Chapter 3: The Threat of the Empire
Chapter 3: The Threat of the Empire
"Touch her, Victoria, and I will dissolve our marriage by sunrise," Charles said, his voice dropping into a dangerous, icy register that made even his wife freeze.
Victoria turned around, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You wouldn't dare. Your entire logistical supply chain is backed by my family's line of credit. If you divorce me, my father will pull our assets from your shipping ports within twenty-four hours. You’ll be ruined by next week, Charles!"
"Then let it burn," Charles said, walking past her to stand directly beside Maya. He looked down at the young girl, his heart breaking at the sight of the bruised cheek his own lifestyle had caused. "For fifteen years, I’ve played the part of the perfect, submissive husband to protect this company. I let my father dictate my soul. But I will not let you touch my daughter."
Maya looked at Charles, her defenses fracturing slightly at the raw sincerity in his voice. But the years of hardship had made her cautious. "I don't need your protection, Mr. Beaumont. I can leave on my own."
"Dominic," Charles commanded, ignoring his wife’s furious gasps. "Take Maya to the penthouse suite at the Plaza Hotel. Ensure she has the best medical attention for that injury. Put a standard executive security detail on her floor. No one enters without my personal authorization. Not even her." He pointed a sharp finger at Victoria.
"Yes, Mr. Beaumont," Dominic replied, bowing his head respectfully to Maya before opening the service door to escort her out of the estate.
Once Maya was gone, Victoria turned on Charles like a tempest. "You are insane! You’re going to throw away everything we’ve built for a illegitimate bastard from the slums? What about our social standing? What about the charity boards? What about our son, Julian?"
At the mention of their fourteen-year-old son, Charles’s expression softened with pain, but his resolve remained steel. "Julian will always be my son, Victoria. He will always have his inheritance. But Maya has a right to her name. Tomorrow morning, I am calling a press conference. I am going to publicly acknowledge Maya as my eldest daughter and legal heir to the Beaumont operational shares."
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Victoria’s face drained of color. "My father will destroy you for this, Charles. He will make sure you have nothing left to give her."
"Let him try," Charles whispered, walking out of the lounge and leaving his wife alone in the shadows of her own fading empire.
