Chapter 10
1736words
That little girl who always smiled and tried to please everyone would wake up startled in the middle of the night, repeatedly checking if the doors and windows were locked, and unconsciously hide her toys in the most concealed corners. She lived in a false world woven by her mother, and her young heart had become the most innocent sacrifice to this lie.
The doctor's words still echoed in his ears, cutting through Marcus's shell of self-deception. "Dr. Shaw, Celeste's fears stem from her insecurity. She believes that the way to maintain a relationship is through constant sacrifice and concealment, because that's how her mother taught her."
Beside the report, there was another document delivered by the private investigator, detailing Cassandra's "lifestyle" over these years. From suggestive emails with opera house sponsors to intimate photos with Julian Thorne during overseas vacations, each item nailed him to the pillar of shame. He even saw how Cassandra had used her position as the academy's heir to coldly reject one talented but unconnected applicant after another, including Anya Petrova.
His heart was already dead, leaving only a numb pain and a resolute feeling of release. Marcus picked up the phone, dialed his lawyer's number, his voice terrifyingly calm: "Initiate divorce proceedings. I demand full custody of Celeste, immediately."
This model marriage of the Upper East Side was silently coming to an end, starting with internal cracks, finally collapsing completely.
And on the other end of the marriage, Julian was clearing obstacles for his new life in an even more cruel way. He needed an impeccable divorce, one that would allow him to legally claim Serafina's family's trust fund. To achieve this goal, he needed a perfect "reason," a scandal that would leave her defenseless.
It was under these circumstances that Elena was brought to an abandoned dock by the Hudson River. Two men in black suits pushed her out of the car. Her high heels sank into the muddy ground, and her face was filled with terror.
Julian stood at the end of the dock, with his back to her, his silhouette appearing particularly cold in the dim light. At his feet was a small, curled-up figure—Maya. The girl's eyes were blindfolded, her mouth sealed with tape, only able to make muffled crying sounds.
"Mr. Thorne..." Elena's voice trembled uncontrollably as she scrambled forward, only to be blocked by the bodyguards.
"You're a smart woman, Elena," Julian turned around, his face devoid of any expression. "You know why I've brought you here."
Elena looked at her daughter, tears and fear making it almost impossible for her to breathe. "I don't know anything, please, let Maya go, she knows nothing!"
"I know that you know," Julian paced in front of her, wiping the dirt from her face with a handkerchief, his movements as gentle as a lover's, but his words colder than the river water. "I know you pushed Anya down to secure a place at Vanguard Academy for your daughter. A fair trade, wasn't it?"
Elena's body suddenly stiffened, the color draining completely from her face. This secret—she thought no one would ever know.
"However, I'm not interested in that," Julian chuckled lightly, tossing the handkerchief into the river. "I'm interested in Serafina. I need you to do something simple—testify against her, say you saw her having an improper relationship with her hacker lover Logan."
"No... I can't..." Elena shook her head desperately. "She is my friend, she helped me..."
"Friend?" Julian said. "The one who treated you like a chess piece, who exploited your poverty and ambition to attack her enemies? Don't be naive, Elena, in her eyes, you're no different from this mud beneath my feet."
He bent down and grabbed Maya's chin, forcing the little girl to look up. "Your daughter is lovely, as beautiful as her mother. But this dock is slippery, and if she accidentally falls into the river, I think there won't be a second person as lucky as Cassandra."
These words completely shattered Elena's last psychological defense. Looking at her daughter trembling in Julian's hands, the life she would give anything to protect, she finally collapsed to the ground.
"I'll do it." She squeezed these words through her clenched teeth, each syllable filled with humiliation and pain. "I'm willing to do anything, please, don't hurt her."
Julian's face showed a satisfied smile. He snapped his fingers, and the bodyguard immediately released Maya. The little girl cried and threw herself into her mother's arms, while Elena held her daughter, her body feeling cold. She knew that from this moment on, she had sold her soul.
Two days later, in a conference room of a top law firm in Midtown Manhattan, Serafina and Julian sat facing each other. The cold atmosphere was permeated with the scent of paper and money, while Serafina's lawyer and his team wore serious expressions, creating a depressing atmosphere.
"According to the evidence provided by Mr. Thorne, Mrs. Vanderbilt has engaged in infidelity during the marriage, severely damaging the foundation of trust between the spouses." Julian's lawyer, a man with an oily face and powdered complexion, read the accusations with a rhythmic intonation. "According to Article 17, Section 3 of the prenuptial agreement, the party at fault shall have no right to divide any marital property, and must relinquish any claims to the family trust fund of their spouse."
Serafina watched Julian expressionlessly as he was admiring her reaction with the posture of a victor.
"Evidence?" she asked coldly. "I'd like to see what lies Julian has fabricated this time."
"We certainly have evidence." Julian's lawyer pushed his glasses up and said to someone outside the door, "Please bring in the witness."
The conference room door was pushed open, and the person who walked in was Elena Vance.
She was dressed in a tasteful business suit with exquisite makeup, but her face was as pale as paper. She dared not look at Serafina, her gaze drifting to the wall behind Serafina.
Serafina's heart didn't feel pain at that moment, only a kind of confirmed nausea. She had known all along, ever since that DNA report. But she hadn't expected this drama of betrayal would be staged in such a public and humiliating manner.
"Ms. Vance," Julian's lawyer guided her, "please tell everyone present everything you witnessed."
Elena took a deep breath, as if using all her strength. Her voice was soft, with a hint of feigned trembling. "I... I saw Serafina with a man several times. At her apartment, and in some very private places, their behavior... was very intimate, not like ordinary friends."
"Who was that man?"
"His name is Logan," Elena closed her eyes, as if unable to bear uttering that name, "he is a hacker."
The lie spread throughout the room. Serafina looked at her, at this woman she once thought was an ally, this murderer who killed her daughter, who was now driving another knife deep into her chest. She couldn't refute it, because once she denied it, Julian would inevitably use all his power to investigate Logan, and her entire plan to avenge Anya would be ruined.
She had to protect Logan, he was her sword. To keep this sword sharp enough, she was willing to bear any cost.
"Enough." She interrupted this absurd performance.
She picked up the pen on the table, turned to the last page of the divorce agreement, and decisively wrote her name at the place requiring her signature: Serafina Vanderbilt. The ink spread on the paper.
After signing, she stood up, without looking at anyone, and walked straight out of the conference room. At the end of the corridor was a huge floor-to-ceiling window. The sunlight outside was dazzling, yet she felt herself falling into endless darkness.
That evening, the lobby of Paradise Tower was transformed into an ocean of celebration. Countless reporters and celebrities gathered here, with camera flashes as bright as daylight.
Julian Thorne stood in the center of the crowd, triumphant. He had just ended a marriage that was worthless to him and successfully seized the Vanderbilt family trust fund worth billions of dollars. Now, it was time for him to display his trophy.
"Thank you all for coming tonight," his voice carried throughout the entire hall through the microphone. "Today, I not only want to share my success in business, but also announce a decision that is incredibly important to me personally."
He turned around and extended his hand to Cassandra who was standing nearby. Cassandra was wearing a fire-red evening gown; she had just freed herself from her unsatisfying husband Marcus and was ready to embrace a broader world.
Julian knelt on one knee, opening a velvet box that contained a huge pink diamond that radiated brilliance.
"Cassandra Sterling, will you marry me?"
The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers and applause. Cassandra extended her finger, allowing Julian to place the ring that symbolized supreme power and wealth on it, then the two shared a passionate kiss under the flashing lights.
Not far behind them, Elena held a glass of champagne, with a slightly stiff smile on her face. She had gotten what she wanted; Julian had promised to invest in her real estate company, and Maya's future was now secure.
A brand new interest group, built on money, power, and betrayal, was officially established at the peak of New York. They are the victors, the conquerors who climbed to the top by stepping on others' corpses and dignity.
And Serafina, Serafina Vanderbilt, stripped of the wealth bestowed by her surname, was driven out of her own home. Serafina's car slowly drove away from Paradise Tower. In the rearview mirror, Serafina gazed at that brilliantly lit building.
Serafina looked at them with no sadness in her heart, only cold determination. The USB drive was in her pocket, and "she" was already on her way.
Julian waved triumphantly to the media, with Cassandra beaming beside him, while Elena stood quietly behind them like a loyal handmaid, sharing in this dirty glory.
