- 3 months ago
Frozen Vengeance - The Trillion-Dollar Heiress Returns
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Short filmTranscript
00:02He abandoned his dying daughter on a frozen highway, just to please another woman.
00:08He thought I had nothing, but little did he know, I'm the only heir to a trillion dollar empire.
00:14Julian, you didn't just lose your wife, you lost your whole world.
00:18When the car pulled over onto the shoulder of the interstate, I thought Julian was just stopping for a break
00:23or a driver's walk.
00:24Ava's sleeping. Don't wake her, okay?
00:27I whispered, gently pulling the fleece blanket over my daughter's small frame, Julian didn't look back.
00:32His long fingers tapped impatiently against the steering wheel.
00:35Take Ava and get out of the car.
00:36I froze, my heart skipping a beat.
00:39What?
00:40From the back seat, Sarah spoke up in that sickly sweet faux gentle tone.
00:45Honey, it's okay. We can squeeze in.
00:48Her daughter, Chloe, immediately shrieked, her voice piercing the quiet cabin.
00:52Ew, no! I'm not riding with that sick kid! She kept coughing all over the place! Gross!
00:58Julian turned around. His eyes held a coldness I had never seen before in our five years of marriage.
01:04Get out.
01:08Tiffany is on her way. Wait here.
01:10Christmas Eve, a mountain pass. 14 degrees Fahrenheit. I clung to my three-year-old daughter, watching as the SUV,
01:16our car, roared back to life.
01:18The red taillights blurred in the blinding snow. Vanishing into the darkness of the abyss, the blizzard intensified, as if
01:24trying to swallow the world whole.
01:25I huddled against the icy guardrail, shielding Ava with my own coat as the wind sliced through us like a
01:31blade.
01:35Mommy, where's Daddy? Ava whispered, her tiny voice trembling. Her cheeks were an unnatural, feverish red. Daddy went to Grandma's
01:42to get some help.
01:43I forced a smile that felt more painful than crying. Auntie Tiffany's coming for us soon.
01:48But I'm cold. Mommy, I'm so cold.
01:51I tucked her deeper into my down jacket. My phone battery dropped to 25%. I called Julian's sister.
01:57Tiffany, once, twice. Three times, she finally picked up. The background was filled with deafening EDM and the roar of
02:04a crowd. She was clearly at a rager.
02:07Claire, what's up?
02:09Tiffany, where are you? Julian said you'd come get us. We're stuck on the mountain road off Route 40.
02:14Huh. Pick you up? Tiffany paused, letting out a long, dismissive sigh.
02:19Oh, right. My brother did mention it.
02:23But I'm at a party with my friends right now. I've been drinking. I can't drive.
02:31Please, Tiffany. Ava's sick. She has a fever and it's freezing out here on the highway.
02:38Ugh. Claire, you're being way too dramatic.
02:43Waiting a bit won't kill you. My brother said Sarah and Chloe are delicate. They can't afford to get sick.
02:48So they had to go home first. You're hearty enough. A little cold air isn't going to kill you.
02:53The line went dead, but I gripped the phone. My fingertips numb to the bone. I called Julian again, straight
02:59to voicemail. Again, powered off. Ava shuddered violently in my arms.
03:03Mommy, I want to go home. I want grandma.
03:09Soon, baby. We'll be home soon.
03:13I kissed her burning forehead dotted. My eyes burned with tears, but I didn't dare close them .5 years of
03:19marriage. And I realized I never truly knew Julian.
03:22I didn't know he was capable of this level of cruelty just because Sarah's daughter called Ava dirty. He was
03:28willing to dump his wife and sick child on a deserted highway on Christmas Eve.
03:35Far off, headlights pierced the dark. I waved my arms frantically. My voice cracking as I screamed for help that
03:42a black-born raptor slowed to a crawl. The window rolled down, revealing a man in his early 20s.
03:50Do you need help?
03:51I clung to his words like a lifeline.
03:54Please, I'm begging you! Take us to the nearest hospital or rest area!
03:59The young man started to nod, but then another head popped out from the passenger seat.
04:05Claire?
04:06I froze. It was Julian's cousin, Chase. He looked at me, then at the empty, snow-covered highway.
04:13What you doing here? Where's Julian?
04:15I explained the situation in fractured, shivering sentences. Chase's face went pale with rage. He slammed his fist against the
04:23dashboard.
04:23Is he fucking crazy?! He left you and Ava out here to freeze to death?!
04:30So Sarah's daughter matter, but his own daughter doesn't?!
04:36He spat out a string of curses and turned to his friend.
04:40Come on, man! Let them get in the car! We'll make room!
04:44But the truck was already packed with four guys. The back seat was full.
04:48We're maxed out.
04:49The driver said, looking pained without a word, Chase jumped out of the truck, pulling his heavy parka tight.
04:56Take her with you. I'll wait here for the others.
05:00Chase! You can't do that!
05:02Move! Move! Now!
05:04Chase shoved me toward the warm cabin.
05:07Look at Ava.
05:09She can't hold on much longer!
05:11The moment the door closed, the blast of the heater hit me.
05:14My frozen limbs began to throb with a needle-like sting. Chase tapped the glass.
05:19Claire, call me the second you get there. I'll go get my brother.
05:22The truck pulled away, through the rear window.
05:25I watched Chase's solitary figure shrink into the white abyss until he was gone.
05:32Why throat tighten? Why own husband dumped us like trash to please his mistress.
05:36In the end, it was a distant cousin who saved us.
05:39Ava drifted off in my arms.
05:41Her breathing was terrifyingly shallow.
05:43Her cheeks are raw, inflamed red.
05:45Man, can you drive faster, my daughter?
05:48She's burning up!
05:51The driver nodded grimly and floored the gas that I tried to call Julian's sister, Tiffany.
05:57One more time, .no service.
05:59The interstate cut through the mountains.
06:01The signal was a ghost.
06:02How long before we reach the rest area?
06:05Twelve miles.
06:06But with this damn weather, it's going to take at least twenty minutes.
06:09Twenty minutes.
06:10Ava went from hot to radiating heat.
06:13Baby, wake up. Stay with Mommy.
06:16She opened her eyes, blearily.
06:17Her voice a faint rasp.
06:19Mommy, my chest hurts.
06:20I can't breathe.
06:22She burst into a bit of coughing convivial.
06:24The tiny body started that I unzipped her coat and saw her chest retractions.
06:28Her ribs sucking in with every desperate gasp, acute pneumonia.
06:31She'd had it last year.
06:33She'd spent a week in the ICU.
06:35Ava, keep your eyes on Mommy, okay?
06:38Mommy will tell you an Elsa story.
06:40Her eyes began to roll back.
06:42I pounded the window like a madwoman.
06:45Help us, please!
06:46My daughter needs help!
06:48Finally, the neon lights of a rest stop appeared through the sleep.
06:51I dialed Julian with trembling fingers.
06:56After six rings, he picked up.
06:58Hello?
06:59His background was quiet.
07:00The sound of a crackling fireplace in a cozy living room.
07:05Julian!
07:05I sobbed, my voice erect.
07:07Ava's really sick.
07:08We're running out of time.
07:09Where are you?
07:10His tone was flat, devoid of emotion.
07:15We're on a side road heading to the county hospital.
07:19Claire!
07:19He cut me off, sounding annoyed.
07:21Tiffany already told me she picked you guys up.
07:23She lied!
07:24She never showed up!
07:29No way!
07:30She posted on Instagram three minutes ago.
07:33I froze.
07:33I used the last of my battery to open the app.
07:36It was a photo Tiffany had posted.
07:38A woman's back, wearing a jacket just like mine, sat in her passenger seat.
07:42The caption read,
07:44Finally got my sister-in-law and niece.
07:46Big bro worries too much.
07:48It was an old photo of me from last winter.
07:50She was gaslighting him.
07:52She was playing with our lives.
07:55You saw the post, right?
07:57Julian said icily.
07:59So this is your new little drama?
08:01Using your own daughter to get sympathy because I brought Sarah home?
08:05It's not funny, Claire.
08:07Sarah and Chloe are having dinner with my mom.
08:09And she's finally happy.
08:10Don't fucking ruin it.
08:12Julian!
08:14She's dying!
08:16Our daughter is actually dying!
08:19I shrieked.
08:20Cut the shit.
08:21That's enough.
08:22His voice turned stone cold.
08:23It's Christmas.
08:24And you're saying shit like that?
08:25That's fucking vicious.
08:27Once Tiffany drops you off, just get some Tylenol.
08:30Stop fucking calling me.
08:31The call disconnected.
08:35I sat there, feeling the blood in my veins turn to ice.
08:38The owner looked at me through the mirror.
08:40That was your husband?
08:41I nodded, my tears turning to crusts of ice.
08:44What a fucking animal!
08:45He yanked the steering wheel.
08:46Hold on tight!
08:47I won't let a kid die in my truck!
08:50Ava's breathing grew fainter than I felt for her heartbeat.
08:54It was so weak.
08:55It felt like a hallucinated vibration.
08:59Ava, don't leave me.
09:02It's Mommy's fault.
09:03I never should have fallen in love, that monster.
09:06Trembling, I reached into a hidden pocket of my coat and pulled out a small, metallic
09:11disc engraved with a strange crest.
09:13My father gave it to me on my wedding day.
09:15He had said,
09:17Claire, if that man ever pushes you to the brink, press this.
09:21I will come take you home.
09:23I thought I'd never need it.
09:24I pressed the sensor in the center.
09:26No sound, no light.
09:28But I knew a high-frequency encrypted signal was cutting through the blizzard, heading straight
09:32to a private command center miles away.
09:35My father said that once pressed.
09:37His private medical team and security would find me anywhere on the planet.
09:40Point one thought, consume me point three hours.
09:43My father's team would take at least three hours to arrive.
09:46Can my Ava survive the next three hours?
09:52We finally reached the county hospital.
09:55I burst into the ER with Ava in my arms.
09:57My throat so raw from screaming and the cold that I couldn't make a sound.
10:01The triage nurse took one look at Ava's blue face and hit the code red.
10:10I was barred from the trauma room, through the narrow glass pane.
10:14I watched them thread tubes into Ava's tiny body.
10:17The shrill beep of the heart monitor felt like a blade twisting in my chest.
10:21Thought I collapsed in a corner of the freezing hallway, trembling uncontrollably then.
10:26My phone buzzed.
10:27Julian, I picked up but didn't speak.
10:30Claire, what's your problem now?
10:33Since Tiffany picked you up, why the hell aren't you here?
10:36My mother is waiting to start Christmas dinner.
10:39I forced the words through my parched throat.
10:41Hospital.
10:42Ava.
10:44Resuscitation.
10:45What?
10:45He paused, then let out a cold snore.
10:47Are you fucking kidding me?
10:49Just because Sarah's here, you're cursing your own daughter and pretending she's in the ICU now?
10:53Tiffany literally just posted a photo in the family chat.
10:56She said you're already on your way.
10:59I closed my eyes.
11:01tears falling silently.
11:03Julian, come to the hospital.
11:04Now.
11:06Claire.
11:06Julian's voice went dead cold.
11:08Cut the bullshit.
11:10Tiffany is my sister.
11:11She'd never lie to me.
11:13You're just insecure because you had a daughter and think your place in this family isn't safe anymore.
11:18If Ava dies because of this, Julian, I'll hate you for the rest of my life.
11:24Assume yourself.
11:25He said dismissively.
11:26If Ava is such a burden, we can settle the divorce after the holidays.
11:29You can drop her off at a state orphanage or social services for all I care.
11:33I don't need a broken legacy holding me back.
11:35He hung up.
11:36The dial tone sounded like a funeral bell.
11:38The ER door swung open.
11:41The doctor stepped out.
11:42Pulling down his mask with a weary sigh.
11:45Are you Ava's mother?
11:46I scrambled to my feet.
11:47Yes.
11:48How is she?
11:50The doctor's eyes were full of pity.
11:52We saved her life.
11:53But because of the prolonged oxygen spiration, there's significant brain damage.
11:57She may face cognitive delays or even permanent palaces.
12:01The world tilted.
12:02I had to lean against the wall to keep from collapsing.
12:05She's only three.
12:10I'm sorry.
12:11We need to transfer her to the ICU right away and proceed with surgery.
12:14Please go handle the payment first.
12:15It's going to be expensive.
12:16Okay.
12:17I staggered to the billing desk.
12:19My card was declined.
12:22Julian only gave me an $800 monthly allowance.
12:26He'd say...
12:26You stay home taking care of the kid.
12:28You don't need that much spending money.
12:29I bit my lip and called him again.
12:33Now what?
12:33The background was filled with cheerful carols and flinking glasses.
12:37Julian, Ava needs surgery.
12:39I need $50,000 now.
12:4250 grand?
12:42Julian's voice spiked.
12:44What the fuck is wrong with you, Claire?
12:45Having money doesn't mean I'll let you burn through it.
12:48You'd even make up something like this for cash?
12:50Yeah, I'm her dad.
12:51But I'm not some fucking cash machine.
12:53Besides, even if she's saved, she'll never be normal.
12:56It's a waste of money.
12:57I'm dealing with something right now, so stop fucking calling me.
13:01My mom says hospitals are bad luck, so you're not coming home for Christmas.
13:04You'll hear from my lawyer.
13:05I hung up, feeling the life drain out of me as I stood in the falling snow outside the hospital
13:11entrance.
13:14My phone buzzed.
13:16It was Chase.
13:17Claire, where are you?
13:19Julian said Tiffany got you guys?
13:21Chase.
13:22My voice was eerily calm.
13:24Do me a favor.
13:45I hung up and powered off the phone dot I walked back into the ward and looked at Ava.
13:49She looked like a broken porcelain doll.
13:52So still it shattered my soul that I leaned down and kissed her cold forehead.
13:57I'm so sorry, baby.
13:59Next time, choose a better mom.
14:01Someone who can keep you safe.
14:03I turned around and walked up to the hospital roof.
14:06The wind roared on the rooftop.
14:08The lights of the town below felt distant and mocking.
14:11If I jumped, the humiliation and pain would end.
14:14Julian would get his heir.
14:16Sarah would get her status, even if my life was worthless.
14:20I wanted my death to hang around his neck like a murder charge for the rest of his life.
14:24Dot I closed my eyes and leaned into the void, but a split second before gravity took me.
14:30A powerful hand gripped my wrist and slammed me back onto the concrete.
14:36The wind roared on the rooftop.
14:38The lights of the town below felt distant and mocking.
14:41If I jumped, the humiliation and pain would end.
14:45Julian would get his heir.
14:47Sarah would get her status, even if my life was worthless.
14:50I wanted my death to hang around his neck like a murder charge for the rest of his life.
14:55Dot I closed my eyes and leaned into the void, but a split second before gravity took me.
15:00A powerful hand gripped my wrist and slammed me back onto the concrete.
15:04Dot I fell into the slush, gasping in rage as I looked up.
15:07Dot a line of stern men in black suits stood before me.
15:10At their head was a man in his late fifties, dressed in a bespoke cashmere overcoat.
15:15As he removed his aviators, I saw his sharp eyes were bloodshot with grief.
15:20CC.
15:21He called me by the nickname I hadn't heard in years.
15:24Dot I gasped.
15:25Dad?
15:26Minutes later, three private rescue helicopters.
15:29Bearing our family crest touched down on the hospital lawn,
15:33Ava was whisked away by a world-class medical team into a mobile ICU inside the lead chopper.
15:39Intracranial pressure is spiking.
15:41Prep for immediate depression surgery.
15:43A flight medic roared into his radio.
15:47Alert the Manhattan Medical Center.
15:49Clear the penthouse OR.
15:51Green light the corridor.
15:51My father sat beside me, gripping my cold, cracked hands.
15:55His own were shaking with a mix of fury and heartbreak.
15:59I'm so sorry, Claire.
16:01Daddy's late.
16:02I watched the clouds blaze past the window.
16:05It felt like a fever dream.
16:06Dad?
16:07I thought you were living out on some farm in that tiny town?
16:10My father forced a bitter, self-reproaching smile.
16:13That little farm life?
16:15It was all to test Julian.
16:20You had to marry Julian no matter what.
16:22I was scared he only wanted you because of the Gwendolyn family's wealth.
16:27Scared all he cared about was money.
16:29That's why I hid who I really was for five years.
16:31I wanted to know whether he could truly give you a lifetime of happiness.
16:35He turned his gaze to Ava, who lay pale under an oxygen mask.
16:39His eyes burned with...
16:41But I never thought my own fucking mistake would almost get my daughter and granddaughter killed.
16:46That fucking trash!
16:48Really dare to call a Gwendolyn heir worthless?
16:50As the helicopter began its descent onto the helipad of the families.
16:55Private hospital.
16:56My father pulled out a black, unlisted phone and dialed a number.
16:59His voice was colder than an arctic glacier.
17:02Pass this down immediately.
17:03Before the markets open tomorrow,
17:05I want every asset under Julian's name fucking destroyed.
17:09Freeze every line of credit.
17:11I want him drowning in debt for the rest of his fucking life.
17:15He hung up and looked at me.
17:17Claire, I'm giving you two options.
17:20You can take this unlimited black card,
17:22leave with Ava and never look back at that piece of shit again.
17:25Or...
17:26He paused.
17:27Reclaim what's yours, piece by piece,
17:29and make him kneel in shattered glass while he begs for you back.
17:36I looked down at my frostbitten fingers and let out a shivering, cold laugh.
17:41I'm staying.
17:42But you're going to agree to one condition first.
17:45Go ahead.
17:46Get me two bodies.
17:48A woman and a small girl who died recently.
17:51I want Julian to personally believe that Ava and I froze to death that night.
17:56Fine.
17:57My father fell silent for a long time before finally nodding.
18:01The arrangement was seamless.
18:03A passing trucker made the 911.
18:05Call.
18:06The local sheriff's department contacted Julian based on the ID found on the body.
18:10When the call came in,
18:12Julian was hosting a lavish Christmas dinner with his family.
18:15Sarah sat close to him,
18:16daintily placing slices of expensive truffle on his plate.
18:20Chloe was acting the part of the perfect angel,
18:22calling Julian's mother.
18:24Grandma.
18:25Julian's mother beamed.
18:26Now that's a well-raised child.
18:28Sarah clearly knows how to teach a kid properly.
18:30Unlike the kid Claire gave birth to,
18:33Ava's always shrinking into herself like some pathetic little stray.
18:36No elegance, no confidence.
18:38Just low-class manners all over her.
18:40Julian's phone buzzed.
18:41He glanced at the screen, his brow furrowing.
18:44The sheriff?
18:46He answered.
18:48Hello?
18:49Is this Mr. Julian Lawrence?
18:51Your wife Claire and daughter Ava were traveling on I-40, correct?
18:54Julian stiffened.
18:55That's right.
18:56Is there a problem?
18:58We found two bodies in a Snowbeck off the shoulder.
19:01Preliminary cause of death is hypothermia.
19:03The female victim was carrying Claire Lawrence's ID card.
19:06There was also a young girl, about three years old.
19:09We need you to come down to the coroner's office to identify them.
19:15The silver fork slipped from Julian's hand, clattering against the china with a sharp, jarring crack.
19:21What did you say?
19:23We believe your wife and daughter may not have survived.
19:25The dining room fell into a sudden, suffocating silence, dot Julian's mother asked, irritated.
19:31Who is it?
19:31Ruining our Christmas with such depressing news.
19:34Julian stood up, his face as pale as a ghost.
19:37Claire and Ava died.
19:40By the time Julian reached the morgue, his legs could barely support his weight.
19:44The coroner led him into the frigid cold room.
19:47He pulled open the drawer, revealing two forms under white sheets, one large.
19:52One very small.
19:53The larger one wore my signature down coat.
19:56The smaller one was curled tightly into the larger one's embrace.
19:59As if seeking one last bit of warmth in a cruel world.
20:02Is this right?
20:04The officer asked softly, Julian opened his mouth.
20:07But it was as if someone were strangling him.
20:10No sound came out.
20:11He reached out with a trembling hand to touch a hand that was now covered in frost.
20:16No.
20:17It can't be.
20:19He shuddered violently, whispering to himself.
20:23Tiffany said, she said she'd pick them up.
20:25The officer glanced at his notes.
20:27We pulled the interstate cameras.
20:29Your sisters never got on the highway last night.
20:31She spent the evening circling the downtown club district before heading back to a house party.
20:35Furthermore, the victim's phone logs show she made a dozen emergency calls.
20:39The last successful connection was to you.
20:42Your wife begged you for help.
20:44She told you your daughter was dying.
20:46And you...
20:47The officer paused.
20:48His eyes filled with undisguised disgust.
20:51You told her a damaged piece of property wasn't worth a $50,000 surgery, that she might as well just
20:55die.
20:56Julian recoiled as if struck, his back slamming against the cold metal wall.
21:01I thought she was faking it.
21:03I didn't know.
21:04If you knew it was real, would you have gone?
21:07The officer stared at him icily.
21:09Julian had no answer.
21:10The sharp click of high heels echoed as Julian's mother burst in.
21:14She gave two exaggerated wails and dropped to a wheelchair.
21:16Oh my god, my poor granddaughter!
21:19This is killing grandma!
21:21She stopped crying abruptly and lowered her voice, clutching Julian's arm.
21:25Julian, look, it's a tragedy, but it's a clean slate.
21:28Claire was always below our status.
21:29Now you can marry Sarah properly.
21:31The baby she carries is going to be an heir.
21:33Mom, that's my daughter.
21:35Julian looked at her as if seeing a monster for the first time.
21:38She rolled her eyes.
21:39It was just a girl.
21:41All that matters now is that this bad luck doesn't tarnish the Lawrence name.
21:47Tell the coroner to cremate them immediately so we don't ruin tomorrow's Christmas gala.
21:51Even the seasoned officer couldn't take it.
21:55Excuse me, ma'am.
21:56That's two human lives.
21:57This is a Lawrence family matter.
22:00It's none of your business.
22:02Black mourning drapes hung over the entrance of the Lawrence estate.
22:05The memorial was relegated to the side wing.
22:07Sarah and Chloe had already moved into my primary suite,
22:11and Sarah was busy ordering the maids to toss my skin care products and clothes.
22:15Into the trash, Julian sat in a catatonic state beside the two small caskets.
22:19He had personally slapped Tiffany and kicked her out of the house.
22:23Julian!
22:24I just got drunk with friends and forgot!
22:26How was I supposed to know they were so weak?
22:27Tiffany shrieked.
22:28She was just some useless common woman.
22:30And you slapped me because of her?
22:32Julian only pointed to the door, his eyes bloodshot.
22:34Get out of my sight.
22:35You're no sister of mine.
22:38Sarah walked in, holding Chloe, her voice sickeningly sweet.
22:42Julian, let it go.
22:43Claire wouldn't want you to suffer like this.
22:45You have to think about our future.
22:47Do you know what you were doing while they were out there freezing and waiting to die?
22:50Julian looked up, surveying her as if she were a piece of trash.
22:54You know what you were doing?
22:55Shopping for her mess and complaining that my little girl was dirty.
22:59Sarah turned pale.
23:00That was your sister's fault.
23:01What does it have to do with me?
23:03On top of that, you're the one who kicked them out into the cold.
23:06Julian collapsed onto the floor, laughing like a madman.
23:09Yes, it was his own pathetic pride and arrogance that had murdered his family.
23:16Dad, I watched the scene remotely.
23:19My heart cold.
23:20Dad, let's begin.
23:23Overnight, the Lawrence group descended into hell.
23:25First, their largest partners in Europe and Asia defaulted.
23:28Then, major Wall Street firms pulled their funding.
23:32Banks circled like sharks, scenting blood.
23:35Calling in every loan simultaneously, Julian was losing his mind, living in his office.
23:40His mother called, screaming.
23:42Julian, what's going on?
23:43My cards got declined at the auction house while I was looking at diamonds.
23:47We're bankrupt, Mom.
23:48Julian's voice was utterly flat.
23:51Your house, your cars, every piece of jewelry you own.
23:53You might want to get comfortable with the idea of a public housing complex.
23:59One month later, Julian had lost everything.
24:02Sarah fled with Chloe.
24:03Taking his last bit of emergency cash and disappearing into the Manhattan rain, Julian ended up on the streets.
24:09He found manual labor on a construction site for minimum wage.
24:13At night, he slept in the abandoned, dusty sidewing of his former estate.
24:17The room that used to hold the caskets until one day, while clearing out some of my old belongings, he
24:22found a crumpled receipt.
24:23It was an invoice from a Gwendolyn-owned private surgical center.
24:27The date, four days after he thought I had died.
24:30The procedure.
24:31Minimally invasive surgery for acute pneumonia and neurological recovery, Julian's hands began to shake uncontrollably.
24:38He ran toward the remnants of our old life like a madman.
24:41Finally, outside the gates of the most exclusive private preschool in New York, he saw her.
24:46Ava was dressed in a custom school uniform.
24:49A Mickey Mouse backpack on her shoulders.
24:51Her cheeks were as rosy as apples.
24:53She was giggling as she held the hand of a suited security guard, walking toward a bulletproof Rolls Royce.
24:59Ava!
25:00Julian screamed, rushing toward her.
25:02Ava flinched, hiding behind the guard.
25:05When she recognized Julian, there was no joy, only terror and disgust.
25:09Go away!
25:10I hate you!
25:11You're the bad guy who left Mommy and me!
25:14Julian froze, as if a thousand arrows had pierced his heart.
25:19Ava, I'm Daddy!
25:21Ava shouted, her eyes watering.
25:23My Daddy is dead!
25:24Mommy said Daddy turned into a block of ice in the snow and died!
25:32The window of the Rolls Royce slid down that I sat there wearing designer sunglasses and a power suit.
25:38My aura was so cold and commanding it made me a stranger to him.
25:41Well, long time no see, Julian.
25:44Julian threw himself against the car door like a stray dog.
25:47Claire, you didn't die!
25:48You did all of this, didn't you?
25:50That's right.
25:51I removed my sunglasses, looking down at him.
25:53I didn't just want you to feel powerless.
25:55I wanted you to see that without you, we are thriving.
25:59You completely lied to me all this time!
26:02He shrieked.
26:02You made me believe you were just a poor farm girl!
26:05I opened the door slightly as the security team stepped in to wall him off.
26:09That was my father's test.
26:11If you had passed that test, you'd be a partner in the Gwendolyn Empire right now.
26:15All for Sarah, you tossed away the chance to have everything, and nearly killed my daughter in the process.
26:21Julian fell to his knees in the mud, sobbing, trying to grasp the tip of my shoe.
26:26Claire, I was wrong.
26:27Give me one more chance, for Ava's sake.
26:30You don't deserve to say her name.
26:32I rolled up the window.
26:34Security, call the police.
26:35There's a vagrant harassing the Gwendolyn Ayers.
26:39Press charges for the abandonment on the highway while you're at it.
26:43The car pulled away smoothly, leaving the broken, filthy, and regretful man far behind in the rearview mirror.
26:52Ava leaned against me, munching on her favorite strawberry chocolate.
26:57Mommy, are we going home?
26:59Yes, honey.
27:00Going home.
27:01I stroked her hair.
27:02To a home where the bad men can never find us again.
27:06I formally took the helm of Gwendolyn Glow.
27:08My father retreated to the background, spending his days gardening and fishing at his Connecticut estate, much like any retired
27:15gentleman.
27:16Occasionally, watching me button up my dark blazer for a board meeting, he would ask softly,
27:21Claire, do you still hate him?
27:23I shook my head while adjusting my cuffs.
27:27No.
27:28Hating someone takes too much energy.
27:31I have the Gwendolyn family to carry, and I have Ava.
27:34I'm not wasting another second of my life on him.
27:38And do you ever think of him?
27:40Dad, do you really think that's possible?
27:42I smiled, though it didn't reach my eyes.
27:44My father sighed, his eyes full of concern.
27:47I just feel you're keeping yourself too tight.
27:49In these past three years, I haven't seen you smile off camera, nor have you let any man get close.
27:54I set down the merger agreement.
27:56Dad, I'm doing fine.
27:57I have a career, a daughter, and power.
27:59My life is full enough.
28:00I don't need a man to clutter it up.
28:02I ended the conversation there.
28:03I had a flight to London next week.
28:05And headed toward Ava's music room, the corridor was long, lined with portraits of three centuries
28:10of Gwendolyn prestige.
28:12At the end, a melody drifted from the music room.
28:15She sat at the Steinway piano, her small hands dancing diligently across the key.
28:20She was playing twinkle, twinkle, little star.
28:23It was simple, yet every note was executed with the perfect precision that I leaned against
28:27the door frame, watching her.
28:29Three years ago, doctors said she faced permanent brain damage and paralysis.
28:34But in those three years, my father had mobilized the world's most elite medical teams and 24-hour
28:39private therapists.
28:41It was money that bought back her health.
28:42And it was the same money that had allowed me to see right through Julian's wretched soul.my
28:47phone buzzed.
28:48A text from my assistant.
28:49Ma'am, Julian's here again.
28:52He's refusing to leave.
28:54He's kneeling in the middle of the lobby, holding a sign that says,
28:57I'm sorry for the sake of our child.
28:59Talk to me.
29:03Ava leaned against me, munching on her favorite strawberry chocolate.
29:08Mommy, are we going home?
29:10Yes, honey.
29:11Going home.
29:12I stroked her hair.
29:13To a home where the bad men can never find us again.
29:17I walked to the window, looking down at the people below, who looked like ants.
29:23I closed the blinds without a hint of emotion.
29:29Get security to deal with him.
29:31If he persists, file for a restraining order.
29:33I don't want the media catching wind of this trash.
29:36I hung up, sat down beside Ava, and listened to her play the piece one more time.
29:41Mommy, your eyes are red, Ava said, stopping her play to look at me with concern that I ruffled
29:47her hair.
29:47Probably just spent too much time reading reports today.
29:51Then Ava will blow the pain away.
29:53She leaned in and blew gently on my eyes.
29:56Her breath was warm, smelling of strawberry toothpaste.
30:00Mommy, I love you, she whispered, suddenly throwing her arms around my neck.
30:05I hugged her back, the only warmth in my frozen corporate kingdom.
30:10Mommy loves you too, more than the world, more than all the trillions.
30:15I love you most.
30:16Three months later, Julian died in a low-rent studio apartment.
30:19The cause was multiple organ failure due to chronic malnutrition and cardiac arrest triggered
30:24by severe clinical depression.
30:26The news reached me while I was in my London office, preparing to sign a 10 billion pound
30:31multinational acquisition.
30:33My pen didn't tremble.
30:34It didn't even pause.
30:36I scrawled the Gwendolyn signature, closed the folder, and nodded curtly to my assistant.
30:41Noted.
30:42Contact his next of kin.
30:43If no one claims him, have the company pair a basic cremation.
30:47Don't let him take up space in the morgue.
30:48The warm winter sun streamed into the office, illuminating my hands.
30:53My ring finger, which once bore the initials of his name, now held only a massive, power-symbolizing
30:59pear-shaped diamond.
31:00There was no longer any trace of him left from that moment on.
31:03My world had no Achilles heel in the penthouse overlooking the entire city.
31:08The warm amber lights created a scene of peace and serenity.
31:11Ava finished her last note and leaped into my arms with a giggle.
31:15Mommy, will you come to the weekend carnival with me tomorrow?
31:19I leaned down and placed a mother's kiss on her forehead.
31:22A kiss that was both my softest gesture and my hardest shield.
31:26Of course, honey.
31:27Mommy is always here.