Chapter 2 - The Ironclad Debt
The commander's warning hung in the air like a thick fog.
Silence suffocated the community hall as the guests processed the terrifying implication of his words.
Julian saw an opportunity and stepped between me and the commander.
He puffed out his chest and declared that he would protect his beautiful bride.
I glared at the man who had just called me a gardener's daughter minutes ago.
I told Julian that his sudden change of heart was pathetic and transparent.
Victoria pushed her way to the front of the crowd.
Her eyes darted between the heavy gold medallion and my father's worn-out shoes.
She realized that the Vance Defense Industries fortune was vast enough to buy her family a hundred times over.
Victoria plastered on a sickly sweet smile and apologized for her previous outburst.
She claimed the stress of the wedding preparations had simply overwhelmed her.
My father stood tall and shielded me behind his back.
He told Victoria and Julian to get out of our sight before he lost his temper.
The commander signaled his soldiers to escort the unwanted guests out of the building.
Two armed men stepped toward Julian's family.
Victoria suddenly shrieked and reached into her designer purse.
She pulled out a crumpled, yellowed piece of paper.
She held it high above her head for everyone to see.
Victoria announced that Arthur Vance was not going anywhere with that fortune.
She revealed that twenty years ago, my father had signed a binding contract with her late husband.
The contract was a desperate loan to pay for my mother's experimental cancer treatments.
Victoria pointed a manicured finger at my father.
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She declared that the fine print gave her family full legal rights to all of his past and future assets.
If my father was truly a billionaire, every single penny of it legally belonged to her.
