Chapter 3: Leaving the Palace
Victor didn't stay for the rest of the gala. He didn't care about the whispers that rippled through the crowd of aristocrats as he turned his back on his mother, the towering white tier cake, and the multi-million-dollar family empire.
He lifted Lily into his arms, resting her small head against his shoulder, and walked out into the cool night air. Arthur followed them to the marble steps of the estate.
"Where will you go?" Arthur asked, adjusting his black suit jacket against the breeze.
"Somewhere far from here," Victor replied, his hand clutching the envelope inside his jacket pocket. "Somewhere where her memory isn't poisoned by their greed."
"Victor," Arthur called out as Victor reached his black truck parked down the driveway. "Your mother will try to cut you off completely now. She controls the legal rights to the estate's remaining liquidity."
Victor turned around, his dark hair catching the streetlight. A faint, bitter smile touched his lips. "She can keep the money, Arthur. I earned every penny I used to raise my daughter. I don't want a single cent that has her blood on it."
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He buckled Lily into her car seat in the back. The little girl rubbed her eyes, exhausted from the loud evening. "Daddy? Is grandmom mad at us?"
Victor climbed into the driver's seat, starting the deep rumble of the engine. He looked back at her in the rearview mirror, his expression softening completely. "No, sweetheart. We're just going home. To read a story from someone who loved you very much."
