Chapter 3

Stella Vance POV

The Vance Estate, Atlantic City.

This place used to be my home. Now, it was my prison.

I curled up on the cold floor, my stomach cramping painfully.

I hadn't eaten a bite at the gala, and the emotional trauma had left me so weak that a strong breeze could have blown me away.

The door clicked open.

Julian walked in, bringing the chilly night air with him.

He loosened his tie and looked down at me with cold indifference.

"Get up," he commanded.

I didn't move. I didn't even have the strength to open my eyes.

Julian frowned, walked over, hauled me off the floor, and threw me onto the bed.

"Stop playing dead." He pulled a document from his coat and tossed it onto my face. "Sign it."

The sharp edge of the paper sliced my cheek, leaving a thin trail of blood.

I numbly picked up the paper. When I read the title, my blood ran cold.

Equity Transfer Agreement.

He wanted me to sign over the Rubik's Casino, the last and most symbolic property of the Vance family, to Eva Sterling for free.

"The Rubik is my mother's legacy." I snapped, my dead eyes finally flashing with anger. "Julian, you have already taken everything from the Vance family. Why do you have to steal the last memory of my mother?"

The Rubik's Casino was designed by my late mother. Every inch of it held my most precious memories.

Julian smiled at my rage.

He leaned down and gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear, his touch so tender it felt mocking.

"Because Eva likes it," he whispered, each word piercing my heart. "Her birthday is next month. I think the Rubik makes a perfect gift."

"I won't sign!" I ripped the paper in half, my body trembling. "In your dreams, Julian!"

Julian didn't get angry.

He sat on the edge of the bed, his fingers trailing down my pale cheek.

"Stella, you're still so stubborn," he sighed, like a parent dealing with a spoiled child. "But what cards do you have left to play? Your braindead father in the ICU, or your ridiculous pride?"

My heart sank further with every word.

"The hospital called this afternoon. Your father's condition is worsening. He needs an expensive experimental drug," Julian whispered in my ear, his warm breath sending chills down my spine. "One hundred thousand dollars a shot. Stella, what do you think the hospital will do if I don't authorize the payment?"

I froze.

I stared at him, trying to find a trace of the boy who used to fight street punks just to protect me.

There was nothing.

The Julian Thorne in front of me was a monster.

"What do you want from me?" I closed my eyes in defeat, tears spilling over.

"I told you. Sign." Julian pulled an identical copy of the contract from his briefcase, along with a pen, and held them out to me.

No physical violence.

But he knew exactly where to strike to crush my soul.

I took the pen with trembling fingers.

The tip felt as heavy as lead.

I signed my name, burying my mother's last legacy with my own hands.

Julian took the paper, satisfied.

"See? That wasn't so hard." He adjusted his suit jacket to leave.

At the door, he paused without turning back. "Eva is visiting the Rubik tomorrow. As the former owner, you will be her tour guide. Don't make her unhappy."

The door slammed shut, plunging the room back into silence.

I hugged my knees and wept in the dark. My pride and my dignity had been ground into dust by his web of hatred.