Chapter 7 - The Exodus
Alexander didn't wait to watch the police arrive.
He adjusted his hold on Maya, turning his back on the ruined ballroom, the weeping heiress, and the shocked high-society crowd. His bodyguards formed a tight perimeter around him, cutting off the flashes of several guests who were secretly trying to record the scandalous downfall of the Sterling family on their smartphones.
As Alexander walked toward the grand oak exit doors, he stopped beside David Chen.
David was still standing near the broken glass, holding his stained linen handkerchief.
Alexander looked at the dark red mark on David’s jaw where Victoria had struck him.
"What is your name?" Alexander asked.
"David Chen, sir. Chen Capital Solutions."
Alexander looked into David’s eyes, seeing no fear, no sycophancy—only the quiet, unyielding integrity of a man who had stood up for a child when no one else would.
"Your firm just secured the primary management contract for the Vance Port Logistics expansion, Mr. Chen," Alexander stated calmly. "My assistant will call you tomorrow at nine. Come to my home office."
David froze, his jaw dropping slightly. The Port Logistics contract was worth tens of millions—a contract every major firm in the state had been fighting over for two years. "Mr. Vance... I didn't do it for a contract."
"I know," Alexander replied, a rare, faint trace of a genuine smile touching his dark lips. "That is precisely why you got it."
Alexander walked past him, stepping out through the heavy wooden doors into the cool, night air of the hotel plaza.
Outside, the city lights flickered against the damp pavement. A sleek, armored black limousine was parked directly at the foot of the marble steps, its engine idling silently. The chauffeur instantly opened the rear door.
Alexander slid into the plush leather interior, pulling Maya securely onto his lap as the heavy door sealed shut, cutting off the distant noise of the city.
The interior of the limousine was warm, softly lit by ambient blue LED lighting, smelling faintly of leather and fresh pine. Maya rested her small head against Alexander’s chest, her tiny fingers clutching the lapel of his dark velvet tuxedo. The high-adrenaline terror of the ballroom was finally wearing off, replaced by the profound, heavy exhaustion of a traumatized toddler.
"Daddy?" Maya whispered, her raspy voice barely audible over the hum of the engine.
"I'm right here, sweet pea," Alexander murmured, gently kissing the top of her wet hair.
"My dress is sticky," she whimpered softly.
Alexander’s heart twisted with a fresh wave of quiet, deadly fury, but his voice remained soft as velvet. "We're going home right now, Maya. We're going to take a warm bath, put on your softest pajamas, and read your favorite story."
"Is the mean lady coming?" Maya asked, looking up with large, fearful green eyes.
May you like
Alexander looked out the tinted window as the limousine pulled away from the hotel curb. In the rearview mirror, he could see two police cruisers with flashing red and blue lights pulling up to the hotel entrance to arrest Victoria.
"No, Maya," Alexander promised softly, his eyes cold as ice. "The mean lady is never coming back."
