The Girl They Said Didn’t Belong The first time Elena Carter entered the Anderson estate, she felt every eye in the room judging her

The fallout was apocalyptic. By the following morning, Sterling Holdings stock had plummeted by forty percent. The SEC launched an immediate investigation into the 1978 forgery and the fraudulent offshore accounts Beatrice had used to frame Julian.

Beatrice barricaded herself in the Sterling manor, surrounded by lawyers who were rapidly realizing they were on a sinking ship.

Julian, meanwhile, was sitting at the head of the long glass table in the Sterling Holdings boardroom on the 50th floor. The remaining board of directors—those who hadn't already resigned in panic—sat around him, sweating in their expensive suits.

"The terms are simple," Julian said, steepling his fingers. Marcus Vance stood right behind him like a legal grim reaper. "The Hayes estate will drop the criminal litigation for the theft of the patents. We will unlock the intellectual property so the Tokyo project can proceed, saving this company from immediate bankruptcy."

"And in exchange?" asked Harrison, the nervous Chief Financial Officer.

"In exchange, Beatrice Sterling steps down immediately as CEO and Chairman of the Board. She surrenders her voting shares to the Hayes estate. She is permanently removed from the premises," Julian rattled off, his voice void of emotion. "And I take over as CEO."

"You're a twenty-four-year-old architectural draftsman!" Harrison protested. "You can't run a multi-billion dollar conglomerate!"

"I don't intend to run the day-to-day operations right now. I intend to restructure the ethics of this company," Julian replied sharply. "I have my grandfather to advise me, and Marcus Vance to manage the legal transition. You have two hours to vote, gentlemen. Either I become your boss, or I let this company burn to the ground, and you all lose your pensions. Your choice."

Julian stood up, buttoned his jacket, and walked out of the boardroom. He knew they would vote yes. Rich men always chose their wallets over their loyalty.

As he stepped out into the sleek, marble hallway, he stopped.

Victoria was standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, overlooking the city skyline. She wore a simple beige trench coat, looking smaller and more fragile than the untouchable heiress he had met a year ago.

Julian felt the cold armor he had worn for the past week crack. He took a slow breath and walked over to her.

"They're going to vote her out, aren't they?" Victoria asked quietly, not turning away from the glass.

"Yes," Julian said.

She finally turned to face him. Her eyes were rimmed with red. "She confessed, Julian. Last night. When the lawyers told her she might face prison time, she broke down. She admitted she forged the photos. She admitted everything." Victoria took a trembling breath. "I am so sorry. I should have trusted you. I should have known you would never do that."

Julian looked at the girl he had been willing to give up everything for. "You trusted the person who raised you, Vic. I can't blame you for that. But everything has changed now."

"I know," Victoria whispered, a tear escaping down her cheek. "You won."

"It doesn't feel like winning," Julian said, his voice softening. He reached out, gently wiping the tear from her face. She leaned into his touch, a heartbreaking reminder of what they used to be. "I didn't do this for revenge, Victoria. I did it for justice. For my grandfather."