woman finally realized something was horribly wrong. She grabbed her sobbing daughter and practically dragged her down the hall toward the emergency wing, the hired thugs fleeing right behind them.

Once they were gone, Simon dropped his gun completely. It clattered against the linoleum floor.

“Honey… darling, let me explain,” he pleaded, holding his hands up in surrender. “That… Alexandra, she is just a poor woman I have been helping. A single mom struggling with a kid. I paid for some of her tuition, rent, stuff like that. Then she got obsessed with me. Started calling me her husband.”

He took a step closer, trying to look sincere.

“Honey, you know me. My heart only has room for you.”

“Really?” I asked, my voice laced with venom.

“I swear! She made all that up! The heir, the black card, all of it. She just wanted to mooch off me.”

“So Chloe calling you daddy, she made that up, too?” I asked.

Simon swallowed hard.

“Chloe shot an arrow directly through Isabella’s heart,” I said, my voice rising. “Your mistress came here with my black card, threw money at me to sign a waiver. You showed up and drew a weapon on me without a second thought. And you are telling me it is a misunderstanding?”

“Honey, I really didn’t know it was you. I… I just reacted.”

“Reacted? Fine. Then tell me. What is this nonsense about the Vermillion heir?”

“That idiot Alexandra,” Simon cursed under his breath. “Why does she have to run her mouth? Heir? Nothing like that. She is talking nonsense. How could I give the inheritance to an outsider? Isabella is my daughter! My only daughter!”

“Really?” I asked. “Then have you been to see Isabella while she has been in the ICU?”

Simon froze.

“You got that woman’s call and rushed right over here with a gun,” I said, stepping right up into his face. “But did you even know Isabella is still in the ER, fighting for her life?”

“I… I…”

“You don’t know,” I said, disgust dripping from every word.

“You don’t know anything! All you know is your mistress got bullied, your bastard daughter got hurt. But your own daughter… you didn’t even know she was in the hospital.”

“Honey, darling, I’m sorry,” Simon begged, reaching for my arm. “I’m so sorry. Give me another chance.”

I slapped his hand away.

“Simon, do you know why I agreed to let Marcus take them away? Because I wanted to see just how shameless you could truly be.”

I turned on my heel and walked away, leaving him standing in the hallway alone.

“Boss,” Marcus said, falling into step beside me. “Simon’s people are making moves. Word is he called in everyone who handles the files.”

“Let him dig,” I said coldly.

“Boss… what if he finds out?”

“Finds out what? That half the missions I took were just cleaning up his ridiculous messes? That those businesses would have been swallowed up long ago by rivals if I hadn’t been backing them from the shadows? Or that his ‘little investment project’ was just the seven million dollars he lost at a casino with the organization’s money?”

“You’ve always known?” Marcus asked, surprised.

“Marcus, I am not stupid. I just thought he was my husband. He was my daughter’s father. I thought he had at least a little bit of a conscience. I was wrong.”

“I’m sorry, Boss. I didn’t keep a close enough eye on the organization. You’re…”

“Not your fault,” I interrupted.

“I gave away the power myself. Three years. That is enough time for a tree to take root.”

“So, what do you plan to do?”

“Time to rip it out. Roots and all. Marcus, you know how you uproot a tree? You don’t start with the trunk. You start with the roots. One by one until it can’t stand anymore.”

We walked into a private office in the hospital. Marcus pulled out a secure laptop and booted it up.

“Every penny Simon embezzled from the organization over the past three years,” Marcus said, bringing up a massive spreadsheet.

“The first one was three years and two months ago, the third week after he took over. Only eighty thousand back then. Labeled as ‘operating expenses.’ Then he got bolder. Hundreds of thousands turned into millions.”

He highlighted a specific row.

“The most recent transaction. Three million dollars. It was transferred the day before Isabella’s accident.”

“The day before?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

“The beneficiary of that offshore account is Chloe Thorne. A sixteen-year-old girl.”

I stared at the screen. The reality of it washed over me.

“Over three years, how much in total?” I asked.

“Forty-seven million dollars.”

“That much money? If the fellows in the family find out…”

“So, you’re going to let them know. But not now.”

“Then when?” Marcus asked.

“When he has tied the very last rope around his own neck. Listen to me. What about the school situation?”

“Handled. We have the evidence of bullying, the medical records, Chloe’s archery club training logs. Everything is organized and ready to submit to the school board and the police.”

“Wait,” I commanded.

“Wait for what?”

“For Simon to push every chip onto the table. For him to think he has won and has nothing left to fear. Let that mother and daughter think they are safe first. Once they let their guard down, that is when we cut.”

I closed the laptop.

“Isabella,” I whispered to myself. “Mommy will protect you.”

Two days later, Simon called an emergency meeting of the Vermillion captains.

“Simon, why call us here today? This feels awfully secretive,” one of the captains, a massive man named Briggs, asked as he sat at the long mahogany table.

“Brothers,” Simon said, looking solemnly around the room. “I called everyone here because there is something I don’t even know how to say.”

“Simon, just say it. We are family here,” another captain offered.

“Victoria is back.”

A murmur of excitement rippled through the room.

“Boss Victoria’s back? That is great news. She’s been running missions for years.”

“The boys have missed her.”

“I wish it were good news,” Simon sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. “But she is not in her right mind this time.”

“What do you mean?”

“Isabella had an accident at school. She was shot with an arrow, and she is still in the ICU.”

“What? Isabella was hurt? How bad?”

“Bad. The arrow went right through her back and into her chest. It almost hit her heart. Victoria… Victoria broke down. She is emotionally unstable.”

“A mother losing it when her daughter gets hurt seems pretty normal to me,” Briggs said, crossing his arms.

“Normally, yes,” Simon agreed smoothly.

“But Victoria’s reaction has gone way beyond normal. Last night at the hospital, she shot a little girl.”

The room went dead silent.

“What? She shot a little girl?”

“I hate saying this, but she snapped and crippled the hand of the girl involved in Isabella’s accident.”

“That doesn’t sound like Boss Victoria. She wasn’t like that before.”

“That is exactly what I am saying!” Simon pressed.

“The shock broke her. She won’t listen to anyone now. She is completely out of control. Last night, when she had a gun on that girl, I tried to stop her. Guess what happened?”

“What happened?”

“She almost shot me. I dodged it, but she shoved me into a wall.”

“That is out of line,” one of the younger captains muttered.

“Simon, after everything you’ve done for this family, that is how she treats you?”

“Forget it,” Simon waved it off, playing the martyr.

“She is upset about our daughter. I understand.”

“What worries me is something else entirely,” Simon continued, lowering his voice.

“What?”

“She still has the passwords to the family’s main financial accounts. I know she is not usually reckless, but in her current state… what if she gets impulsive and drains Vermillion’s money?”

“Simon, you are the one running the family. You need to do something. We cannot let one person’s emotional breakdown cost hundreds of brothers their livelihood.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Simon promised, hiding a triumphant smile.

You stupid fools, he thought. Just wait, Victoria. We’ll see who laughs last.

Back at the hospital, I was sitting by Isabella’s bed when the door opened.

“Well, well. If it isn’t the boss of Vermillion. Why do you look like hell?”

I looked up. Rafael Belmont stood in the doorway. Tall, impeccably dressed, and carrying the kind of arrogant confidence that only came from old money.

“Rafael,” I sighed.

“Relax. Drop the act. I found your daughter the best neurosurgeon in the country. A specialist in penetrating trauma. He arrives tomorrow morning. The surgery is three million dollars. You don’t have to pay me back. Call it charity.”

“Thank you.”

He walked closer, peering at a small scratch on my cheek. “What happened to your face?”

“Nothing. Just a scratch.”

“Who did it?”

“Thank you for the doctor,” I said firmly, ignoring the question. “But I don’t want to owe you.”

“You already owe me plenty,” Rafael scoffed, leaning against the wall. “Back when you insisted on marrying that useless bastard, I told you…”

“If that is why you’re here, you can leave.”

“You know how I feel about you.”

I snorted. “Forget it. I’m not here to fight. I looked into Isabella’s condition. The wound is serious, but the position is incredibly lucky. Two millimeters. The doctor I found has handled similar cases with a high success rate.”

“Either way, thank you.”

“Your daughter is fighting for her life. Where the hell is that loser Simon?”

“Don’t mention him to me.”

“When you chose him, I knew this day would come,” Rafael said, his voice softening slightly.

“You’ve always had terrible taste. Men, friends, even the empire you chose to plant your flag in. If it were me, I would have walked away from Vermillion years ago.”

“Did you fly all the way here just to say that?”

“Don’t you get it? I flew here because someone hurt you.”

“You know everything?”

Rafael laughed.

“You think Vermillion gossip stays hidden from me? Your dirty laundry is already all over the underworld. Simon has a woman outside. A bastard daughter, too. Everyone knows, Victoria. Everyone except you. Do you want revenge?”

“What are you getting at?”

“Stop carrying everything alone. That’s what you’ve always done. You take the hit and never tell anyone.”

“And you? Why help me?”

“Because I’ve waited more than ten years,” Rafael said, looking me directly in the eyes.

“And I don’t want the thing I waited for to be your obituary.”

I looked away, staring at the vase on the table. I can’t believe he still remembers I love white roses.

Two days later, the surgery was complete.

I was sitting by the bed when Isabella finally opened her eyes.

“Mom?” her voice was a fragile whisper.

“I’m here,” I said, taking her hand.

“Mommy’s here.”

“It hurts.”

“I know. I know, baby. But you’re safe now. The surgery went perfectly well. You’re going to be okay.”

“Mom… Chloe shot me, didn’t she?”

I tightened my grip on her hand. “It wasn’t an accident.”

“I saw her. She was smiling when she aimed at me. Mom, why would she do that to me?”

“Because someone taught her she could. I promise you, the person who taught her and the person who did it will both pay.”

“Pay how?”

“What do you want?”

Isabella looked at me, her eyes surprisingly clear. “I want her to know money can’t fix everything. When you do something wrong, you have to face the consequences.”

“I promise. She and her mother will get exactly what they deserve.”

While Isabella recovered, Alexandra’s world was rapidly collapsing.

“Mrs. Alexander Thornton?” a man in a cheap suit asked, standing on her luxurious front porch.

“That’s me,” Alexandra said, holding the door half-open.

“This is a formal bank repossession notice. Due to delinquent mortgage payments, the bank has decided to reclaim this property. You have exactly seventy-two hours to vacate.”

“How is this happening? This is impossible! The mortgage is automatically paid every single month! My husband said he handles all the bills!”

“Ma’am, all accounts under Mr. Simon Sterling, the primary account holder, were completely frozen three days ago. All linked loans, credit cards, and automatic payment agreements are now invalid. This property’s mortgage is three months overdue. The bank sent multiple notices and received absolutely no response.”

“No, no, you’re wrong. Check again. This has to be a mistake!”

“Ma’am, there is no mistake. These are official bank documents. You can see the full delinquency record and repossession process inside.”

Alexandra slammed the door and grabbed her phone. She dialed Simon’s number frantically.

“The number you have dialed is no longer in service.”

“Disconnected? How is it disconnected?” Alexandra panicked.

Chloe walked into the living room, her right arm in a heavy cast and sling.

“Mom, what happened?”

“He’s taking the house back. The bank is taking the house! Simon’s accounts are frozen. The loan isn’t paid.”

“What?”

“Why would he do this? He promised me! He said the house was in my name! He said even if the sky fell, he would never leave you and me on the street!”

“Mom,” Chloe said quietly. “I got expelled.”

Alexandra stared at her daughter. “What?”

“Permanent expulsion. And it is going on my permanent record. How am I supposed to live? People will point at me for the rest of my life. Mom, I can’t do this. Do something!”

“How is that possible? Your father said he handled the school…”

“He lied to us!” Chloe screamed, tears streaming down her face. “He made us homeless and now I’m expelled!”

“No. Didn’t he say he would take us away once he handled the family business?”

“He’s not coming! He’s never coming!” Chloe yelled, gesturing with her cast. “Look at me! Look at my hand! My hand is ruined! He won’t want a cripple like me!”

“Chloe. I’m sorry. Mommy is so sorry.”

“Mom, he played us. And if he wants to screw us over, then we screw him back.”

“Chloe, what are you talking about?”

“Mom, do you know what he’s most afraid of right now?” Chloe asked, a dark look crossing her young face.

“What?”

“Vermillion losing trust in him. If that happens, everything he did was for nothing.”

“Don’t do anything stupid.”

“Mom, I know now. He set it up so I’d notice Isabella at the archery club. If I’m willing to testify against him…”

“Chloe, are you insane? If you confess, expulsion will be the least of it. You could go to prison!”

“Mom, does my life look that different from prison right now? My hand is ruined. School is gone. The house is being taken. Dad abandoned us. What else do I have to lose?”

Chloe reached into her bag and pulled out a flash drive. “This has evidence of him moving Vermillion money into my personal account. With this, he’s done.”

“When did you…”

“The day he left us at the hospital, I knew he couldn’t be trusted. So, I kept the evidence, just in case this day came.”

“Chloe, why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“Because I still had a little hope. I thought he remembered I was his daughter. But now? Now I don’t hope for anything.”

“Fine,” Alexandra said, a bitter hatred replacing her panic.

“You’re right. That man deserves to burn. What do you want to do?”

“I’m going to Victoria.”

“What? You can’t! She’ll kill you!”

“She won’t. If she wanted me dead, she would have killed me at the hospital. She ruined my hand, but left me alive because she was avenging her daughter. She wants something bigger.”

“What does she want?”

“Simon’s life.”

The next evening, Chloe sat across from me in a quiet cafe.

“Thank you for coming,” she said, looking down at her cast.

“Don’t thank me. I only came to see what you wanted to show me.”

She pushed a manila envelope across the table.

“This has evidence that Simon deliberately pushed me into hurting Isabella. It also has the records of him transferring Vermillion funds into offshore accounts under my name.”

“Why give this to me?” I asked, watching her carefully.

“He lied to my mom about marrying her. Lied to me about making me Vermillion’s heir. Lied to you about being a good husband and father. All of this happened because of him. And now he wants to push you out and keep ruling. I won’t let him. My hand is ruined. The school expelled me. My mom has nothing left. And where is he? He never cared about us at all.”

She looked up at me, tears in her eyes.

“I’m not here begging for forgiveness. I almost killed your daughter. You won’t forgive me, and I’ll never forgive myself, either. But your daughter was right. Wrong choices have consequences. Not just for me. For Simon, too.”

“You know, handing this to me could send you to prison, too.”

“I know.”

“Aren’t you afraid?”

“My hand is already ruined. My life is already wrecked. What is there left to fear?”

“Does your mother know you’re here?”

“Don’t worry about her. Even if she disagrees, she can’t stop me.”

I picked up the envelope. “I already had most of this, but thank you. If it comes down to court testimony, you don’t have to go.”

“No. I’ll go. I want to put him away myself.” Chloe paused. “Victoria. How is Isabella?”

“She’s doing well. She’ll be discharged soon.”

“That’s good. I didn’t kill anyone.”

Friday night. The Vermillion family gathering.

The massive boardroom was packed with every captain and lieutenant in the syndicate. Simon stood at the head of the table, looking incredibly pleased with himself.

“Brothers,” Simon began, projecting his voice. “I called everyone here today because I have something very important to announce. As you all know, Victoria’s daughter recently had a terrible accident. It hit Victoria incredibly hard. She is emotionally unstable and has already made some highly irrational choices.”

“Simon is right,” Briggs agreed loudly. “Boss Victoria really hasn’t been herself lately.”

“I don’t want to do this,” Simon said, placing a hand over his heart. “But as acting head of the family, I have a duty to protect Vermillion’s interests. So, I propose that Victoria’s authority be temporarily revoked, and that I take full control until she recovers.”

He slid a heavy parchment document onto the center of the table.

“This is the official authorization document. Under Vermillion rules, if more than half the managers sign, full authority passes to the acting head. Brothers, sign it.”

The room was quiet. A few captains reached for their pens.

The heavy oak doors swung open.

I walked into the room, Marcus flanked to my right.

“I hear someone here wants to strip me of all my authority,” I said, my voice echoing off the wood-paneled walls.

“Honey, sweetheart, why are you here?” Simon asked, his fake smile faltering instantly. “We’re holding a family meeting.”

“A meeting about what? How I’m emotionally unstable? How I’m unfit to manage the family?”

I walked straight to the table and stared him down.

“Simon, before you say another word, think carefully. From this moment on, every word you say will be on record.”

“Honey, what are you doing? We’re family. Can’t we talk this through?”

“Family? Simon, when was I ever family to you?”

I turned to Marcus, who tossed a massive stack of banking records onto the table right over Simon’s authorization document.

“Good timing. I have something for you all to see.”

The captains leaned in. Briggs picked up the top page.

“What the hell is this?” Briggs gasped. “Forty-seven million? How is it that much?”

“Simon, explain this,” another captain demanded.

“It’s fake!” Simon yelled, panicking as he grabbed the papers. “Victoria, you forged this to frame me!”

“Simon, you used family money to support your bastard daughter?” Briggs roared, slamming his fist on the table.

“I… I didn’t. It’s forged! Victoria, you…”

“There’s more,” Marcus said, pulling out a small audio recorder.

“This… this isn’t real!” Simon stammered, looking around at the hostile faces of his men.

“These are forged documents! I know what this is. Victoria is colluding with the Belmont family. She wants to destroy me!”

“Get your facts straight,” I said coldly.

“You’re the one who hid two Middle East arms deals from the family when they took your money. I was the one who cleaned up your mess. And you forged evidence claiming I had an affair, claiming I betrayed Vermillion. You tried to pull me down, and you even went after your own daughter.”

I leaned over the table, my face inches from his.

“Simon, your biggest problem isn’t that you’re greedy. It’s that you’re greedy and stupid.”

“Simon, you son of a bitch!” Briggs shouted, drawing his weapon.

“You used family money for your woman and your bastard, then framed Boss Victoria?”

“Forty-seven million!” another yelled.

“Do you know how long that could feed the brothers?”

“Simon, what do you have to say for yourself?”

“Under Vermillion rules, betraying the family and embezzling funds,” I asked the room. “What is the punishment?”

“Expulsion from the family. All assets seized,” Marcus recited perfectly. “If it rises to betrayal, the family code applies.”

“You! You ungrateful bastards!” Simon screamed, completely losing his mind. “Who has been running this family all those years? Who has been paying you? Me, Simon!”

He turned his crazed eyes to me.

“Victoria, you think you’ve won? I still have people in this family. You think they all answer to you?”

“Your people?” I laughed.

“I get it. It was you! You set this up from the beginning, just waiting to laugh at me. You poisonous…”

“Blame your own character,” I interrupted him.

“Do you know who exposed the accounts you used to move the money? Your precious daughter, Chloe.”

Simon froze.

“That’s impossible.”

“When your own child turns on you, that’s a special kind of failure.”

I nodded to Marcus.

“Do it.”

Marcus and two guards stepped forward, grabbing Simon by the arms.

“You, don’t come any closer!” Simon shrieked, struggling against their grip.

“Victoria, honey, I was wrong! I really was. Give me one chance. I’m Isabella’s father! You can’t do this to me!”

“So, you remember you’re Isabella’s father?” I asked, my voice devoid of any emotion. “You had someone shoot an arrow through her chest. The tip missed her heart by two millimeters. She almost died. Do you understand that?”

“I didn’t mean to! I just… I just wanted to make Vermillion stronger! To protect you better!”

“Protect us? Were you protecting us when you used family money to keep your mistress? When you promised succession to your bastard daughter? When you spread lies that I betrayed Vermillion? Simon, stop making excuses.”

I turned to the guards.

“Throw him out. He is never to return. Seize every asset under his name and hand him over to the court.”

“No! Don’t hand me to the police!” Simon begged, tears streaming down his face.

“Victoria, please! I don’t want to go to prison!”

“You don’t get a choice.”

“Victoria, you can’t do this to me! I’m your husband! I’m Isabella’s father! You can’t let me go! Do you know who I am? I’m Simon! I run Vermillion!”

“Not anymore.”

As they dragged him screaming from the room, he looked back at Marcus.

“Marcus! For all the years Victoria left Vermillion in my hands, you followed me, too! And this is how you treat me?”

Marcus didn’t even blink. “Simon, I never followed you. I followed Boss Victoria, always.”

Two weeks later, the courtroom was packed.

“Mrs. Thorne, please tell the court whether Simon Sterling instructed your daughter, Chloe Thorne, to intentionally harm Isabella Sterling,” the prosecutor asked.

Alexandra sat in the witness stand, looking broken and exhausted.

“Yes,” she said quietly. “The night before it happened, he called me and said if Isabella got hurt, Victoria would lose control. He said it was his only chance to take back Vermillion.”

“She’s lying! She’s insane!” Simon screamed from the defense table, wearing an orange jumpsuit. “She’s doing this to get back at me! They’re all in this together!”

“The defendant will remain silent,” the judge ordered, banging his gavel.

“My daughter is willing to testify,” Alexandra added.

Chloe took the stand next, holding up her right hand in the heavy cast. She looked Simon dead in the eye and laid out every single detail of his plan, presenting the financial records and the audio recordings.

“You ruined my hand, my future, my mother’s life, and you hurt Isabella all for your own ambition,” Chloe said to him from the stand.

A few hours later, the jury returned.

“As to the defendant, Simon Sterling,” the foreman read aloud. “Aggravated assault, guilty. Solicitation of a minor to commit a crime, guilty. Financial fraud, guilty. Money laundering, guilty. Attempted first-degree murder, guilty.”

The judge looked down at Simon with absolute disgust.

“Simon Sterling, this court sentences you to thirty years in prison with absolutely no possibility of parole.”

“Thirty years? Thirty years?” Simon screamed as the bailiffs grabbed him. “Victoria, Isabella is my daughter, too! I didn’t mean to hurt her! You can’t do this to me!”

I stood up in the gallery, looking down at him.

“When you designed all of this,” I asked softly, “did you remember she was your daughter?”

Outside the courthouse, the sun was shining brightly.

Isabella was standing next to me, leaning slightly on Rafael, who was grinning like a fool.

“It’s finally over,” I sighed.

“What are you thinking about?” Rafael asked.

“That it’s finally over.”

“Was it worth it?”

“Yes. Isabella survived. Simon got exactly what he deserved. Vermillion is back on track.”

“And you?” Rafael pressed, stepping closer.

“What about me?”

“May I finally have the honor of getting your answer?”

“Rafael, shut up,” I smiled, grabbing the lapels of his suit.

“Kiss me.”

Isabella laughed, covering her eyes.

“Mom, you look beautiful. I hope you’re happy this time.”

“We all will be,” Rafael said, wrapping an arm around me.

“I’ll take good care of her.”

And for the first time in years, I actually believed it.