Chapter 17 - The Final Confrontation
After the press conference, as the crowd dispersed in a buzz of excitement, Vanessa intercepted Lucas near his armored SUV. She was trembling with rage, the polished veneer of the high-society publicist completely shattered.
"You think you’re so clever, Lucas," she hissed, grabbing his arm.
Lucas looked down at her hand with such cold disgust that she immediately let go.
"You cost me everything," Vanessa spat, her voice cracking. "My firm is losing clients because of the rumors about our breakup. People are starting to ask questions about why you threw me out."
"You cost yourself everything, Vanessa," Lucas replied smoothly. "You entered my home and tried to abuse my child. You thought my grief made me weak. But you misunderstood the nature of my love for my family. It doesn't make me vulnerable. It makes me dangerous to anyone who threatens them."
"I could have made you greater," she whispered, a desperate, final attempt at manipulation. "We were the perfect power couple."
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"I am already great," Lucas said softly. "Because I am the father to an extraordinary little girl. And she will never, ever have to share her home with a monster like you."
He turned his back on her, climbing into the SUV. He didn't look back as the car pulled away, leaving Vanessa standing alone on the gravel, her ambitions entirely reduced to dust.
