He held Ava protectively against him, careful not to wake her, but his face was unrecognizable—twisted with grief and fury.
“You drove her away. Pregnant. Alone. Into a place with nothing. Because of you, my daughter was born in poverty—and the woman I loved died because no one could afford to save her!”
Staff and security had gathered below, frozen in shock.
Adrian turned to them.
“Get her out of my house.”
Victoria’s face drained. “You can’t do this. My family—”
“I don’t care,” Adrian cut in coldly. “Tomorrow, every business tie between our families is gone. And if you ever come near my daughter or Emily again, I’ll make sure you regret it in ways money can’t fix. Take her out.”
The guards didn’t hesitate.
They dragged her away as she screamed, fought, and lost every ounce of the elegance she once carried.
The front doors slammed shut.
And for the first time, the silence that followed didn’t feel suffocating.
It felt… honest.
Adrian slowly dropped to his knees, still holding Ava.
The powerful man who controlled half the city broke completely, tears streaming down his face.
“I’m sorry, Rachel…,” he whispered, his voice breaking as he touched the baby’s cheek. “I should have protected you.”