Chapter 10 - The Unbreakable Dynasty
Three months later.
The summer sun beamed down on the rolling green estate of the Hart family mansion. The scandal that had rocked the business world was finally settling. Flynn Vance had pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges and was serving a fifteen-year sentence in maximum-security prison. Marcus Vance was facing twenty-five.
Vance Enterprises had been officially rebranded as Hart Global. Under my leadership, stock prices had reached an all-time high, and the company’s entire dividend profits were now channeled directly into a pediatric medical trust that guaranteed free ICU care for mothers and newborns across the country.
I stood on the glass balcony of my office, holding Leo in my left arm and Maya in my right.
Jonathan Mercer stepped onto the balcony behind me, holding two leather folders.
"The final liquidation of Flynn's remaining personal assets is complete," Jonathan said softly. "His clothes, his sports cars, his watches—everything was auctioned off. The proceeds have been deposited directly into Leo and Maya's college funds."
"And Victoria?" I asked, looking out over the gardens.
"She turned state's evidence to avoid prison," Jonathan replied. "She's working as an entry-level clerk in a small town three states away. Her career in high finance is permanently over."
I looked down at my sweet babies, who both smiled up at me with bright, innocent eyes. They would never know the sting of their father's betrayal. They would only know the strength of the mother who fought for them and the legacy of the great-grandfather who protected them from beyond the grave.
My phone chimed on the table nearby. A letter had been delivered to my personal email from the federal penitentiary. It was from Flynn, begging for a visitation right to see the twins just once.
I picked up the phone, swiped the notification away, and deleted the message without opening it.
May you like
"Jonathan," I said, turning back toward my office.
"Yes, Claire?"
