Chapter 3 - The Ghost from the Past"Elena... Elena Vance?" A trembling voice cut through the stunned crowd.
An elderly man in a bespoke tuxedo pushed his way through the circle of guests. It was Arthur Pendelton, the legendary senior partner of Pendelton & Associates law firm, and a founding board member of our family's conglomerate. When his eyes locked onto mine, his expression turned to one of profound shock and reverence. He dropped his cane, rushing forward to bow slightly. "My God... we thought you perished in that yacht explosion five years ago. The corporate world mourned you."
"I survived, Arthur," I said, my gaze shifting back to Preston, who looked as though he had just seen a ghost. Because, in a way, he had.
Five years ago, I had been Elena Vance, a fierce corporate titan before I stepped back, fell in love with an ordinary man, and chose a quiet life away from the cutthroat cameras. After my husband passed away, I raised Sophie away from the wealth, wanting her to know humility, kindness, and hard work. I took a low-profile job under my maiden name just to oversee this luxury hotel's vendor contracts—completely unaware that the pompous, cruel executive managing this branch was none other than Preston Thornton, the man who had embezzled funds from my charity trust fund years ago.
"Preston," Arthur Pendelton turned, his voice shaking with righteous fury. "You dared to assault the only daughter of the Vance estate? You threw a wooden board at a child?"
"I didn't know!" Preston sobbed, falling to his knees as his grand facade completely crumbled. "She looked like a beggar! They were dressed in cheap clothes! How was I supposed to know she was a Vance?!"
May you like
"So if she had been the child of a commoner, your violence would have been acceptable?" I asked, stepping forward until I towered over him. "Is that your philosophy as a corporate leader? That the weak deserve to be beaten?"
Flashbulbs suddenly blinded us. Several tech-savvy wedding guests had been live-streaming the entire exchange on social media. Within minutes, the hashtag #ThorntonWeddingAssault began trending globally.
