Chapter 4 - Shattered Diamond
The silence that followed those two words was absolute. It was as if all the oxygen had been vacuumed out of the room. Outside, dark storm clouds were beginning to gather over the Atlantic coast, dimming the bright light of the solarium into an ominous, steel-grey gloom.
Victoria’s jaw dropped. "What... what did you just say?"
Julian reached inside his jacket, pulled out his bespoke phone, and dialed a single number. He placed it on speaker.
"Vance Security, Captain Miller speaking," a crisp, militaristic voice answered on the first ring.
"Miller," Julian commanded, his eyes locked on Victoria’s widening pupils. "I want Miss Sterling’s access codes to the main house, the gatehouse, and the city penthouse revoked within the next sixty seconds. Escort her personal vehicle to the front gate. If she attempts to take anything other than the clothes on her back, treat her as an intruder."
"Understood, Mr. Vance. On our way."
The call clicked off.
"You can't do this!" Victoria lunged forward, trying to grab Julian’s lapels, but he caught her wrist in mid-air with an iron grip that made her wince. "We have a contract! Our families have business mergers dependent on this alliance! My father controls the mid-Atlantic shipping lanes, Julian! You break this engagement, and he will crush your supply chain!"
Julian’s lips curled into a cold, terrifying smirk that sent a shudder through everyone present.
"Let him try," Julian whispered, leaning down so close that Victoria could feel the cold precision of his breath against her cheek. "Tell Marcus Sterling that by nine o’clock tomorrow morning, Vance Capital will short Sterling Energy into the dirt. And if he asks why his family’s stock is trading for pennies, tell him it's because his daughter thought she could wield a broomstick like a street thug in my house."
He released her wrist with a flick of disgust, as though he had touched something contaminated.
"Take off the ring."
Victoria pulled her hand back, clutching the massive, flawless five-carat cushion-cut diamond that sparkled mockingly on her left ring finger. It was worth nearly a million dollars—a symbol of the status she had craved her entire life.
"No," she snarled, tears of humiliated rage finally spilling down her mascara-stained cheeks. "You gave this to me! It belongs to me!"
"Remove it," Julian said, his voice dropping an octave, terrifying in its absolute finality. "Or I will have Miller remove it for you."
Shaking with hysterical fury, Victoria yanked the platinum band from her finger. She didn't hand it to him. In a last, desperate act of petulance, she hurled the diamond directly at Clara’s feet.
"You think you won, you little rat?" Victoria hissed at Clara, her voice trembling with venomous spite. "You think you're going to crawl into his bed now? You're a maid! You will always be garbage! And Julian—you will regret this day for the rest of your miserable life!"
The heavy mahogany doors flew open again, and four armed private security guards in sharp black suits filed into the room, led by Captain Miller.
"Miss Sterling," Miller said without a shred of emotion. "This way."
May you like
Victoria glared at Julian, then at Eleanor, and finally burned a look of pure, murderous hatred into Clara’s face before storming out between the guards, the clack of her heels echoing furiously through the corridors until the heavy front doors slammed shut.
***
