Chapter 5 - Shadows of the PastAs the federal agents moved in to snap handcuffs on the stunned Sterling family members, Victoria turned her full attention back to Maya, who was now being carefully transferred onto a specialized medical stretcher by a private trauma team.
"Get her to the top-tier private wing at St. Jude’s Hospital immediately," Victoria ordered the medics, her voice shaking slightly with residual adrenaline. "I want the best OB-GYN in the country on standby. If anything happens to my sister or her baby, every single person involved in this delay will answer to me personally."
She accompanied the stretcher to the Hummer, holding Maya's cold hand. Memories of their childhood flooded her mind—how they had lost their parents at a young age, how they had been forced apart by predatory guardians, and how Victoria had spent the last fifteen years building an empire from the dirt up, solely to protect the little sister she had left behind.
Maya had wanted a normal life. She had fallen in love with Marcus, believing he was a kind, ambitious man who truly cared for her. She had kept her powerful family background a secret because she wanted to be loved for who she was, not for the Vance name and fortune. But that humility had nearly cost her everything.
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"I'm sorry, Maya," Victoria whispered fiercely, kissing her sister's forehead before the doors closed. "I let you walk into the lion's den to find happiness. I should have protected you sooner. But I promise you, the people who did this will pay with everything they own."
As the medical transport sped away under police escort, Victoria turned back to face the courtyard. Marcus was being shoved into the back of a federal van, his designer suit ruined, crying out for lawyers who would never answer his calls.
