Chapter 4 - The Eviction**
By Wednesday afternoon, the karma cycle came full circle with cinematic precision.
Natalie’s brief tenure as the queen of Dominic’s stolen life ended with a swift, brutal eviction. According to the estate security logs provided by my grandfather’s team, the moment the federal asset freeze hit Dominic’s personal accounts, the luxury penthouse apartment they had shared—which was leased under a corporate shell that had just been dissolved—was hit with an immediate lockout notice by the landlord.
Natalie had tried to cling to Dominic, demanding to know where they were going to live and how he was going to pay for her upcoming medical expenses, but the man who had promised her a high-society future had completely broken down, screaming at her in the lobby of the building while television news crews—tipped off by investigative tabloids tracking the downfall of the disgraced CEO—filmed every second of it.
Footage of the incident made the evening news. I watched it from the comfort of my VIP hospital suite while eating a quiet dinner. On the screen, Natalie could be seen desperately clutching my ivory cashmere maternity coat around her shoulders as she tried to hide her face from the cameras, while process servers shoved federal subpoena notices into Dominic’s chest.
The irony was poetic. The coat she had worn to humiliate me in the NICU had become her shield against the flashbulbs of reporters documenting her total social ruin.
Around 8:00 PM, there was a soft knock on my hospital door.
My grandfather, Harrison Vale, stepped into the room carrying a large, beautifully wrapped gift box tied with a silver ribbon. He looked tired, but his eyes sparkled with deep affection.
“How are my favorite great-grandchildren doing tonight?” Harrison asked warmly, pulling up a chair beside my bed.
“They passed their weight milestones today, Grandfather,” I smiled, tears of relief pricking my eyes. “The doctors say if they keep progressing like this, we might be able to move them out of the incubators and into open cribs by next week.”
“That’s my blood. Fighters, every single one of them,” Harrison said proudly. He set the gift box across my lap. “Open it. I had my staff retrieve it from the dry cleaners after that unfortunate incident with the woman in the lobby.”
I untied the silver ribbon and lifted the lid. Inside lay my ivory cashmere maternity coat. It had been professionally cleaned, pressed, and restored to absolute perfection. Inside the lining, the embroidered initials L and C gleamed softly under the warm room lights.
“You shouldn't have let them touch it,” I whispered, running my fingers over the cashmere.
“Nonsense,” Harrison chuckled gently. “Family heirlooms belong to the family, not to opportunistic thieves. Besides, I wanted you to have it back for a very special occasion.”
“What occasion is that?” I asked, looking up.
“Tomorrow morning, the bankruptcy court is holding a final liquidation hearing for Vance Medical Supply’s remaining physical assets,” Harrison said, his eyes flashing with sharp business triumph. “As the primary creditor holding the senior debt liens through our family trust, I’ve instructed my legal team to purchase the entire inventory and physical plant for pennies on the dollar. And then, Victoria... we are going to rebrand it under a new name.”
“What name?” I asked, my breath catching.
“Vale & Victoria Holdings,” my grandfather stated firmly. “A medical supply and philanthropic foundation dedicated to maternal and neonatal health. And as of tomorrow morning, you will be named its principal chairwoman and majority share-holder.”
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I stared at my grandfather, completely speechless. The man who had tried to erase me, impoverish me, and destroy my children had just accidentally handed me control of the entire industry he once ruled.
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