Chapter 13 - The Alliance of Ice and FireVivian Sterling sneered, looking down her nose at Serena.
“So this is the little opportunist who took my disgraced former son-in-law's place,” Vivian hissed, her voice dripping with venom. “You think a cheap blazer and a temporary nanny contract makes you a match for our family? Daniel was just a pawn. We built the foundations of this city, and we will tear down anyone who thinks they can rewrite our legacy.”
Vittorio didn't raise his voice, but the air around him grew dangerously heavy.
“Get off my property before I have security throw you through the iron gates,” Vittorio said, each word spaced out with lethal precision.
Vivian glared at them both, a bitter, twisted smile touching her lips. “Enjoy your little domestic fantasy while it lasts, Rinaldi. The trust fund isn’t legally secure yet. And the board of directors meets on Monday.”
She turned on her heel, her Louboutin heels clicking sharply against the stone steps as she marched back toward her idling limousine.
Serena exhaled a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. She turned to Vittorio, her brow furrowing with concern. “What did she mean about the trust fund and the board of directors?”
“When Elena died, her family tried to claim her personal corporate shares through an archaic family trust clause,” Vittorio explained, his jaw tight as he closed the heavy front door and locked the deadbolts. “They claim that if I remarry or bring an ‘unqualified guardian’ into the estate, full control of the Rinaldi-Sterling holdings reverts to their corporate committee.”
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Serena stared at him. “They’re trying to stage a corporate takeover of your empire using a custody loophole?”
“They are trying to destroy everything I've built,” Vittorio corrected, turning his intense gaze onto Serena. “Which means they will target you, and they will target Lucia.”
