Chapter 8 - The Devil's Bargain
Vance lunged forward, grabbing Lila by the lapels of her expensive coat and slamming her forcefully against the hospital wall.
His security guards quickly turned their backs, pretending not to see the billionaire assault the woman attempting to blackmail him.
Vance promised Lila that he would torture her, bankrupt her, and bury her alive if she did not hand over the stem cells immediately.
Lila just laughed, completely unfazed, stating that the biological material was hidden in a secure, climate-controlled vault in Switzerland.
She warned him that if she did not log into the vault's server every twenty-four hours, the system would automatically incinerate the samples.
Vance slowly released her, his hands shaking with a terrifying, helpless rage as he realized he had been checkmated.
He walked back into Maya’s hospital room, his heart shattering as he looked at Maddie singing softly to their dying daughter.
He asked Maddie to step into the hallway, unable to meet her eyes as he explained Lila's sickening demands.
Maddie collapsed against the wall, covering her mouth to muffle a scream of absolute despair.
She begged Vance to marry Lila, to give the evil woman his money, his company, and his soul if it meant saving Maya.
Vance swore he would do it, promising to sign away his entire empire to protect their child.
Suddenly, Grant Ellison stepped out of the shadows of the hallway, having listened to the entire horrific conversation.
Grant adjusted his tailored suit, his face completely devoid of its usual arrogant smirk.
He told Vance that a marriage contract signed under extreme duress could be easily annulled in court after the surgery.
However, Grant warned that Lila would anticipate this, and she would undoubtedly demand immediate transfer of Vance's corporate voting rights.
Grant offered a shocking alternative, proposing to use his own family's deep political connections to seize the Swiss vault by federal force.
But Grant’s generous offer came with a devastating, non-negotiable condition of his own.
Grant looked directly into Vance’s desperate eyes, fully exploiting the vulnerability of his greatest rival.
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He promised to retrieve the stem cells and legally destroy Lila Crane forever, but only if Vance signed a binding agreement.
Vance had to legally renounce all parental rights to the twins, and Maddie had to marry Grant the moment Maya was discharged from the hospital.
