Chapter 10 - The View from the Threshold
Outside on the sidewalk, the rain had begun to fall softly, misting the heavy glass windows of the luxury store. Victoria stood on the wet concrete, her cream tweed jacket soaking up the grey water, her handbag lying in a puddle near her feet. Through the glass, she watched the dirty boy walk hand-in-hand with the billionaire toward the private elevator, surrounded by bowing staff and flashing lights.
She reached out a hand, touching the cold glass of the window that now separated her from everything she had built her life upon. She was on the outside now, standing in the rain, looking in at the world she had lost in a single moment of unchecked arrogance.
Inside, Leo turned his head for a brief second, looking out through the glass at the shivering woman standing in the rain. He didn't smile, and he didn't gloat. He simply watched her for a moment before turning back to his grandfather, stepping into the golden elevator that carried him up toward his future.
