Chapter 5 - The EvictionMidnight struck, and the rain outside turned into a blinding downpour.
Dominic’s luxury penthouse—a sprawling three-story glass-walled mansion overlooking the city skyline—felt cold, cavernous, and utterly dead. The smart home system had already been deactivated by Sterling Holdings; the lights flickered off, leaving only the eerie glow of the city neon cutting through the rain-streaked windows.
The heavy oak front door clicked open.
Two armed federal bailiffs stepped inside, followed by Victor Sterling and Viv.
Dominic was sitting on the edge of a custom velvet sofa, clutching a bottle of hundred-year-old scotch he had swiped from the cellar before the locks changed. His hair was messy, his tie ripped off, his expensive tuxedo wrinkled and stained.
"You can't do this," Dominic mumbled, staring blankly at the floor. "This is my home. I bought this. My name is on the deed."
"Your name was on a lease financed by a Sterling shell company," Victor corrected him coldly, tossing a thick manila folder onto the coffee table. "Every car in the garage, every suit in the closet, every piece of art on these walls belongs to the liquidators."
Dominic looked up, his bloodshot eyes locking onto Viv. There was no fury left in him—only a hollow, pathetic desperation.
"Viv... please," Dominic whispered, his voice cracking. "Look at me. Remember when we met? In that little coffee shop on 4th Street? You wore that old green sweater. You loved me for who I was. When did you turn into a monster?"
Viv stopped walking. She looked down at the man she had loved for seven years, feeling nothing at all. The pity had burned away, leaving only ash.
"I didn't turn into a monster, Dominic," Viv said quietly. "I just stopped protecting you from yourself. You wanted to be a self-made man. You wanted an empire built on your own strength. Well... you finally got your wish. Look around. You built it all by yourself. And now, you get to live in the ruins."
Sophia walked up beside her mother, holding the paper necklace in her small hand. She looked at Dominic with eyes completely devoid of childhood warmth—just cold, youthful clarity.
"You're not the best daddy ever," Sophia repeated, her voice echoing in the silent penthouse. "You're just a liar."
Dominic flinched as if he had been struck across the face with a lead pipe. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
"Pack your suitcase," Victor instructed the bailiffs, nodding toward the bedroom. "He has five minutes. Then throw him out on the street."
May you like
Viv turned around, taking Sophia’s hand. "Let’s go home, sweetie. Grandma and Grandpa are waiting for us."
As the elevator doors closed, sealing Dominic in his empty, ruined kingdom, Viv took a deep breath of the fresh, clean air. The storm outside was finally beginning to break.
