Chapter 2

When Victoria saw the numbers on the report, even James, who'd seen it all, couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.

The Cicialen Foundation alone was worth hundreds of billions, with overseas accounts scattered across the globe, and she also owned a priceless courtyard house right in the heart of the city.

These assets were enough to make anyone lose their mind.

"M-Ms. Sterling," James stammered, his voice trembling, "Are you the founder of the Cicialen Foundation?"

Victoria set the report aside and picked up her coffee, taking a slow sip.

"After my husband passed away, the foundation was transferred to my name," she said, her tone so casual that it was as if she were talking about the weather.

"Back then, Richard had graduated and needed someone to look after him, so I handed the foundation over to the vice president to manage. And as for me..." She paused and continued. "I spent the next thirty years being their maid."

James was left speechless, completely stunned. He couldn't reconcile the commanding woman in front of him with the image of a selfless, hardworking maid.

Victoria set down her coffee cup, her gaze suddenly razor-sharp. "Mr. Carter, I need you to do three things for me. First, reclaim the house my son Richard is living in and make sure they're out by tonight.

"Second, freeze every credit card I ever authorized for Richard. Third, I want to be present at tomorrow's Cicialen Foundation investment meeting."

James immediately understood what Victoria was after. He bowed respectfully and replied, "Of course, Ms. Sterling. I'll get right on it."

While Victoria was plotting her next move at the hotel, Richard and his family were totally clueless about the storm heading their way. They were still pissed off, thinking Victoria had lost her mind.

"Dad, Grandma was way out of line. We only said a couple of things to her. Did she really have to throw all the food on the floor?" Emily pouted, clearly annoyed.

Helen jumped in, stirring things up. "Yeah, Richard, your mom is getting more and more ridiculous. She's old, and now she's suddenly learning Joriman?

"Seriously, she's bored and looking for drama. I swear, being stuck at home all these years has made her go nuts."

Richard frowned, feeling pretty irritated himself. "Alright, enough. She's mad right now. After a few days, she'll calm down. Honestly, where else could she go? She'll have to come back and beg us sooner or later."

He had no clue how ridiculous the idea of her ever begging him was, especially with billions of dollars in assets under Victoria's name.

*****

The next day, Richard, Helen, and Emily dressed to impress and arrived at the Cicialen Foundation investment event. They were sure they'd finally meet the rumored chairperson, and if they could cozy up to her, wealth and status would be theirs for the taking.

Richard was already plotting his moves. When he met the chairperson, he'd make sure to show off and prove his worth.

Emily was practically bouncing with excitement, scanning the crowd and imagining what the chairperson might look like.

Helen, meanwhile, was flooding her social media with photos, bragging about being at such an exclusive event.

As they were lost in their fantasies, the lights in the hall suddenly dimmed, and a spotlight shone on the entrance. "Let's welcome the chairperson of the Cicialen Foundation, Ms. Victoria Sterling."

As the host's voice echoed through the room, Victoria stepped in wearing a tailored white suit. Every eye locked on her.

Her hair was styled to perfection, her makeup immaculate, and she exuded a commanding aura, a far cry from the plain, meek woman they'd seen yesterday.

Richard, Helen, and Emily were struck dumb, rooted to the spot as if they'd been hit by lightning.

"G-Grandma?" Emily stammered, her voice trembling with disbelief.

Helen clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide.

Richard's mind went totally blank. He couldn't process it.

How could his mom be the chairperson of the Cicialen Foundation? The legendary woman with billions of dollars to her name was actually the same woman he had always called an embarrassment to the family?

Victoria didn't even look their way. She walked straight up to the stage, grabbed the mic, and started speaking.

Her voice rang out strong and clear, commanding the attention of everyone in the hall. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. I am Victoria Sterling, chairperson of the Cicialen Foundation. Today, I have a few important announcements to make."

Her gaze swept over the three stunned faces in the crowd, and she continued, "First, I'm reclaiming the property where my son Richard and his family currently live. They have until the end of today to move out.

"Second, I'm freezing every credit card I ever authorized for Richard. Third, I'm cutting off all financial support for my granddaughter Emily and notifying her overseas university to have her withdrawn from enrollment immediately."

Every word landed like a bombshell, shaking Richard and his family to their core.

Richard finally snapped out of his shock. He rushed up to the stage, shouting at Victoria, "Mom, are you out of your mind? That's my house. How could you treat me like this?"

Helen broke down, crying out, "Victoria, this is too much. We're your family."

Emily started bawling, pleading, "Grandma, please, you can't do this. I'm your own granddaughter."

When Victoria looked at their hysterical faces, her gaze was icy, completely unmoved. "Family?"

She let out a cold laugh. "When you called me an idiot in Joriman, when you saw me as nothing but a maid who cooks and cleans, did you ever see me as family?"

She paused, then raised her voice. "Mr. Carter, go ahead and do as we discussed."

James immediately stepped forward with his legal team, presenting the documents to Richard, Helen, and Emily.

Richard stared at the stack of documents, then glanced up at his mother, who sat high above him, radiating authority.

It finally hit him that he hadn't lost the house and his credit cards. He'd also lost the unconditional love and care his mother once gave him. And he brought it all on himself.

Victoria stood on the stage, looking down at the chaos below. There was no satisfaction in revenge, only a sense of relief and peace. Finally, thirty years of enduring, thirty years of sacrifice were all coming to an end.

She knew that from this day forward, she was no longer anyone's mother or grandmother. She was Victoria, president of the Cicialen Foundation, a woman who would finally live for herself.

The road ahead was long, and with her hundreds of billions in assets, she would do things that truly mattered, exploring a brand new life that belonged only to her.

The family that once hurt her would be cut out of her world for good, nothing more than a painful memory she'd never revisit.

As Victoria spoke from the stage, her words rang out with undeniable force, each one landing in Richard and his family's ears like a cold, sharp blade, severing the last of their illusions.

Richard tried to push forward, wanting to argue, but the security guards James brought politely blocked his way. He fought and yelled, but it was like punching air. His resistance was utterly meaningless against such overwhelming power.

Helen slumped to the ground, her makeup smeared, her once-elegant clothes wrinkled and messy. Gone was the glamorous woman everyone admired.

Emily was crying uncontrollably, her world shattered. She couldn't believe that the study abroad experience she'd always bragged about was actually funded by her grandmother. Now, with that support ruthlessly cut off, her academic journey was over.

The other guests in the hall were left speechless by the dramatic turn of events, and soon the room buzzed with gossip.

"Wait, that's the president of the Cicialen Foundation? She really kept such a low profile."

"Can you believe her son's family actually did that to their own mother?"

"Man, things are about to get interesting."

Victoria ignored the chaos below. She gave James a slight nod, signaling him to take care of the follow-up. Then, with everyone's eyes on her, she turned and walked off the stage with poise, leaving behind a place she'd rather forget.

Back in her executive suite at the Karlton Hotel, Victoria took off her white suit and slipped into something cozy.

She walked over to the window, gazing out at the still-bustling financial district, and let out a long, deep breath. It was a breath she'd been holding for thirty years.

Just then, the butler knocked and came in, holding a tablet. "Ms. Sterling, your son Richard keeps trying to contact you, and a group of media outlets wants interviews too."

Victoria waved her hand. "Don't bother with them. How's Mr. Carter handling things?"

The butler said, "Mr. Carter has already taken care of everything. Richard and his family need to move out of the house today, and their credit cards are already frozen.

"As for Emily's school withdrawal paperwork, Mr. Carter is taking care of that, too."

"Okay." Victoria nodded. "And one more thing. Look into Charles Grant, the vice president of the Cicialen Foundation."

The butler paused for a moment, then replied, "Of course, Ms. Sterling. I'll get right on it."

Victoria suddenly wanted to dig into Charles because a thought flashed through her mind while she was on stage.

She'd left the foundation in Charles's hands for thirty years.

Had everything really gone exactly as she had envisioned? Was Richard's business truly quietly bankrolled by the foundation, or was there something deeper at play?

Once that suspicion took hold, it grew like wild vines, impossible to shake. The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt.

With someone like Charles running a hundred-billion-dollar foundation for thirty years, it was hard to believe he hadn't had a single selfish motive.

She had always thought Richard was nothing special, yet in her opinion, he could not have survived so long in the business by sheer luck.