The truth crashed down like an invisible sledgehammer, shattering every ounce of the Sterling family’s pride. Eleanor staggered, having to grip the back of a chair to keep from collapsing. Her flawless makeup began to crack along with the panic rising in her eyes.

“You’re lying!” she hissed, her voice cracking. “You’re just a motherless, fatherless orphan Julian took pity on and brought home. How could you be the owner of V.Corp? What dirty trick are you playing with the banking system?”

Valerie refused to even look at her. She raised her hand, and instantly, through the double doors of the dining room, four men in black suits and earpieces stepped in. They weren’t the Sterling family’s bodyguards. They were V.Corp’s elite security team, the people who had silently overseen her safety under the guise of gardeners or chauffeurs.

Behind them was Mr. Henderson, the most powerful lawyer in the city, who specialized in billion-dollar mergers. He wore a crisp gray suit, carrying a glossy black leather briefcase.

“Good evening, Ms. Valerie,” Lawyer Henderson bowed respectfully to her, completely ignoring everyone else in the room. “All procedures are complete. The global asset freeze order is now in effect.”

Then, he turned to the Sterling family, pulling out a stack of documents. “Mr. Julian Sterling, according to the terms of the restructuring contract you signed three years ago—which it seems you never carefully read the supplementary clauses for—all collateral assets of the Sterling family, including this mansion, the art collections, vehicles, and company shares, are entirely owned by V.Corp in the event of any credit default risk. Ms. Valerie’s revocation of unconditional patronage means you must leave this place.”

“Leave this place?” Chloe screamed, her tears smudging her mascara into a mess. “This is my home! You’re stealing legal property!”

“Miss, this property hasn’t been legally yours for a long time,” Lawyer Henderson replied coldly. “You have exactly twenty-four hours to pack up personal belongings that are not on the list of confiscated assets. I advise you to only take clothes.“

Julian was now like a cornered beast. He lunged forward, intending to grab Valerie’s shoulders, but two bodyguards darted out in a flash, twisting his arms behind his back and forcing him to his knees on the marble floor. The plate he had thrown earlier now lay scattered around his knees; a few shards pierced his skin, drawing blood, but the physical pain was nothing compared to this ultimate humiliation.

“Valerie! You can’t do this!” Julian roared, the veins in his neck bulging. “We are husband and wife! You can’t destroy me just because of an argument!”

“An argument?” Valerie signaled for the bodyguards to release him. She stepped forward, bending down to look directly into the resentful eyes of the man she had once tried to love. “You call bringing your mistress home, demanding she sleep in my bed, slapping me when I confronted you, and throwing a plate at my face an argument, Julian?”

She stood up straight, lightly dusting off her skirt as if she had just touched something filthy. “For the past five years, I hid my identity because I wanted a simple family. I thought you loved me for me, not for the hollow fame out there. But it turns out, the name ‘Sterling’ blinded you to the point of turning you into a monster. You demanded I sign the divorce papers and leave this house empty-handed? I’m sorry, Julian. The one leaving empty-handed is you. The divorce papers have been prepared, but as the owner of everything, I am the one who has the right to throw you out on the street.“

With that, Valerie turned and walked away. The clicking of her heels tapped rhythmically against the floor, echoing like a death sentence for the fake empire of the Sterling family.

The next day, high society was shaken to its core.

News of the Sterling family’s downfall spread faster than a wildfire in a dry forest. There was no intervention to save face. The financial press extensively reported that the Sterling Group was essentially an empty shell, kept alive by the massive capital of a mysterious female billionaire. The creditors and partners who once cowered before Julian now simultaneously turned their backs.

Outside the mansion, low-tier moving trucks lined up. Julian, Eleanor, and Chloe were strictly monitored by V.Corp’s security team. They weren’t allowed to take any expensive jewelry, designer watches, or valuable paintings, as all of them had been purchased under the V.Corp conglomerate’s name.

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