My husband’s mistress sla//pped my 5-year-old daughter 10 times in a row while he just stood by and watched coldly.

The painful crack that reverberated through the great entrance of the Vance home wasn’t crystal breaking; rather, it was the precise instant my reality fell apart.

Maya, my five-year-old angel, fell on the cold marble floor. Two small milk teeth, imprinted by the brutal pain she had just experienced, rested in my palm.

Julian, look at how she damaged my exclusive gown!The mistress who is presently occupying my proper position, Genevieve, dismissed her bespoke couture item with contempt,

her eyes glowing with deep disgust as though my child were nothing more than trash.

I used to think of Julian Vance as my only protection, but he didn’t even bother to glance at his bleeding daughter.

With a tone full of poisonous disdain, he gently fixed his solid platinum cufflinks and said, “Eleanor, look at the miserable thing you’ve raised.” Completely worthless, just like her pitiful mother. able only to wreak havoc.

Six arduous years. I played the submissive housewife for six painful years, hiding my actual ancestry. I put up with his obvious betrayals and his mother’s poisonous psychological

abuse in the sake of providing Maya with a whole family. However, I realized that my forbearance was an unforgivable act when I saw my daughter’s quiet sobs.

“Mommy, it hurts so much.”

Maya’s shuddering cries broke the very last thread of my self-control. As soon as I pulled her tightly into my chest, my breathing became extremely cold.

“No one on this earth will ever touch you again, beginning right now.”

I caught Julian’s mother Victoria’s wrist in midair as she came forward, raising her fist for a despotic smack. It felt like hardened steel in my hand.

The room fell into an oppressive, lifeless quiet as a thundering, retaliatory slap reverberated through the hall.

“Are you completely insane?Julian let out a shout and charged straight at me.

I didn’t recoil. With the deadly look of an apex predator in place of any previous submissive, my eyes met his with ferocious intensity.

Julian, let go of your hand. I promise that the Vance Group will be entirely erased from the New York skyline by tomorrow morning if your fingertips come into contact with me today.

He laughed mockingly and derisively. Ellie, are you watching too many melodramas? You think a destitute parasite like her can defeat me?”

I didn’t argue. I brought my wrist to my lips and used my teeth to cut the ragged red string bracelet, a sacred promise of humility I had made to myself six years prior.

The cord broke. Ellie, the docile, was dead. Eleanor Blackwood had been let loose.

I reached under my jacket and found a military-grade encrypted device that had been collecting dust for years. I dialed a private number that had not been used in more than two thousand days.

“My Lady,” the receiver’s voice quivered with repressed joy.

“Harrison, let my father know that the Blackwood Dynasty heiress is done playing house.” Open all the seals. Before dusk, I want all of the Vance Group’s financial lifelines removed.

Julian sneered mockingly and slammed the divorce decree onto the marble table. “Sign this and leave with nothing.” However, the girl remains.

Genevieve needs a flower girl for tonight’s elegant wedding reception at the Grand Aster.

I took the pen and signed it with a razor-sharp stroke before meeting his gaze and uttering in a tone that made my bones tingle:

Julian, are you really sure you want to go to that big gala at the Grand Aster tonight? Take great care with your haughty remarks. Because you will never again breathe the air of the elite after tonight.

Behind me, the big oak doors crashed shut. With each step I took, Julian’s entire empire had already started to fall apart into ashes, but he was still laughing haughtily.

Section 2
After two days. The ultra-private Serenity Wellness Club is Connecticut’s most exclusive haven.

The club had a strict membership policy. The $300,000 initiation fee alone necessitated thorough background investigations and the confirmation of cash assets.

Genevieve strode confidently into the marble foyer, decked up in loud, seasonal Chanel, towering stilettos, and big sunglasses.

She was getting ready for the billionaire gala at the Grand Aster with two sycophantic assistant consultants at her sides. She needed the entire range of opulent spa services, of course.

Genevieve took off her sunglasses and glared at the concierge, saying, “Open the Grand VIP suite for me.” Make use of the Moroccan oils that are imported. Vance is making the payment.

With a practiced, fawning smile, the floor manager, a man used to satisfying the whims of the ultra-rich, hurried forward.

However, Genevieve noticed a stranger in the quiet lounge area as she turned to face the private elevators.

I had on a plain white button-down shirt, no makeup, and sat with my back to her. I was reading a copy of Vogue Business and sipping black tea in silence.

Genevieve came to a complete stop. She narrowed her eyes, and when she saw my outline, her mouth contorted into a spiteful, victorious smirk.

“Well, well, well. “Look what the cat dragged in,” she exclaimed, swinging her hips as she got closer. “Ellie?

Was the sun rising in the west today? Did you come here to apply for a job as a janitor, or do they now allow broke losers like you inside Serenity?”

I didn’t look back. I continued to turn the glossy pages of my magazine.

Being disregarded caused Genevieve to burst. “Supervisor!Her voice reverberated off the arched ceilings as she screamed.

How are you managing this establishment? This is an elite club! Why do you allow mutts to enter this place? Can you afford it if she gets her cheap dirt on the Persian rug? Get rid of her right now!”

A flash of cold perspiration sprang on the manager’s forehead as soon as he looked at the back of my head.

Two days before, the club’s actual, covert ultimate owner—a division of Blackwood Holdings—had given the most stringent order in its history.

There will be a very important visitor. She is to be treated like a reigning king, even if all she requests is a glass of tap water.

Genevieve screamed, but the manager paid no attention. He approached my couch with three enormous, hasty steps and bowed profoundly,

displaying both deep respect and a tangible, vibrating terror.

“Miss Blackwood,” he stumbled a little. “Are you bothered by the air conditioner? Do you not like the tea? Should I order some fresh hors d’oeuvres from the executive chef?”

Genevieve was stunned. Her mouth fell open. “Are you blind, manager? Ellie is her name! Julian just sent this poor, abandoned woman out onto the streets!

And you’re giving in to her? I’m currently on the phone with Julian. He intends to withdraw his investments from this dump and cancel his membership!”

Section 3
Pulling out her glistening phone, Genevieve frantically dialed Julian’s number. Eager to broadcast my public humiliation to the entire marble lobby, she switched on the speakerphone.

“Julian!She screamed into the microphone while giving me a poisonous glare. “This is unbelievable! Ellie, your pitiful ex-wife, is making a big deal at Serenity!

The cowardly manager here is literally bowing to her while she acts as though she controls the establishment! Demand that he be fired and immediately cancel your membership.

“Genevieve, please stop talking!Julian’s normally haughty calmness vanished as his voice shouted through the speaker. He sounded agitated, out of breath, and on the verge of complete panic.

Genevieve’s arrogant grin wavered as she froze. “Julian? What’s the matter with you?”

“Where are you? Return here immediately!Julian yelled as background noise—shouting executives, ringing phones, and slammed doors—roared through his connection.

“An urgent meeting was recently convened by the board! Twenty minutes ago, our main credit lines were frozen! Blackwood

Holdings recently hostilely seized our majority debt portfolio, and all institutional investors are withdrawing! Everything is being lost!”

“W-what?The phone shook in Genevieve’s palm as she stumbled and her voice dropped an octave. “Holdings in Blackwood? How does that relate to us?”

With a soft clack, I closed my magazine carefully and placed it on the glass table. I straightened the front of my white shirt, got to my feet, and turned to look at her.

I whispered, “It has everything to do with you, Genevieve,” and my voice carried easily over the quiet foyer.

Genevieve’s eyes widened as she peered at me, her shallow mind beginning to struggle with reality. “No, no way. You are simply Ellie. You’re a nobody!”

“Manager,” I answered coolly, keeping my gaze fixed on her.

Indeed, Miss Blackwood!The manager bowed his head even lower in response.

“Cancel the membership of the Vance family.” With instant effect. Get this woman escorted from the property by calling security. She’s interfering with my tea.

“Miss Blackwood, immediately!The manager gestured to four tall security officers in suits who had already formed up.

Two guards grabbed Genevieve’s arms tightly and lifted her off her tall stilettos before she could scream.

Julian’s terrified cries continued to crackle over the speaker as her phone fell to the ground, only to be inadvertently smashed into bits by a guard’s boot.

“Leave your dirty hands off of me! Are you aware of who I am?As she was pulled back into the glass doors, Genevieve let out a scream.

“Ellie! You’re a bitch! This is not something you can do to me! Julian is going to wreck you!”

I didn’t even try to respond. After grabbing my black tea and taking a tiny sip, I made my way to the private elevator. At the Grand Aster, Harrison was waiting for me.

The Grand Aster Hotel’s Grand Ballroom served as a symbol of extravagant opulence. Three hundred of New York’s most influential aristocrats,

business giants, and political luminaries were bathed in shimmering light by cascading crystal chandeliers.

Sweating through his personalized tuxedo, Julian Vance stood close to the fountain in the middle of the ballroom.

Victoria, his mother, gripped his arm, the weight of her diamond necklace pressing against her quivering collarbones.

“What’s going on, Julian?With her eyes darting anxiously around the room, Victoria growled. “Why are people staring at us like that? Why do the board members not answer your calls?”

“Mother, I have no idea!With a hoarse whisper, Julian wiped his brow with a silk handkerchief. Our stock is being shorted by someone.

Our assets are being methodically liquidated by someone with inexhaustible capital. However, the market will settle when we announce our merger with the regional unit of the Sterling Group during our statement tonight.

The ballroom’s magnificent double doors suddenly opened wide.

The brass fanfare abruptly stopped. Everybody in the room turned to face the door.

Harrison entered first, followed by six charcoal-suited personal guards. He gestured to the master of ceremonies by raising his hand.

The announcer’s voice, shaking with real awe, roared over the audience, “Ladies and gentlemen.” “Introducing Miss Eleanor Blackwood,

the only heiress to the worldwide empire and supreme executive chair of Blackwood Dynasty!”

The room was filled with a collective gasp.

I entered the ballroom in a beautiful emerald velvet gown that was floor length and backless. A stunning teardrop diamond necklace from the Blackwood private vault,

worth more than the whole Vance Enterprises headquarters, was revealed when my hair was swept up. My daughter Maya, dressed in a white silk dress and a small silver tiara,

was standing next to me, clutching my hand and grinning brightly. Her hand was securely in mine, her smile was complete, and her spirit had been restored.

Hushed, frenzied muttering erupted throughout the room.

Julian lost control of his champagne glass, which fell to the marble floor and broke into a thousand glittering pieces.

Victoria’s face went completely white, and she let out a choked wheeze while grasping her chest. “Ellie…? No, that is not feasible! That’s the destitute girl from the gutter!”

The throng parted like the Red Sea in front of me as I moved elegantly down the middle red carpet. As I walked by,

senators and billionaires dropped their heads and whispered courteous pleasantries, begging for a moment of my time.

Ten feet ahead of Julian and Victoria, I came to a stop.

With a voice as silky and icy as ice, I answered, “Good evening, Julian.” “How is the atmosphere among the elite up here? Do you cherish it?”

With his jaw working ineffectively, Julian took a shaky step forward and forced out a raspy mumble. “Ellie…? Are you a Blackwood?”

I looked down at him detachedly and said, “I told you six years ago that I bound myself to a vow of humility.” “To offer my daughter a straightforward, everyday existence with the guy

I believed loved her, I gave up my name, my wealth, and my status. However, you thought my patience was a sign of weakness. You thought I was giving up because I was silent.

Victoria gasped, “Ellie… please—” and stepped closer, her hands out, her earlier haughtiness utterly destroyed. “It was an error! We were unaware! We are a family! Remember Maya!”

I glanced down at Maya. My daughter moved to my side and raised her serene, courageous gaze to Victoria.

I responded icily, “You didn’t think of Maya when you let your mistress knock her to the floor.” “When you branded Maya useless and attempted to use her as a prop

for your fictitious wedding, you failed to consider her. You are never allowed to mention her name again.

Harrison moved forward and showed Julian a heavy stack of legal documents inside a leather portfolio.

Harrison’s strong voice reverberated throughout the quiet ballroom, “Julian Vance.” Blackwood Holdings has acquired 87% of Vance Enterprises’ entire debt as of 5:00 PM today.

We have exercised our right to foreclose on all corporate assets, properties, and accounts due to your immediate default on your credit covenants.

Julian stumbled away and gasped, “No.” “No! This is not something you can accomplish!”

“In addition, a federal team from the Financial Crimes Division is currently waiting in the lobby,” Harrison added heartlessly.

The full, unredacted record of your offshore tax evasion, company embezzlement, and the illegal land transactions your mother approved throughout the previous four years has been given to them.

With her diamond necklace caught in her dress, Victoria screamed and fell to her knees on the red carpet, crying uncontrollably.

Julian scanned the room, frantically trying to find a friendly face amid the elite throng. However, all of the executives, former business associates, and social climbers turned their backs on him and looked

away with icy contempt. In an instant, the very society he had given his life to impress had deserted him.

The heavy boots of two uniformed federal agents thudded on the gleaming floor as they entered the ballroom.

“Julian Vance? Vance, Victoria?The lead agent pulled out a pair of steel handcuffs and asked. “You are being held for grand larceny, conspiracy, and federal financial fraud.”

Julian glanced up at me with tears flowing down his pale, broken face as the agents held his arms behind his back, the silver handcuffs clicking shut with a final snap.

“Ellie!His voice broke into heartbreaking wails as he sobbed. “Please! I was mistaken! I adore you! I’ll go to any lengths! Give me another opportunity!”

I gazed down at the man who had been torturing me for six years, the man who had let my child suffer because of his conceit. I had no hatred. I was not angry. All I experienced was a deep, freeing nothingness.

I looked him in the eyes as I reached up and carefully adjusted the diamond necklace around my neck.

I muttered, “Docile Ellie died the instant my daughter’s blood touched your marble floor, Julian.” “Eleanor Blackwood also doesn’t offer second chances.”

Julian and his sobbing mother were hauled out of the opulent ballroom by the agents, their cries dissipating into the hotel’s wide, deserted hallways.

The audience gave the rightful queen who had reclaimed her crown a quiet, respectful applause when the chamber was silent for a few moment.

Maya was grinning up at me as I stared down at her, her little hand safe and warm in mine. I knelt down, took her in my arms, and embraced her tightly.

“Mommy, is it over?Maya whispered in my neck.

Beyond the towering glass windows, I could see the boundless skyline of the city—a city that was once again ours—beyond the glistening room and the crystal chandeliers.

I kissed her tender cheek and whispered, “Yes, my angel.” “It’s over at last. And nobody will ever harm us once more.