PART 5: THE FALL OF CROSS HOLDINGS
The fallout from the gala was instantaneous and absolute. By 8:00 AM the following morning, Cross Holdings was a dead entity. The board of directors issued a formal statement stripping Julian of his title and cooperating fully with federal prosecutors. Julian and Vivian were arrested at their estate attempting to pack high-value art pieces into a rental truck. The image of Julian in handcuffs, his tuxedo from the night before rumpled and stained, was splashed across every front page in the country.
But I didn't care about the news cycles anymore. My focus shifted entirely to the hospital room.
Two days after the gala, the stress of the ordeal caught up with my body. Contractions started early, a sharp, sudden wave that brought me to my knees in the penthouse suite. Within minutes, I was transferred to the private medical wing.
The labor was grueling, lasting fourteen hours. There were moments when the pain overwhelmed me, when the memories of the cold marble foyer and Julian’s looming shadow threatened to pull me back into fear. But every time my breath hitched, my father was there, holding one hand, while Eleanor held the other. I wasn't alone anymore. I had an army of love behind me.
At 4:22 AM, a loud, clear cry filled the delivery room.
The doctor lifted a beautiful, healthy baby girl into the light. She had a dusting of dark hair and eyes that opened immediately, looking around the room with a fierce, independent curiosity.
"She's perfect, Mara," the nurse whispered, placing the baby gently onto my chest.
The moment her skin touched mine, the last remnants of the Cross family's poison washed away. I looked down at her, my tears falling softly onto her forehead. She was safe. She would never know the sound of a locked door, a whispered threat, or a hand raised in anger.
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"Her name is Iris," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "Iris Lark Vance. A new beginning."
My father leaned down, kissing my forehead before touching Iris's tiny, perfect hand. "She has her mother's strength," he said softly, his eyes bright with tears. "And she will have the world."
