Chapter 5: The Purge of the Estate
The arrest of Victoria Harper was the lead story on every business and news outlet in the country for a week. The tech billionaire’s wife caught in a multi-billion-dollar espionage sting was prime fodder for the media, but inside the Lake Forest estate, Daniel ensured the curtains were closed to the circus outside.
The first thing Daniel did was fire the security firm that had failed to monitor the secondary keycard access. He then initiated a sweeping legal process to annul the marriage on the grounds of fraud, ensuring Victoria wouldn't receive a single penny of his wealth, nor would she ever be allowed within five miles of his daughters again.
Two weeks after the arrest, the house felt entirely different.
Daniel stood in the secondary catering kitchen. The stacks of copper pots were gone, replaced by a massive, colorful array of baking ingredients—flour, sugar, sprinkles, and bowls of bright pink frosting.
Margaret stood by the oven, smiling warmly as Sophie, wearing a giant chef's hat that fell over her eyes, enthusiastically stirred a bowl of cake batter. Lily sat at the counter, laughing as a stray puff of flour hit her father’s expensive cashmere sweater.
Daniel didn't wipe the flour away. He smiled, leaning over to kiss the top of Sophie's head.
"Dad," Lily said quietly, sliding next to him. "Are you going to have to go back to New York soon?"
Daniel reached into his pocket and pulled out a heavy piece of plastic—his corporate ID badge—and dropped it directly into the kitchen trash can.
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"I resigned as CEO this morning, Lily," Daniel said gently, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "I'm taking the Chairman position. No more late-night flights. No more missing dinners. From now on, my only job is being here with you and Sophie."
Lily’s eyes widened, a brilliant, beautiful smile breaking across her face—the first genuine smile Daniel had seen since his wife Emily had passed away. She threw her arms around his neck, holding on tight.
