Chapter 10 - The False Victory
The next two weeks felt like a beautiful, impossible dream.
Julian was formally indicted by federal prosecutors for bribing court officials and financial fraud.
Chloe was arrested at a private airfield trying to flee the country and was held without bail.
Sterling Enterprises filed for bankruptcy, completely dismantled by the massive public scandal.
Elena and her son remained perfectly insulated within the sprawling Vance estate.
Silas was the perfect host, providing her with elite medical care, luxury, and absolute peace.
He doted on the baby, looking at the child with a fierce, protective pride that warmed Elena's heart.
She was finally beginning to heal from the trauma of her marriage.
One quiet afternoon, while the baby was sleeping in the nursery, Elena walked into Silas's private office to thank him again.
The office was empty, but the door was slightly ajar.
She stepped inside to wait for him.
Her eyes wandered across his massive mahogany desk, admiring the antique globe and the neatly stacked paperwork.
A thick manila folder was resting near the edge of the desk.
The label on the folder caught her attention immediately.
It read: Sterling Family Fertility Clinic - Patient Zero.
Elena frowned, a strange sense of curiosity pushing her forward.
She opened the folder, expecting to see legal documents pertaining to Chloe's arrest.
Instead, she saw a series of financial wire transfers dated two years ago.
The transfers were authorized from a private account belonging to Silas Vance.
The recipient of the millions of dollars was the head embryologist at the Sterling clinic.
Elena’s blood ran completely ice cold.
She flipped to the next page.
It was a highly detailed, psychological profile of Elena, commissioned by Silas long before she ever filed for divorce.
There was a handwritten note at the bottom of the profile in Silas's unmistakable handwriting.
"Chloe is vain enough to take the bait. Let her think the embryo swap was her idea. Once Elena is pregnant with my brother's heir, Julian will inevitably push her away, and she will run directly to me."
Elena stopped breathing.
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Chloe hadn't masterminded the theft.
Silas had orchestrated the entire nightmare from the very beginning just to steal her and the child.
