Chapter 1: The Verdict on the Steps
Chapter 1: The Verdict on the Steps
The heavy, measured footsteps echoed like a gavel striking wood in an empty courtroom. Alexander Sterling, the elusive billionaire whose name alone could freeze Wall Street, stopped on the final marble step.
Vivian’s shrill laughter abruptly died in her throat. Her meticulously manicured finger, still hovering inches from Maya’s face, suddenly looked less like a weapon and more like a foolish mistake. Maya, the maid in the simple black-and-white uniform, stood her ground, her body shielding the trembling, elderly woman curled on the floor—Alexander’s grandmother, who suffered from severe dementia.
"Alexander, darling!" Vivian’s voice pitched an octave higher, dripping with a sugary sweetness that clashed horribly with the venom she had just spewed. "This... this help was just disrespecting me. I was simply putting her in her place."
Alexander didn’t look at his fiancée. His piercing gray eyes locked onto Maya, noting her flushed cheeks, her trembling hands, and the fierce, unyielding set of her jaw. Then, his gaze shifted to his grandmother, who was clinging to the hem of Maya’s apron for dear life.
"I saw everything from the mezzanine, Vivian," Alexander’s voice was dangerously quiet. "I saw you try to yank the heirloom necklace from my grandmother’s neck. And I saw the only person in this house brave enough to stop you."
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Vivian’s face drained of color. "Alex, it’s not what it looks—"
"You’re done," he interrupted, the finality in his tone echoing through the grand foyer. "Leave the ring on the console. Security will escort you out."
