Chapter 10 - The Sovereign Heir
Six months later.
The storm had finally cleared. David Vance was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder, identity theft, and corporate treason. Vanessa, having cooperated fully with federal authorities, surrendered her assets and left New York forever under a deferred prosecution agreement.
The morning sun poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the top-floor corner office at Ashford Capital.
I stood behind the massive polished mahogany desk—the very desk where David Vance had once sat believing he owned the world. On the wall behind me hung a stunning portrait of our family: Julian, myself, and tiny Noah.
Julian walked into the office carrying two hot cups of coffee. He placed one on my desk and wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder as we looked out over the Manhattan skyline.
“The board officially ratified the restructuring this morning,” Julian whispered softly, his breath warm against my neck. “Ashford Capital is officially held in an irrevocable trust for Noah.”
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I turned in his arms, smiling as I pulled him close. “And who is managing the trust until he turns twenty-one?”
Julian smiled, his deep blue eyes filled with endless warmth and admiration. “The Chairwoman of the Board. The woman who walked into a divorce firm with an eleven-day-old baby and brought down a fake empire in forty-eight hours.”
