Chapter 22 - THE SHATTERED MASK
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Victoria’s mask of composure shattered into a thousand jagged pieces. The dark malice that usually lurked beneath her pristine socialite persona spilled out into the open.
“So what if I did?” Victoria spat, her voice dropping all sweet pretenses, suddenly sharp and filled with acid. “That miserable brat takes up all your time! You look at him and see his dead mother, Marcus! You were supposed to marry me! We were supposed to build an empire together, but you spent every evening holding a crying baby instead of looking at me!”
Marcus stared at her as if looking at a monster disguised in silk. He held his sleeping son tighter against his chest, shielding the infant's face from her sight.
“Get off my property,” Marcus said, his voice flat, dangerously quiet, and absolute.
“You can’t throw me out like a dog!” Victoria screamed, her fingers curling into claws. “My father controls half the shares in your shipping firm! If you kick me out, I will ruin you! I will take everything you own!”
Marcus stepped forward, his eyes blazing with a dark, primal rage that made Victoria instantly flinch back.
“If you are not off this estate in three minutes, I won't just ruin your father's shares—I will give this video footage directly to the District Attorney,” Marcus hissed, leaning close enough for her to feel the heat of his anger. “Attempted murder of an infant. Let’s see how your father’s money handles a federal prison sentence.”
Victoria gasped, her face turning as white as a bedsheet. She realized, with sickening horror, that she had lost completely.
May you like
Without another word, she spun on her metallic heels and stormed toward the driveway, her emerald gown dragging through the wet grass as her angry footsteps faded into the dark.
Marcus stood alone under the blaring pool lights, the heavy weight of his catastrophic mistake finally crashing down upon his shoulders.
