The judge looked at me with quiet respect. “Mrs. Vance, are you safe tonight?”
I breathed in deeply, feeling the air fill my lungs completely. For years, safety had felt like a word meant only for other women.
“Yes, Your Honor,” I said. “I am now.”
A New Chapter
Six months later, I stood on the top floor of the corporate headquarters, watching the sunrise spill brilliant gold across the city skyline.
The company had an entirely new name: Sterling Medical Systems, named after my mother’s family line.
Julian was currently awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to federal fraud and aggravated assault. Nora had taken a plea deal, losing every single luxury she had ever stolen from my life. Their faces still appeared in the local business headlines, but I no longer read them.
I had significantly better things to build.
A young engineer knocked softly on my office door. “Ms. Sterling? The board of directors is ready for you.”
