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Frozen Vengeance: The Trillion-Dollar Heiress Returns - Ep | Billionaire Revenge, Heiress ✅ FULL [Eng Sub]
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00:00He abandoned his dying daughter on a frozen highway, just to please another woman.
00:05He thought I had nothing, but little did he know, I'm the only heir to a trillion dollar empire.
00:11Julian, you didn't just lose your wife, you lost your whole world.
00:15When the car pulled over onto the shoulder of the interstate, I thought Julian was just stopping for a break
00:21or a driver's swap.
00:22Ava's sleeping, don't wake her, okay?
00:24I whispered, gently pulling the fleece blanket over my daughter's small frame, Julian didn't look back.
00:29His long fingers tapped impatiently against the steering wheel.
00:32Take Ava and get out of the car.
00:34I froze, my heart skipping a beat.
00:37What?
00:38From the back seat, Sarah spoke up in that sickly sweet faux gentle tone.
00:42Honey, it's okay, we can squeeze in.
00:45Her daughter, Chloe, immediately shrieked, her voice piercing the quiet cabin.
00:50Ew, no, I'm not riding with that sick kid!
00:52She kept coughing all over the place, gross!
00:56Julian turned around.
00:57His eyes held a coldness I had never seen before in our five years of marriage.
01:01Get out.
01:05Tiffany is on her way.
01:07Wait here.
01:08Christmas Eve.
01:08A mountain pass.
01:0914 degrees Fahrenheit.
01:11I clung to my three-year-old daughter, watching as the SUV, our car, roared back to life.
01:15The red taillights blurred in the blinding snow.
01:17Vanishing into the darkness of the abyss, the blizzard intensified.
01:20As if trying to swallow the world whole, I huddled against the icy guardrail.
01:25Shielding Ava with my own coat, as the wind spliced through us like a blade.
01:32Mommy, where's daddy?
01:33Ava whispered, her tiny voice trembling.
01:36Her cheeks were an unnatural, feverish red.
01:38Daddy went to grandma's to get some help.
01:40I forced a smile that felt more painful than crying.
01:42Auntie Tiffany's coming for us soon.
01:45But I'm cold.
01:47Mommy, I'm so cold.
01:48I tucked her deeper into my down jacket.
01:50My phone battery dropped to 25%.
01:53I called Julian's sister.
01:55Tiffany once, twice.
01:56Three times, she finally picked up.
01:59The background was filled with deafening EDM and the roar of a crowd.
02:02She was clearly at a rager.
02:04Claire, what's up?
02:06Tiffany, where are you?
02:08Julian said you'd come get us.
02:09We're stuck on the mountain road off Route 40.
02:11Huh, pick you up?
02:13Tiffany paused, letting out a long, dismissive sigh.
02:16Oh, right.
02:17My brother did mention it.
02:21But I'm at a party with my friends right now.
02:23I've been drinking.
02:24I can't drive.
02:28Please, Tiffany.
02:30Ava's sick.
02:31She has a fever, and it's freezing out here on the highway.
02:35Ugh, Claire, you're being way too dramatic.
02:41Waiting a bit won't kill you.
02:42My brother said Sarah and Chloe are delicate.
02:44They can't afford to get sick, so they had to go home first.
02:47You're hearty enough.
02:48A little cold air isn't going to kill you.
02:50The line went dead.
02:51I gripped the phone.
02:53My fingertips numb to the bone.
02:55I called Julian again, straight to voicemail.
02:57Again, powered off.
02:58Ava shuddered violently in my arms.
03:00Mommy, I want to go home.
03:03I want grandma.
03:06Soon, baby.
03:08We'll be home soon.
03:10I kissed her burning forehead.
03:12My eyes burned with tears.
03:14But I didn't dare close them .5 years of marriage.
03:17And I realized I never truly knew Julian.
03:19I didn't know he was capable of this level of cruelty just because Sarah's daughter called Ava dirty.
03:24He was willing to dump his wife and sick child on a deserted highway on Christmas Eve.
03:32Far off, headlights pierced the dark.
03:34I waved my arms frantically, my voice cracking and I screamed for help down a black-born raptor slow to
03:41a crawl.
03:42The window rolled down, revealing a man in his early 20s.
03:47Do you need help?
03:48I clung to his words like a lifeline.
03:51Please, I'm begging you.
03:53Take us to the nearest hospital or rest area.
03:56The young man started to nod.
03:58But then another head popped out from the passenger seat.
04:02Claire?
04:03I froze.
04:05It was Julian's cousin, Chase.
04:07He looked at me, then at the empty, snow-covered highway.
04:10What you doing here?
04:11Where's Julian?
04:13I explained the situation in fractured, shivering sentences.
04:17Chase's face went pale with rage.
04:19He slammed his fist against the dashboard.
04:21Is he fucking crazy?
04:22He left you and Ava out here to freeze to death?
04:28So Sarah's daughter matter, but his own daughter doesn't?
04:33He spat out a string of curses and turned to his friend.
04:38Come on, man.
04:39Let them get in the car.
04:40We'll make room.
04:41But the truck was already packed with four guys.
04:44The back seat was full.
04:45We're maxed out.
04:46The driver said, looking pained without a word, Chase jumped out of the truck, pulling his heavy parka tight.
04:53Take her with you.
04:54I'll wait here for the others.
04:58Chase!
04:58You can't do that!
05:00Move!
05:01Now!
05:01Chase shoved me toward the warm cabin.
05:04Look at Ava.
05:06She can't hold on much longer!
05:08The moment the door closed, the blast of the heater hit me.
05:12My frozen limbs began to throb with a needle-like sting.
05:15Chase tapped the glass.
05:16Claire, call me the second you get there.
05:18I'll go get my brother.
05:19The truck pulled away, through the rear window.
05:22I watched Chase's solitary figure shrink into the white abyss until he was gone.
05:29My throat tightened.
05:31My own husband dumped us like trash to please his mistress.
05:34In the end, it was a distant cousin who saved us.
05:36Ava drifted off in my arms.
05:38Her breathing was terrifyingly shallow.
05:40Her cheeks are raw, inflamed red.
05:42Man, can you drive faster, my daughter?
05:46She's burning up!
05:49The driver nodded grimly and floored the gas that I tried to call Julian's sister, Tiffany.
05:54One more time, .no service, the interstate cut through the mountains.
05:58The signal was a ghost.
06:00How long before we reach the rest area?
06:0112 miles, but with this damn weather, it's going to take at least 20 minutes.
06:0620 minutes.
06:07Ava went from hot to radiating heat.
06:11Baby, wake up.
06:12Stay with Mommy.
06:13She opened her eyes, blearily.
06:15Her voice a faint rasp.
06:16Mommy, my chest hurts.
06:17I can't breathe.
06:19She burst into a bit of coughing convivial in her kind of body.
06:22I unzipped her coat and saw her chest retractions.
06:25Her ribs sucking in with every desperate gasp, acute pneumonia.
06:28She'd had it last year.
06:30She'd spent a week in the ICU.
06:32Ava, keep your eyes on Mommy, okay?
06:35Mommy will tell you an Elsa story.
06:37Her eyes began to roll back.
06:39I pounded the window like a mad woman.
06:42Help us, please!
06:43My daughter needs help!
06:45Finally, the neon lights of a rest stop appeared through the suite.
06:48I dialed Julian with trembling fingers.
06:53After six rings, he picked up.
06:56Hello?
06:56His background was quiet.
06:57The sound of a crackling fireplace in a cozy living room.
07:02Julian!
07:03I sobbed, my voice erect.
07:04Ava's really sick.
07:05We're running out of time.
07:07Where are you?
07:07His tone was flat, devoid of emotion.
07:13We're on a side road heading to the county hospital.
07:16Claire!
07:16He cut me off, sounding annoyed.
07:18Tiffany already told me she picked you guys up.
07:20She lied!
07:22She never showed up!
07:26No way!
07:27She posted on Instagram three minutes ago.
07:29I froze.
07:31I used the last of my battery to open the app.
07:33It was a photo Tiffany had posted.
07:36A woman's back, wearing a jacket just like mine, sat in her passenger seat.
07:40The caption read,
07:41Finally got my sister-in-law and niece.
07:43Big bro worries too much.
07:45It was an old photo of me from last winter.
07:48She was gaslighting him.
07:49She was playing with our lives.
07:52You saw the post, right?
07:54Julian said icily.
07:56So this is your new little drama?
07:58Using your own daughter to get sympathy because I brought Sarah home?
08:02It's not funny, Claire.
08:04Sarah and Chloe are having dinner with my mom.
08:06And she's finally happy.
08:08Don't fucking ruin it.
08:09Julian!
08:11She's dying!
08:13Our daughter is actually dying!
08:16I shrieked.
08:17Cut the shit.
08:18That's enough.
08:19His voice turned stone cold.
08:20It's Christmas, and you're saying shit like that?
08:22That's fucking vicious.
08:24Once Tiffany drops you off, just get some Tylenol.
08:27Stop fucking calling me.
08:28The call disconnected.
08:32I sat there.
08:33Feeling the blood in my veins turn to ice,
08:36the owner looked at me through the mirror.
08:37That was your husband?
08:38I nodded.
08:39My tears turning to crusts of ice.
08:41What a fucking animal!
08:43He yanked the steering wheel.
08:44Hold on tight!
08:44I won't let a kid die in my truck!
08:48Ava's breathing grew fainter, but I felt for her heartbeat.
08:51It was so weak.
08:52It felt like a hallucinated vibration.
08:57Ava, don't leave me.
08:59It's mommy's fault.
09:01I never should have fallen in love with that monster.
09:04Trembling, I reached into a hidden pocket of my coat
09:06and pulled out a small, metallic disc engraved with a strange crest.
09:10My father gave it to me on my wedding day.
09:13He had said,
09:15Claire, if that man ever pushes you to the brink, press this.
09:19I will come take you home.
09:20I thought I'd never need it.
09:21I pressed the sensor in the center.
09:24No sound, no light, but I knew a high-frequency encrypted signal was cutting through the blizzard,
09:29heading straight to a private command center miles away.
09:32My father said that once pressed,
09:34his private medical team and security would find me anywhere on the planet.
09:38Point one thought, consume me point three hours.
09:40My father's team would take at least three hours to arrive.
09:44Can my Ava survive the next three hours?
09:49We finally reached the county hospital.
09:52I burst into the ER with Ava in my arms.
09:55My throat so raw from screaming and the cold that I couldn't make a sound.
09:58The triage nurse took one look at Ava's blue face and hit the code red.
10:03Pediatric emergency, three-year-old, acute pneumonia, heart rate dropping, prep for intubation.
10:08I was barred from the trauma room, through the narrow glass pane.
10:12I watched them thread tubes into Ava's tiny body.
10:14The shrill beep of the heart monitor felt like a blade twisting in my chest.
10:18Dot, I collapsed in a corner of the freezing hallway, trembling uncontrollably then.
10:23My phone buzzed.
10:25Julian, I picked up but didn't speak.
10:27Claire, what's your problem now?
10:31Since Tiffany picked you up, why the hell aren't you here?
10:33My mother is waiting to start Christmas dinner.
10:36I forced the words through my parched throat.
10:38Hospital? Ava? Resuscitation?
10:42What?
10:42He paused, then let out a cold snort.
10:45Are you fucking kidding me?
10:46Just because Sarah's here, you're cursing your own daughter and pretending she's in the ICU now?
10:50Tiffany literally just posted a photo in the family chat.
10:53She said you're already on your way.
10:56I closed my eyes, tears falling silently.
11:00Julian, come to the hospital.
11:02Now.
11:03Claire.
11:03Julian's voice went dead cold.
11:05Cut the bullshit.
11:07Tiffany is my sister.
11:08She'd never lie to me.
11:10You're just insecure because you had a daughter and think your place in this family isn't safe anymore.
11:16If Ava dies because of this, Julian, I'll hate you for the rest of my life.
11:21Assume yourself.
11:22He said dismissively.
11:23If Ava is such a burden, we can settle the divorce after the holidays.
11:26You can drop her off at a state orphanage or social services for all I care.
11:30I don't need a broken legacy holding me back.
11:32He hung up.
11:33The dial tone sounded like a funeral bell.
11:36The ER door swung open.
11:38The doctor stepped out, pulling down his mask with a weary sigh.
11:42Are you Ava's mother?
11:43I scrambled to my feet.
11:45Yes.
11:45How is she?
11:47The doctor's eyes were full of pity.
11:49We saved her life.
11:50But because of the prolonged oxygen spiration, there's significant brain damage.
11:54She may face cognitive delays or even permanent palaces.
11:58The world tilted.
12:00I had to lean against the wall to keep from collapsing.
12:03She's only three.
12:07I'm sorry.
12:08We need to transfer her to the ICU right away and proceed with surgery.
12:11Please go handle the payment first.
12:12It's going to be expensive.
12:14Okay.
12:14I staggered to the billing desk.
12:17My card was declined.
12:19Julian only gave me an $800 monthly allowance.
12:23He'd say...
12:23You stay home, taking care of the kid.
12:25You don't need that much spending money.
12:27I bit my lip and called him again.
12:30Now what?
12:31The background was filled with cheerful carols and flinking glasses.
12:34Julian, Ava needs surgery.
12:36I need $50,000 now.
12:3950 grand?
12:40Julian's voice spiked.
12:41What the fuck is wrong with you, Claire?
12:43Having money doesn't mean I'll let you burn through it.
12:45You'd even make up something like this for cash?
12:47Yeah.
12:47I'm her dad.
12:49But I'm not some fucking cash machine.
12:51Besides, even if she's saved, she'll never be normal.
12:53It's a waste of money.
12:55I'm dealing with something right now, so stop fucking calling me.
12:58My mom says hospitals are bad luck, so you're not coming home for Christmas.
13:01You'll hear from my lawyer.
13:03I hung up.
13:04Feeling the life drain out of me as I stood in the falling snow outside the hospital entrance.
13:12It was Chase.
13:14Claire, where are you?
13:16Julian said Tiffany got you guys?
13:19Chase.
13:19My voice was eerily calm.
13:21Do me a favor.
13:23Just say it.
13:24Anything.
13:25If I don't make it, promise me you'll take care of Ava.
13:29Julian never wanted her, and I've run out of ways to save her.
13:32If you can't raise her either, then send her far away.
13:36Just don't let Julian find her.
13:38Claire, don't act rashly, okay?
13:40Just stay where you are and wait for me.
13:42I hung up and powered off the phone that I walked back into the ward and looked at Ava.
13:47She looked like a broken porcelain doll.
13:50So still it shattered my soul that I leaned down and kissed her cold forehead.
13:54I'm so sorry, baby.
13:56Next time, choose a better mom.
13:58Someone who can keep you safe.
14:00I turned around and walked up to the hospital roof.
14:03The wind roared on the rooftop.
14:05The lights of the town below felt distant and mocking.
14:08If I jumped, the humiliation and pain would end.
14:12Julian would get his air.
14:14Sarah would get her status.
14:15Even if my life was worthless, I wanted my death to hang around his neck like a murder
14:20charge for the rest of his life.
14:22I closed my eyes and leaned into the void.
14:24But a split second before gravity took me.
14:27A powerful hand gripped my wrist and slammed me back onto the concrete.
14:33The wind roared on the rooftop.
14:35The lights of the town below felt distant and mocking.
14:39If I jumped, the humiliation and pain would end.
14:42Julian would get his air.
14:44Sarah would get her status.
14:46Even if my life was worthless, I wanted my death to hang around his neck like a murder
14:50charge for the rest of his life.
14:52I closed my eyes and leaned into the void.
14:55But a split second before gravity took me.
14:57A powerful hand gripped my wrist and slammed me back onto the concrete.
15:01I fell into the slush.
15:03Gasping in rage as I looked up.
15:05A line of stern men in black suits stood before me.
15:07At their head was a man in his late 50s.
15:10Dressed in a bespoke cashmere overcoat.
15:12As he removed his aviators, I saw his sharp eyes were bloodshot with grief.
15:17Cece.
15:18He called me by the nickname I hadn't heard in years that I gasped.
15:22Dad?
15:23Minutes later, three private rescue helicopters.
15:26Bearing our family crest touched down on the hospital lawn,
15:30Ava was whisked away by a world-class medical team into a mobile ICU inside the lead chopper.
15:37Intracranial pressure is spiking.
15:38Prep for immediate depression surgery.
15:40A flight medic.
15:42Roared into his radio.
15:44Alert the Manhattan Medical Center!
15:46Clear the penthouse OR!
15:48Green light the corridor!
15:49My father sat beside me, gripping my cold, cracked hands.
15:53His own were shaking with a mix of fury and heartbreak.
15:56I'm so sorry, Claire.
15:58Daddy's late.
15:59I watched the clouds blaze past the window.
16:02It felt like a fever dream.
16:03Dad?
16:05I thought you were living out on some farm in that tiny town?
16:07My father forced a bitter, self-reproaching smile.
16:11That little farm life?
16:12It was all to test Julian.
16:17You had to marry Julian no matter what.
16:19I was scared he only wanted you because of the Gwendolyn family's wealth.
16:24Scared all he cared about was money.
16:26That's why I hid who I really was for five years.
16:29I wanted to know whether he could truly give you a lifetime of happiness.
16:32He turned his gaze to Ava, who lay pale under an oxygen mask.
16:36His eyes burned with...
16:38But I never thought my own fucking mistake would almost get my daughter and granddaughter killed.
16:43That fucking trash!
16:45Really dare to call a Gwendolyn heir worthless?
16:48As the helicopter began its descent onto the helipad of the families.
16:52Private hospital, my father pulled out a black, unlisted phone and dialed a number.
16:57His voice was colder than an arctic glacier.
16:59Pass this down immediately. Before the markets open tomorrow, I want every asset under Julian's name fucking destroyed.
17:06Freeze every line of credit. I want him drowning in debt for the rest of his fucking life.
17:12He hung up and looked at me.
17:14Claire, I'm giving you two options.
17:17You can take this unlimited black card, leave with Ava and never look back at that piece of shit again.
17:22Or...
17:23He paused.
17:24Reclaim what's yours, piece by piece,
17:26and make him kneel in shattered glass while he begs for you back.
17:33I looked down at my frostbitten fingers and let out a shivering, cold laugh.
17:38I'm staying.
17:39But you're going to agree to one condition first.
17:42Go ahead.
17:43Get me two bodies.
17:45A woman and a small girl who died recently.
17:48I want Julian to personally believe that Ava and I froze to death that night.
17:53Fine.
17:54My father fell silent for a long time before finally nodding.
17:58The arrangement was seamless.A passing trucker made the 911.
18:02Call.
18:03The local sheriff's department contacted Julian based on the ID found on the body.
18:08When the call came in, Julian was hosting a lavish Christmas dinner with his family.
18:12Sarah sat close to him, daintily placing slices of expensive truffle on his plate.
18:17Chloe was acting the part of the perfect angel, calling Julian's mother.
18:21Grandma!
18:22Julian's mother beamed.
18:24Now that's a well-raised child.
18:25Sarah clearly knows how to teach a kid properly.
18:28Unlike the kid Claire gave birth to,
18:30Ava's always shrinking into herself like some pathetic little stray.
18:33No elegance, no confidence.
18:35Just low-class manners all over her.
18:37Julian's phone buzzed.
18:38He glanced at the screen, his brow furrowing.
18:41The sheriff?
18:43He answered.
18:45Hello?
18:46Is this Mr. Julian Lawrence?
18:48Your wife Claire and daughter Ava were traveling on I-40, correct?
18:52Julian stiffened.
18:53That's right.
18:54Is there a problem?
18:55We found two bodies in a snowback off the shoulder.
18:58Preliminary cause of death is hypothermia.
19:00The female victim was carrying Claire Lawrence's ID card.
19:03There was also a young girl about three years old.
19:06We need you to come down to the coroner's office to identify them.
19:12The silver fork slipped from Julian's hand, clattering against the china with a sharp, jarring crack.
19:19What did you say?
19:20We believe your wife and daughter may not have survived.
19:22The dining room fell into a sudden, suffocating silence.
19:26Julian's mother asked...
19:28Who is it, ruining our Christmas with such depressing news?
19:31Julian stood up, his face as pale as a ghost.
19:34Claire and Ava died.
19:37By the time Julian reached the morgue, his legs could barely support his weight.
19:42The coroner led him into the frigid cold room.
19:44He pulled open the drawer, revealing two forms under white sheets, one large, one very small.
19:50The larger one wore my signature down coat.
19:53The smaller one was curled tightly into the larger one's embrace, as if seeking one last
19:58bit of warmth in a cruel world.
20:00Is this right?
20:01The officer asked softly, Julian opened his mouth, but it was as if someone were strangling
20:06him.
20:07No sound came out.
20:09He reached out with a trembling hand to touch a hand that was now covered in frost.
20:13No.
20:15It can't be.
20:17He shuddered violently, whispering to himself.
20:20Tiffany said...
20:21She said she picked them up.
20:22The officer glanced at his nose.
20:24We pulled the interstate cameras.
20:26Your sisters never got on the highway last night.
20:28She spent the evening circling the downtown club district before heading back to a house
20:31party.
20:32Furthermore, the victim's phone logs show she made a dozen emergency calls.
20:36The last successful connection was to you.
20:39Your wife begged you for help.
20:41She told you your daughter was dying.
20:43And you...
20:44The officer paused.
20:45His eyes filled with undisguised disgust.
20:48You told her a damaged piece of property wasn't worth a $50,000 surgery that she might as well
20:52just die.
20:53Julian recoiled as if struck, his back slamming against the cold metal wall.
20:58I thought she was faking it.
21:00I didn't know.
21:02If you knew it was real, would you have gone?
21:04The officer stared at him icily.
21:06Julian had no answer.
21:07The sharp click of high heels echoed as Julian's mother burst in.
21:11She gave two exaggerated wails and dropped into a chair.
21:13Oh my god!
21:14My poor granddaughter!
21:16This is killing grandma!
21:18She stopped crying abruptly and lowered her voice, clutching Julian's arm.
21:22Julian, look, it's a tragedy, but it's a clean slate.
21:25Claire was always below our status.
21:27Now you can marry Sarah properly.
21:28The baby she carries is going to be an heir.
21:31Mom, that's my daughter.
21:32Julian looked at her as if seeing a monster for the first time.
21:35She rolled her eyes.
21:36It was just a girl.
21:38All that matters now is that this bad luck doesn't tarnish the Lawrence name.
21:44Tell the coroner to cremate them immediately so we don't ruin tomorrow's Christmas gala.
21:48Even the seasoned officer couldn't take it.
21:52Excuse me, ma'am.
21:53That's two human lives.
21:55This is a Lawrence family matter.
21:57It's none of your business.
21:59Black mourning drapes hung over the entrance of the Lawrence estate.
22:02The memorial was relegated to the side wing.
22:05Sarah and Chloe had already moved into my primary suite,
22:08and Sarah was busy ordering the maids to toss my skin care products and clothes.
22:12Into the trash, Julian sat in a catatonic state beside the two small caskets.
22:17He had personally slapped Tiffany and kicked her out of the house.
22:20Julian!
22:21I just got drunk with friends and forgot!
22:23How was I supposed to know they were so weak?
22:24Tiffany, you shrieked.
22:25She was just some useless common woman, and you slapped me because of her?
22:29Julian only pointed to the door, his eyes bloodshot.
22:31Get out of my sight.
22:33You're no sister of mine.
22:35Sarah walked in, holding Chloe, her voice sickeningly sweet.
22:39Julian, let it go.
22:41Claire wouldn't want you to suffer like this.
22:43You have to think about our future.
22:44Do you know what you were doing while they were out there, freezing and waiting to die?
22:47Julian looked up, surveying her as if she were a piece of trash.
22:51Do you know what you were doing?
22:53Shopping for her mess and complaining that my little girl was dirty.
22:56Sarah turned pale.
22:57That was your sister's fault!
22:58What does it have to do with me?
23:00On top of that, you're the one who kicked them out into the cold!
23:03Julian collapsed onto the floor, laughing like a madman.
23:07Yes, it was his own pathetic pride and arrogance that had murdered his family.
23:13I watched the scene remotely.
23:16My heart cold.
23:17Dad, let's begin.
23:20Overnight, the Lawrence group descended into hell.
23:23First, their largest partners in Europe and Asia defaulted.
23:26Then, major Wall Street firms pulled their funding.
23:29Banks circled like sharks, scenting blood.
23:32Calling in every loan simultaneously, Julian was losing his mind, living in his office.
23:37His mother called, screaming.
23:39Julian, what's going on?
23:41My cards got declined at the auction house while I was looking at diamonds!
23:44We're bankrupt, Mom.
23:46Julian's voice was utterly flat.
23:48Your house, your cars, every piece of jewelry you own.
23:50You might want to get comfortable with the idea of a public housing complex.
23:56One month later, Julian had lost everything.
23:59Sarah fled with Chloe.
24:01Taking his last bit of emergency cash and disappearing into the Manhattan rain, Julian ended up on the streets.
24:07He found manual labor on a construction site for minimum wage.
24:10At night, he slept in the abandoned, dusty side wing of his former estate.
24:15The room that used to hold the caskets until one day, while clearing out some of my old belongings,
24:19he found a crumpled receipt. It was an invoice from a Gwendolyn-owned private surgical center.
24:24The date, four days after he thought I had died.
24:28The procedure, minimally invasive surgery for acute pneumonia and neurological recovery,
24:33Julian's hands began to shake uncontrollably.
24:35He ran toward the remnants of our old life like a madman.
24:39Finally, outside the gates of the most exclusive private preschool in New York, he saw her.
24:44Ava was dressed in a custom school uniform.
24:46A Mickey Mouse backpack on her shoulders.
24:48Her cheeks were as rosy as apples.
24:50She was giggling as she held the hand of a suited security guard, walking toward a bulletproof Rolls Royce.
24:57Ava!
24:57Julian screamed, rushing toward her.
24:59Ava flinched, hiding behind the guard.
25:02When she recognized Julian, there was no joy, only terror and disgust.
25:07Go away! I hate you!
25:08You're the bad guy who left Mommy and me!
25:11Julian froze, as if a thousand arrows had pierced his heart.
25:17Ava, I'm Daddy.
25:18Ava shouted, her eyes watering.
25:20My Daddy is dead!
25:22Mommy said Daddy turned into a block of ice in the snow and died!
25:29The window of the Rolls Royce slid down that I sat there wearing designer sunglasses and a power suit.
25:35My aura was so cold and commanding it made me a stranger to him.
25:39Well, long time no see, Julian.
25:41Julian threw himself against the car door like a stray dog.
25:44Claire, you didn't die! You did all of this, didn't you?
25:47That's right.
25:48I removed my sunglasses, looking down at him.
25:51I didn't just want you to feel powerless.
25:53I wanted you to see that without you, we are thriving.
25:56You completely lied to me all this time!
25:59He shrieked.
25:59You made me believe you were just a poor farm girl!
26:02I opened the door slightly as the security team stepped in to wall him off.
26:06That was my father's test.
26:08If you had passed that test, you'd be a partner in the Gwendolyn Empire right now.
26:12All for Sarah, you tossed away the chance to have everything and nearly killed my daughter in the process.
26:18Julian fell to his knees in the mud, sobbing, trying to grasp the tip of my shoe.
26:23Claire, I was wrong. Give me one more chance for Ava's sake.
26:27You don't deserve to say her name.
26:29I rolled up the window.
26:31Security, call the police. There's a vagrant harassing the Gwendolyn Ayers.
26:36Press charges for the abandonment on the highway while you're at it.
26:39The car pulled away smoothly, leaving the broken, filthy, and regretful man far behind in the rearview mirror.
26:49Ava leaned against me, munching on her favorite strawberry chocolate.
26:54Mommy, are we going home?
26:57Yes, honey. Going home.
26:58I stroked her hair.
27:00To a home where the bad men can never find us again.
27:03I formally took the helm of Gwendolyn Glow.
27:06My father retreated to the background,
27:07spending his days gardening and fishing at his Connecticut estate,
27:11much like any retired gentleman.
27:13Occasionally, watching me button up my dark blazer for a board meeting,
27:17he would ask softly,
27:18Claire, do you still hate him?
27:21I shook my head while adjusting my cuffs.
27:24No.
27:25Hating someone takes too much energy.
27:28I have the Gwendolyn family to carry,
27:30and I have Ava.
27:32I'm not wasting another second of my life on him.
27:35And do you ever think of him?
27:37Dad, do you really think that's possible?
27:39I smiled, though it didn't reach my eyes.
27:41My father sighed, his eyes full of concern.
27:44I just feel you're keeping yourself too tight.
27:46In these past three years, I haven't seen you smile off camera,
27:49nor have you let any man get close.
27:51I set down the merger agreement.
27:53Dad, I'm doing fine.
27:54I have a career, a daughter, and power.
27:56My life is full enough.
27:57I don't need a man to clutter it up.
27:59I ended the conversation there.
28:00I had a flight to London next week and headed toward Ava's music room.
28:04The corridor was long, lined with portraits of three centuries of Gwendolyn prestige.
28:09At the end, a melody drifted from the music room.
28:12She sat at the Steinway piano, her small hands dancing diligently across the key.
28:17She was playing twinkle, twinkle, little star.
28:20It was simple, yet every note was executed with the perfect precision that I leaned against
28:25the doorframe, watching her.
28:26Three years ago, doctors said she faced permanent brain damage and paralysis.
28:31But in those three years, my father had mobilized the world's most elite medical teams and 24-hour
28:37private therapists.
28:38It was money that bought back her health.
28:40And it was the same money that had allowed me to see right through Julian's wretched
28:43soul.my phone buzzed.
28:45A text from my assistant.
28:47Ma'am, Julian's here again.
28:49He's refusing to leave.
28:51He's kneeling in the middle of the lobby, holding a sign that says,
28:54I'm sorry for the sake of our child.
28:56Talk to me.
29:00Ava leaned against me, munching on her favorite strawberry chocolate.
29:05Mommy, are we going home?
29:08Yes, honey.
29:09Going home.
29:09I stroked her hair.
29:11To a home where the bad men can never find us again.
29:14I walked to the window, looking down at the people below, who looked like ants.
29:20I closed the blinds without a hint of emotion.
29:26Get security to deal with him.
29:28If he persists, file for a restraining order.
29:31I don't want the media catching wind of this trash.
29:33I hung up, sat down beside Ava, and listened to her play the piece one more time.
29:38Mommy, your eyes are red, Ava said, stopping her play to look at me with concern that I ruffled her
29:44hair.
29:44Probably just spent too much time reading reports today.
29:48Then Ava will blow the pain away.
29:50She leaned in and blew gently on my eyes.
29:53Her breath was warm, smelling of strawberry toothpaste.
29:58Mommy, I love you.
29:59She whispered, suddenly throwing her arms around my neck.
30:02I hugged her back.
30:03The only warmth in my frozen corporate kingdom.
30:07Mommy loves you too.
30:09More than the world.
30:10More than all the trillions.
30:12I love you most.
30:13Three months later, Julian died in a low-rent studio apartment.
30:17The cause was multiple organ failure due to chronic malnutrition and cardiac arrest triggered by severe clinical depression.
30:23The news reached me while I was in my London office, preparing to sign a 10 billion pound multinational acquisition.
30:30My pen didn't tremble.
30:31It didn't even pause.
30:33I scrawled the Gwendolyn signature, closed the folder, and nodded curtly to my assistant.
30:38Noted.
30:39Contact his next of kin.
30:40If no one claims him, have the company pair a basic cremation.
30:44Don't let him take up space in the morgue.
30:46The warm winter sun streamed into the office, illuminating my hands.
30:50My ring finger, which once bore the initials of his name, now held only a massive, power-symbolizing pear-shaped
30:56diamond.
30:57There was no longer any trace of him left from that moment on.
31:01My world had no Achilles heeled in the penthouse overlooking the entire city.
31:05The warm amber lights created a scene of peace and serenity.
31:08Ava finished her last note and leaped into my arms with a giggle.
31:12Mommy, will you come to the weekend carnival with me tomorrow?
31:16I leaned down and placed a mother's kiss on her forehead.
31:19A kiss that was both my softest gesture and my hardest shield.
31:23Of course, honey.
31:24Mommy is always here.
31:27Mommy is here.
31:27Mommy is here.
31:27Mommy is here.
31:29Mommy is here.
31:29Mommy is here.
31:29Mommy is here.
31:29Mommy is here.
31:29Mommy is here.
31:29You
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