Julianโs breath hitched. He looked up from the document, his eyes wide with absolute horror as he looked at Evelyn, then at Maya.
"Maya..." Julian stammered, his arrogant demeanor completely shattered. He took a desperate step toward his wife, reaching his hands out. "Maya, please... you know I love you! Victoria manipulated the filings! I was doing this to secure our baby's financial future!"
Victoria turned on him instantly, her eyes flashing with fury. "What did you just say?! You coward! You drafted the transfer schedules yourself!"
"Shut up, Victoria!" Julian shouted, turning his head to glare at his mistress before looking back at Maya with tears of panic welling in his own eyes. "Maya, talk to your mother! Tell her to lift the freeze! If the market opens tomorrow with Vance Capital's assets frozen, the firm will go into forced liquidation by noon!"
Maya stood tall beside her mother. She wiped the tears from her face, her hand resting firmly on her pregnant belly.
The sorrow and despair that had gripped her moments ago had vanished, replaced by an unshakeable sense of clarity and dignity.