Chapter 3

The restaurant Adrian chose was tucked away in a corner of the city where neither of us was likely to be recognized. Le Petit Coin, a small French bistro with dim lighting and private booths, was the kind of place that still accepted cash and didn't bother with security cameras. Perfect for our meeting.

I arrived fifteen minutes early, scanning the room for any familiar faces. The hostess led me to a corner booth where I could see both entrances. Old habits from my previous life—always watching, always waiting for the next betrayal.

"Natalie." Adrian's voice came from behind me, soft and steady. "Thank you for coming."

I turned to face Damien's twin brother. They shared the same sharp jawline and piercing blue eyes, but where Damien's face radiated cold calculation, Adrian's held something warmer. Something genuine.

"Your text was... intriguing," I said, gesturing to the seat across from me. "You said you had something I needed to see."

Adrian slid into the booth, placing a worn leather portfolio on the table between us. His fingers lingered on it for a moment, as if he was still deciding whether to share its contents.

"Before we start," he said, his voice low, "I want you to know that I've been watching Damien for years. Waiting for the right moment."

The waiter approached, and Adrian ordered for both of us without consulting me—a habit he'd picked up from his brother, no doubt. But unlike Damien, he caught himself immediately.

"Sorry," he said, a smile touching his lips. "Old habits."

I nodded, accepting the glass of water the waiter brought. "What exactly have you been watching?"

Adrian opened the portfolio and slid it toward me. Inside were financial records—spreadsheet printouts, bank statements, transaction histories—all meticulously organized and annotated.

"Damien's been embezzling from Vance Enterprises for years," he said, his voice tight with controlled anger. "Tax evasion. Money laundering through shell companies in the Cayman Islands. Offshore accounts."

I scanned the documents, my eyes widening at the numbers. Millions. Tens of millions.

"How did you get these?" I asked, looking up at him.

"I've been the company's financial advisor for the past three years," Adrian said. "Damien thought he was keeping me sidelined, but I've had access to everything. I've been documenting it all, waiting for the right moment."

"And now?" I asked, my finger tracing a column of numbers that represented more money than most people would see in ten lifetimes.

"Now," Adrian said, leaning forward, "you have everything you need to destroy him."

I studied his face in the dim light. There was something else there—something beyond the desire to see his brother fall.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked quietly.

Adrian's eyes met mine, and for a moment, I saw vulnerability I'd never expected from a Vance.

"Because he hurt you," he said simply. "And because I've cared about you from the moment you walked into that boardroom five years ago."

The confession hung in the air between us. I remembered that day—how Adrian had been introduced as Damien's brother, the family's financial expert. How his eyes had followed me with quiet admiration while Damien had already been planning how to use me.

"Natalie," Adrian continued, his voice soft but steady, "I know this isn't the time. You're going through hell right now. But when this is over—when Damien is where he belongs—I want you to know that not all Vances are monsters."

I closed the portfolio, my mind racing with possibilities. With these documents, I could not only destroy Damien but potentially save Vance Enterprises from the fallout of his actions.

"Thank you," I said finally. "For these. And for... the rest."

Adrian nodded, understanding the weight of what had passed between us.

---

Across town, Chloe was frantically deleting her social media accounts.

"It's gone viral," she wailed, her phone clutched in her trembling hands. "They found everything."

Isabella paced behind her, her normally perfect composure cracking around the edges.

"How?" she demanded. "How did they find those hotel receipts?"

The internet had turned into a detective agency overnight. Amateur sleuths had combed through years of social media posts, credit card statements, and hotel records. What they'd found was damning.

@HotelDetective420: "Confirmed booking at the Ritz-Carlton under 'C. Vance' same night as Damien's 'business trip' to Chicago. Room upgraded to presidential suite."

@FinancialForensic: "Credit card statement shows $4,200 charge at 'Le Château' followed by $1,500 at 'Lingerie Secrets' two days before Valentine's."

The comments were relentless.

"OMG she's the sister!!"

"The plot thickens..."

"So the sister AND the mother? What a family..."

Chloe's Instagram was being systematically dismantled, screenshot by screenshot.

"Look at this," Isabella said, her voice shaking as she held up her phone. "They found your comment on his post from three years ago."

The screen showed Damien's photo from a company gala, his arm around me. The caption read: "With my beautiful wife at the Vance Enterprises annual gala."

Chloe's comment sat at the top of the thread: "You look amazing tonight. Can't wait for our dinner next week."

Three years ago. Long before the wedding.

"Everyone thinks I was sleeping with him while you were engaged," Chloe whispered, her face pale.

Isabella's own phone buzzed with notifications. Her stomach dropped as she opened Instagram to find her own past comments being dissected.

"Remember when you commented 'You're the only one who matters' on his Bahamas photo?" Chloe read aloud, her voice rising with panic. "The one where he was supposedly at a business conference?"

Isabella sank onto the couch, her legs suddenly unable to support her. "That was just... I was being friendly."

" Friendly doesn't comment on a man's abs pic with heart emojis," Chloe snapped.

The room fell silent as both women realized the magnitude of their exposure. Their phones continued to buzz with notifications—more screenshots, more accusations, more evidence of their betrayal.

"What are we going to do?" Chloe finally whispered.

Isabella stared at the wall, her mind racing. "We need to get ahead of this."

" How?" Chloe demanded.

Isabella's eyes hardened with determination. "We need to tell our side of the story before Natalie does."

Outside their apartment window, the city continued its relentless pace, unaware of the panic unfolding within. But somewhere in that vast urban landscape, I was watching, waiting, and planning my next move.

The twins inside me stirred, as if sensing the chaos unfolding.

"Soon," I whispered to them. "Very soon."