Chapter 5 - Labor and New Beginnings
Two weeks before her due date, Vivienne’s water broke in the middle of the night.
Unlike the chaotic, stressful environment she had endured during her marriage, her labor was handled with the utmost luxury and care. She was flown via private helicopter to the Vance Medical Center, a state-of-the-art facility founded by her grandfather.
Alexander Vance stood outside the delivery room, pacing the floor like a nervous tiger, threatening to fire the chief of medicine if his daughter experienced even an ounce of unnecessary discomfort.
Inside the room, Vivienne pushed through the pain, surrounded by a team of top-tier medical professionals. She didn't look for Dominic. She didn't wish his family was there. She felt an overwhelming sense of power. She was a Vance. She was strong.
With one final effort, the quiet of the delivery room was broken by a sharp, healthy cry.
"It’s a girl, Ms. Vance," the doctor said, smiling warmly as they placed the beautiful, dark-haired baby girl onto Vivienne's chest.
Tears streamed down Vivienne’s face as she looked at her daughter. The baby had her eyes—clear, bright, and resilient.
Alexander entered the room quietly, his tough exterior completely crumbling at the sight of his granddaughter. He sat on the edge of the bed, gently wiping a tear from Vivienne’s cheek. "She's beautiful, Viv. What are you going to name her?"
Vivienne smiled, kissing the baby’s soft forehead. "Her name is Victoria. Victoria Vance. Because she represents our victory over everything that tried to break us."
Alexander choked up, nodding in agreement. "Victoria Vance. The future of our empire."
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Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, in a cramped, two-bedroom apartment that the Montgomery family had been forced to rent after losing their estate, Dominic sat alone in the dark. He held a tabloid magazine in his hands. The front page featured a beautifully shot photograph of Vivienne leaving the hospital, looking radiant, holding a baby wrapped in a cashmere blanket, flanked by her billionaire father and elite security.
Dominic stared at the child he would never hold, the wife he had failed to protect, and the life of absolute luxury and love he had thrown away because of his own weakness and silence. He wept quietly, but there was no one left to hear him.
