Chapter 3

"I'm here for them," Julian said, getting straight to the point.

He glanced around my sprawling estate, taking in the floor-to-ceiling windows and the priceless art on the walls. A hint of nostalgia crossed his face. "So... you built all of this yourself, step by step?"

"Did you think someone else would do it for me?" I replied evenly.

His gaze lingered on me, and he let out a soft sigh. "What happened back then... I was a bit impulsive. I should have listened to you."

"And who exactly are you here for?" I asked, refusing to entertain his pity.

Julian paused. The girl who used to cling to his arm and call him "my love" was now meeting his gaze with cold indifference.

He sighed again. "I spoiled them. You know how much Eleanor and I adore Seraphina. She and Isabella haven't eaten anything since you humiliated them yesterday."

"Humiliated?" I set my coffee cup down, my gaze steady. "Julian, since when do I need your permission to handle my own family affairs?"

"That's not what I meant..." Julian shifted uncomfortably. "But it's obvious to everyone. You're doing this for revenge."

I smiled. "If that's how you want to see it, then yes, I am."

"But at the end of the day, aren't you just bitter that I didn't marry you?" Julian's voice grew desperate.

"What happened back then is in the past. If you want revenge, take it out on me! Don't make things difficult for an innocent mother and daughter! Tell me what you want. I'll give you half my fortune if it means Isabella gets to marry Alex!"

I stared at him in utter disbelief. Then, I laughed.

"Julian. You're a self-made man."

He froze, then turned his face away with a heavy sigh.

"You swore you would never let yourself live in poverty again. And now you're willing to give up half your fortune? For them?"

He sighed deeply. "They are... worth more than wealth."

I stopped laughing. The irony stung.

I love you more than wealth.

He had said those exact words to me twenty years ago.

Julian was ultimately escorted out. As he left, he kept looking back. "Are you sure we can't negotiate? My offer wasn't a joke. Victoria, please. They are heartbroken."

I just stared out the window.

What about me? I thought. What about the twenty-year-old girl who knelt on the floor, crying and begging, saying she was framed?

Not long after Julian left, there was another visitor.

The moment the door opened, both of us froze.

Dorian Thorne. The man who was in bed with me that fateful night.

For twenty years, he had believed I drugged him. And for twenty years, he had remained unmarried, just like me.

"I didn't expect you to show up," I said, breaking the silence.

Dorian sat down across from me, his expression complicated as he glanced around my home. He was a ruggedly handsome man, the kind of man who only grew more distinguished with age.

"I didn't expect you to be this stubborn," he said.

"Excuse me?"

"Alex is our son. I just found out yesterday."

I didn't respond.

"That night..." he prompted, referring to the night my mother set us up.

I shook my head.

Dorian sighed. "You don't have to deny it. I get it."

"I'm telling you the truth," I said.

He looked at me, his expression softening in exasperation. "You've always been stubborn. But you should know, the reason I've stayed single all these years... it's because of you."

I silently sipped my coffee.

"Making things difficult for Seraphina and Isabella... honestly, it's a bit too much."

"Do you want to interfere in my family affairs too?" I shot him a cold glare.

He let out a long breath. "Victoria. Strictly speaking, Alex is my son. This is my family affair."

"I told you, he's not yours."

Dorian looked at me, his tone firm. "Victoria, I have eyes. That boy looks exactly like me."

I almost laughed. Dorian was the rugged, broad-shouldered type. So was Alex.

"He's your type," I said. "But you're not the only broad-shouldered man in the world, Mr. Thorne. You're overthinking it."

Dorian sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. I admit defeat. I'll marry you."

I blinked, entirely caught off guard.

He looked at me, his expression dead serious. "Victoria, if this is what you want—if this is the only way to resolve this—then I accept. We can go to the courthouse today. What do you say?"

I was utterly speechless for a solid ten seconds.

"Even though my heart will probably never belong entirely to you, I will do my best to be a responsible husband," he added.

I couldn't take it anymore.

"Get out," I said.

"Victoria!" Dorian stood up, frowning. "Do you really have to keep targeting Seraphina and Isabella?!"

"Get out!" I repeated, my voice firm.

Dorian looked at me as if I were insane. But my security team quickly swarmed him and escorted him out.

I rubbed my temples, exhausted. "If anyone else comes to see me, tell them to leave!"

But the next morning, my assistant knocked on my door again.

"Ms. Sinclair, there's a guest at the gate demanding to see you. She says... she is your mother."