Chapter 6 - THE STITCHED WOUNDS
Two weeks later, Olivia sat in the sunlit study of her newly acquired Tribeca penthouse. The floor-to-ceiling windows framed a breathtaking, uninterrupted view of the Hudson River. The autumn light caught the soft wool of her cream cashmere sweater as she gently stroked her rounding belly.
The twins were active today, moving in rhythmic, reassuring pulses.
A soft chime sounded at the private elevator foyer. Moments later, Marcus Vance stepped into the room, holding a thick leather briefcase.
"The transition of the server infrastructure is complete," Marcus said, setting the briefcase on the oak desk. "Hayes Vision’s board has officially voted to dissolve the corporate entity. Without our IP, the remaining assets are being liquidated to pay off their mounting debts."
Olivia didn't look up from her tea. "And Liam?"
"He moved out of the penthouse yesterday," Marcus said, his tone devoid of pity. "Khloe left him the second the credit cards were frozen. She’s currently in Miami trying to salvage her Instagram career. As for Liam... he’s renting a small, furnished studio apartment in Queens."
Olivia paused, the porcelain cup hovering inches from her lips.
Queens.
The irony was poetic, almost too neat for real life.
"Did he try to contact you?" Olivia asked quietly.
"He camped out in the lobby of my office building for three hours yesterday," Marcus replied, sitting in the armchair across from her. "He looked terrible, Olivia. Unshaven, wearing the same suit he wore at the Plaza. He begged me to set up a meeting. He said he just wanted to explain."
Olivia set her teacup down. The sound was soft against the saucer, but it carried the absolute finality of a gavel dropping.
"There’s nothing to explain, Marcus," she said, her voice steady and clear. "When we lived in that two-room apartment in Queens, we shared everything. I thought we were building a future together. But men like Liam don't build futures; they build stages to perform on. When the stage got bigger, he wanted a newer prop."
Marcus nodded slowly, watching her with deep respect. "What do you want to do with the remaining liquidation funds from Hayes Vision?"
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Olivia rested both hands gently on her stomach, feeling the familiar, grounding kick of her children.
"Put it into a trust," she said. "A venture fund exclusively dedicated to backing female founders and inventors who start with nothing in cramped apartments, and don't have wealthy grandparents to bail them out. Let’s build something real this time."
