Chapter 2 - The Red Envelope
The sirens wailed as the two police cruisers slammed to a halt, their emergency lights painting the Vanderbilt estate in flashing shades of crimson and blue. Ivy froze, her fingers clutching Lily’s small hand so tightly her knuckles turned white. Daniel stepped in front of them, his broad shoulders shielding his new family from the arriving officers.
"Mr. Vanderbilt," Officer Vance said, stepping out of the lead cruiser with a grim expression. "We received an anonymous tip regarding an active felony warrant associated with this vehicle."
Daniel’s jaw tightened into a hard line. He didn’t blink, his gaze locking onto the senior officer with a cold, calculating fury.
"My car, my property, and my jurisdiction, Officer. Call Chief Harrison right now and tell him Daniel Vanderbilt is asking who authorized this harassment," Daniel said, his voice dangerously low.
Officer Vance hesitated, glancing nervously at the mansion's double doors where Eleanor and Arthur were now marching out, flanked by three corporate lawyers. Eleanor wore a triumphant, venomous smile that chilled Ivy to the bone.
"You can't intimidate the law, Daniel!" Eleanor called out, her voice dripping with venom. "Ivy's little secret is out. Check the glove box, Officer. The truth about who she really is won't stay buried just because she married a Vanderbilt."
Ivy felt the blood drain entirely from her face. The wedding dress suddenly felt like a straitjacket, suffocating her as the memories of why she kept her past hidden rushed back. She looked up at Daniel, expecting doubt, expecting hesitation, but his eyes were steadfast.
"Open it," Daniel told Officer Vance calmly, nodding toward the limousine's interior. "Let’s see what my mother paid you to plant."
The officer reached inside, pulling out a thick, blood-red envelope stamped with a legal seal that made even the lawyers gasp. Eleanor’s triumphant grin faltered as Daniel snatched the envelope from the officer’s hand without opening it, tearing it into shreds right in front of them.
"You're protecting a criminal, Daniel!" Arthur shouted, stepping down the stone steps. "Ivy Sterling doesn't exist. That woman is wanted for corporate espionage and the embezzlement of fifty million dollars from Sterling Enterprises!"
The crowd of remaining guests gasped, phones flashing as they captured every second of the nightmare. Lily whimpered, burying her face into Daniel’s chest once again.
"She is not a criminal," Daniel stated, his voice ringing with absolute finality. "She is my wife. And anyone who pushes this lie further will find themselves facing a countersuit for defamation that will bankrupt their entire estate by morning."
Officer Vance took a step back, clearly intimidated by the sheer financial and legal threat hanging in the air, and signaled his men to return to their cruisers.
"This isn't over, Daniel," Eleanor hissed, her voice trembling with rage as the police vehicles backed up and drove away.
Daniel turned to Ivy, his expression softening as he brushed a stray lock of hair from her forehead.
"We are going home," he whispered gently.
May you like
As they climbed into the limousine, Ivy looked out the tinted window and saw a shadowy figure standing near the wrought-iron gates, holding a burning photograph of her childhood home.
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