Chapter 7
Julian's office the next morning felt different. There were more people—two analysts at a side table, laptops open, files stacked. Elaine Wu was already there, reviewing documents with Julian's chief counsel.
Julian stood by the window, coffee in hand. He turned when I walked in.
"Sienna." He set down the cup. "Sit down. We found something."
I sat.
His chief counsel, a sharp-eyed woman named Grace, pulled up a presentation on the wall screen.
"The transfers to your account," she began, "are a fraction of a larger pattern. Victor has been routing money through a web of shell companies for at least five years. Some of it goes to legitimate holdings. But a significant portion—we're talking tens of millions—vanishes into entities that have no clear business purpose."
"What does that mean?" I asked.
"It means either tax evasion or money laundering," Julian said simply. "Possibly both."
The room was silent for a moment.
"The payments to you," Grace continued, "were pulled from one of these shell accounts. Which means your apartment, your living expenses, Lily's school—all of it was funded through potentially illegal channels. That's actually good news for you."
"How?"
"Because if Victor tries to claim in court that he was simply paying a contracted obligation, we can subpoena the source accounts. The moment those accounts are opened to discovery, his entire financial structure is exposed."
Julian leaned against his desk, arms crossed. "He'll settle. He won't want those accounts in a courtroom."
"Or," Elaine added, "he'll escalate. Try to silence Sienna before it gets to court."
Everyone looked at me.
"He already tried to erase the marriage," I said. "What's the next step for a man like that?"
"Discrediting you," Julian said bluntly. "He'll attack your character. Claim you're unstable. Unfit. That you fabricated documents."
"He'll go after custody," Elaine added softly.
My stomach dropped. "He doesn't even want Lily. He's never wanted her."
"It doesn't matter. He'll use her as leverage. Threaten to take her so you'll back down."
I felt my jaw lock. "I won't."
Julian studied me. "Good. Then we prepare for war."
The preparation was brutal and thorough.
Over the next three days, Julian's team built a fortress around me and Lily. Bank accounts in my name only. Emergency custody documentation. A secure apartment lined up in case Victor tried to have us removed from the penthouse.
Elaine filed motions pre-emptively—for temporary sole custody, for a restraining order based on Victor's pattern of intimidation, for disclosure of all shared assets.
Each filing was a shot fired. And each one made Victor more dangerous.
On the fourth day, he made his move.
Not through lawyers. Not through courts. Through Natasha.
She showed up at the penthouse unannounced, using the spare key I'd forgotten to change. I came out of the kitchen to find her sitting on my couch, legs crossed, expression carefully arranged into concern.
"Sienna," she said. "We need to talk. Sister to sister."
I stood in the kitchen doorway and said nothing.
"Victor is... upset," she continued. "You have to understand. You've backed him into a corner. Men like him don't respond well to threats."
"Is that what you came to say?"
"I came to help you." Her eyes were wide, earnest. "He's willing to offer a deal. Five million. Full custody stays with you. All he asks is that you drop the divorce filing and sign a new NDA."
"And the medical coverage for Lily?"
"He'll add her. Privately. No public records."
The same terms I'd originally asked for—with a fat bribe attached and the guarantee that nothing would change. I would stay invisible. Lily would stay a ghost. And Victor would keep his spotless image.
"No," I said.
Natasha's mask slipped. "Sienna—"
"I said no. The deal is off the table. It's been off the table since the day he refused to help his own daughter."
Her eyes went hard. The sisterly act evaporated like steam.
"You're going to regret this," she said quietly. "You think Julian Cross is your friend? He's using you to get to Victor. The second you're not useful, he'll drop you like everyone else."
"Get out of my apartment."
She stood slowly, smoothing her skirt. "You know, Victor was right about you. You were always too emotional to think clearly. That's why you were the one behind the door, and I was the one in front of the cameras."
She walked past me toward the exit, then stopped.
"One more thing." Her voice was ice. "Victor's legal team is filing for emergency custody tomorrow. On grounds of maternal instability and endangerment."
My vision blurred.
"They have a psychiatrist ready to testify that your recent behavior indicates a breakdown. Paranoia. Delusion. Sudden aggression." She tilted her head. "Funny how easy it is to build a case when you have unlimited money."
She left.
The door closed.
I couldn't breathe.
They were going to try to take Lily.
Julian stood by the window, coffee in hand. He turned when I walked in.
"Sienna." He set down the cup. "Sit down. We found something."
I sat.
His chief counsel, a sharp-eyed woman named Grace, pulled up a presentation on the wall screen.
"The transfers to your account," she began, "are a fraction of a larger pattern. Victor has been routing money through a web of shell companies for at least five years. Some of it goes to legitimate holdings. But a significant portion—we're talking tens of millions—vanishes into entities that have no clear business purpose."
"What does that mean?" I asked.
"It means either tax evasion or money laundering," Julian said simply. "Possibly both."
The room was silent for a moment.
"The payments to you," Grace continued, "were pulled from one of these shell accounts. Which means your apartment, your living expenses, Lily's school—all of it was funded through potentially illegal channels. That's actually good news for you."
"How?"
"Because if Victor tries to claim in court that he was simply paying a contracted obligation, we can subpoena the source accounts. The moment those accounts are opened to discovery, his entire financial structure is exposed."
Julian leaned against his desk, arms crossed. "He'll settle. He won't want those accounts in a courtroom."
"Or," Elaine added, "he'll escalate. Try to silence Sienna before it gets to court."
Everyone looked at me.
"He already tried to erase the marriage," I said. "What's the next step for a man like that?"
"Discrediting you," Julian said bluntly. "He'll attack your character. Claim you're unstable. Unfit. That you fabricated documents."
"He'll go after custody," Elaine added softly.
My stomach dropped. "He doesn't even want Lily. He's never wanted her."
"It doesn't matter. He'll use her as leverage. Threaten to take her so you'll back down."
I felt my jaw lock. "I won't."
Julian studied me. "Good. Then we prepare for war."
The preparation was brutal and thorough.
Over the next three days, Julian's team built a fortress around me and Lily. Bank accounts in my name only. Emergency custody documentation. A secure apartment lined up in case Victor tried to have us removed from the penthouse.
Elaine filed motions pre-emptively—for temporary sole custody, for a restraining order based on Victor's pattern of intimidation, for disclosure of all shared assets.
Each filing was a shot fired. And each one made Victor more dangerous.
On the fourth day, he made his move.
Not through lawyers. Not through courts. Through Natasha.
She showed up at the penthouse unannounced, using the spare key I'd forgotten to change. I came out of the kitchen to find her sitting on my couch, legs crossed, expression carefully arranged into concern.
"Sienna," she said. "We need to talk. Sister to sister."
I stood in the kitchen doorway and said nothing.
"Victor is... upset," she continued. "You have to understand. You've backed him into a corner. Men like him don't respond well to threats."
"Is that what you came to say?"
"I came to help you." Her eyes were wide, earnest. "He's willing to offer a deal. Five million. Full custody stays with you. All he asks is that you drop the divorce filing and sign a new NDA."
"And the medical coverage for Lily?"
"He'll add her. Privately. No public records."
The same terms I'd originally asked for—with a fat bribe attached and the guarantee that nothing would change. I would stay invisible. Lily would stay a ghost. And Victor would keep his spotless image.
"No," I said.
Natasha's mask slipped. "Sienna—"
"I said no. The deal is off the table. It's been off the table since the day he refused to help his own daughter."
Her eyes went hard. The sisterly act evaporated like steam.
"You're going to regret this," she said quietly. "You think Julian Cross is your friend? He's using you to get to Victor. The second you're not useful, he'll drop you like everyone else."
"Get out of my apartment."
She stood slowly, smoothing her skirt. "You know, Victor was right about you. You were always too emotional to think clearly. That's why you were the one behind the door, and I was the one in front of the cameras."
She walked past me toward the exit, then stopped.
"One more thing." Her voice was ice. "Victor's legal team is filing for emergency custody tomorrow. On grounds of maternal instability and endangerment."
My vision blurred.
"They have a psychiatrist ready to testify that your recent behavior indicates a breakdown. Paranoia. Delusion. Sudden aggression." She tilted her head. "Funny how easy it is to build a case when you have unlimited money."
She left.
The door closed.
I couldn't breathe.
They were going to try to take Lily.