“Audrey,” she said, her voice dripping with condescension as she walked into the room, her diamond bracelets clinking like armor. “You always did have an impeccable sense of dramatic timing. But this is a corporate headquarters, not a daytime soap opera. Take your child and speak to our legal department on the lower floor.”
“The legal department is currently being detained by federal auditors, mother,” Dominic said, his voice entirely flat as he finally stood up. He didn’t look at her; his eyes remained fixed on the cream envelope containing Lily’s birth certificate. “Why did security block her from the building six months ago?”
Victoria didn’t blink. “She was an emotional distraction during the acquisition of the Crestwood portfolio. I managed a human resources liability. It was a standard corporate insulation strategy.”
“She was pregnant with my daughter!” Dominic suddenly roared, the sound slamming against the glass walls of the boardroom. It was the first time I had ever heard him lose absolute control of his frequency. “You didn’t insulate me from a liability, mother. You systematically erased my child from the corporate ledger!”
