Chapter 5 - The Ultimate Humiliation
The eviction from the mansion had been a public spectacle. Paparazzi, tipped off by an "anonymous source" (Sophia Sterling always was thorough), had photographed Victoria Vance screaming at the movers as her designer bags were tossed onto the sidewalk.
Paige, realizing the private jets and shopping sprees were over, had packed her bags and left Dominic the very next morning. She didn't even leave a note.
Desperate to save whatever was left of his dignity, Dominic begged Sophia for a final meeting with the majority shareholder to negotiate a buyout of his remaining 38% stake. He needed cash to pay off his mounting legal fees and personal debts.
Sophia agreed to a meeting at her high-rise law firm in Los Angeles.
When Dominic and Victoria walked into the glass-walled conference room, they looked like ghosts of their former selves. Dominic’s suit was wrinkled, and he had dark circles under his eyes. Victoria looked haggard, her roots showing, clutching a cheap purse.
They sat at the far end of the long table, waiting anxiously for the mysterious billionaire who had destroyed their lives to walk through the door.
The heavy oak doors swung open.
I walked into the room wearing a sharp, tailored white Tom Ford suit, my hair perfectly styled, my posture radiating absolute authority. Julian walked in right behind me, his hand resting supportively on the small of my back, before taking a seat to my right.
Dominic’s eyes widened in sheer, unadulterated shock. He actually stopped breathing.
“Audrey?” he choked out, his voice cracking.
Victoria gripped the edge of the table, her face turning a sickly shade of gray.
I took my seat at the head of the table, opening a leather portfolio without so much as blinking.
“Let’s keep this brief, Dominic. I have a flight back to New York in two hours,” I said, my voice smooth and indifferent.
“Audrey, please,” Dominic begged, tears welling in his eyes. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. If I had known about the money, I would have—”
“You would have treated me like a human being?” I cut him off, my gaze piercing straight through his pathetic facade. “You just proved exactly why I hid it. You didn’t love me. You loved what I could provide. And now, I provide nothing.”
I slid a contract across the table. “I’m buying your remaining shares for exactly ten dollars. In exchange, I won’t sue you for the millions you embezzled to buy your mistress jewelry. Sign it, or my lawyers will see you in federal court.”
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Dominic’s hands shook violently as he picked up the pen. He had no choice. He signed his entire legacy away.
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