My fiancée mocked me as a “useless cripple” in front of my entire family, certain the accident had stripped away my power and fortune. She had no idea my injuries were a lie—or that the quiet maid kneeling beside my wheelchair was about to help me expose everyone who had betrayed me.

While the public victory was overwhelming, the battle was far from over.

Two weeks into the restructuring of Vance Global Holdings, Clara brought me a flagged intelligence report from our cyber security department.

"Sir," Clara said, her expression serious as she projected data onto the screen in my office. "We tracked an encrypted data leak coming from Uncle Martin’s old private server before he was arrested. He didn't just plan to take over your shares—he was selling our proprietary logistics software to a foreign conglomerate."

I leaned forward, my eyes narrowing. "Who was buying?"

"The Apex Group," she replied. "Run by Victor Vance—your father’s estranged half-brother."

The name hit like a ice-cold blade. Victor Vance was the black sheep of the family—a ruthless corporate raider who had been exiled to Europe twenty years ago after trying to bankrupt my father.

"Victor," I muttered. "So he was the puppeteer pulling Vanessa’s strings all along."

"It gets worse," Clara continued, tapping the screen. "Vanessa’s lawyer just filed an emergency appeal claiming she was coerced by Victor Vance under threat of violence. She’s trying to position herself as a victim to get out on bail."

I stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling glass, looking down at the bustling city below. Victor thought he could use my internal family drama to strike at the heart of my empire while I was recovering. He underestimated me.

"Clara," I said, turning back to her. "Call District Attorney Vance. Tell him I want to pay Vanessa a visit in prison."