Chapter 3

The next morning, I woke up to a violent wave of nausea.

I collapsed over the toilet, throwing up sour fluid mixed with streaks of blood. When I finally stood up, my vision blurred into a gray haze for a terrifying few seconds.

I knew my time was slipping away faster than expected.

I forced myself to clean up and went downstairs. Julian was sitting at the dining table, sipping his coffee.

Seeing me, he actually spoke first—a rare occurrence lately.

"This afternoon, I need you to sign over your shares in the Southside Heights Redevelopment Project."

My footsteps halted. I stared at him in disbelief.

The Southside Heights project was my blood, sweat, and tears for the past three years. It was my ultimate professional achievement, built on sleepless nights.

"Why?" I managed to ask.

Julian set his coffee cup down, his tone entirely casual.

"Blair wants to learn how to manage a business. She doesn’t have any experience, and the Southside project is already running smoothly. It's the perfect training ground for her."

"To compensate you, I’ll have fifty million dollars wired to your personal account."

He wanted to hand over my life's work to his darling Blair as a plaything?

I walked over, leaning my hands on the table, staring intensely into his handsome face.

"Julian, do you think my life and my hard work exist solely to pave the road for Blair Sterling?"

Julian’s brow snapped together. My resistance clearly annoyed him.

"Sera, be realistic. Blair is all alone in this city with no family to support her. As her older brother figure, it's my duty to look after her. You're already Mrs. Vance. You have everything you could ever want. Why are you greedily hoarding a single project?"

"Older brother figure?" I let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "What kind of 'brother' gifts a forty-million-dollar romantic necklace to his 'sister' at a public gala? What kind of 'brother' robs his own wife to give to another woman?"

"Bam!"

Julian slammed his hand on the table and stood up, his expression dark and menacing.

"Sera, don't push your luck! You will sign those shares over whether you like it or not! You don't call the shots in this family!"

He grabbed his suit jacket, turned on his heel, and slammed the front door as he stormed out.

The deafening sound vibrated through my ears, and a sharp, agonizing pain erupted in my brain.

I collapsed onto the floor, cold sweat instantly soaking through my shirt.

My vision plunged into pitch darkness.

This time, the darkness lasted for ten agonizing minutes.

When light finally crawled back into my eyes, I looked around the massive, empty mansion and let out a soft, hollow laugh.

Tears streamed down my cheeks.

"Julian, you want to give her everything, don't you? You want to strip me bare for her?"

"Fine. I’ll let you."

I pulled out my phone and dialed my lawyer.

"Arthur, prepare a divorce agreement for me. Also, liquidate all the assets under my personal name. Sell them immediately, even if it's below market value."

"Yes. As fast as possible."