Lily's POV
I called twelve different lawyers, and none could help me.
My own team of legal advisors, men and women I thought were on my side and Hart Inc.'s, quickly proved who they were truly loyal to
Vincent.
After half an hour of listening to them try to manipulate me into thinking I had knowingly signed away everything I had, I ended the call and tossed my phone aside.
I didn’t care about the other properties or the house. All that mattered was the company.
My parents' brainchild started in our garage a few months after I was born. I had worked with them to keep it going my whole life up until they died and continued until I had made it a small but honest empire.
Vincent became the face of the company because he had said a man taking the lead would be a better image, but I had always been the brain behind the whole operation.
And now he had stolen it from me.
Vincent forged my signature or somehow got me to sign away my rights to my own parents' company.
I wanted to scream and rip through the study from the injustice of it all, but all I could do was hold back frustrated tears.
If I walked right now like I wanted to, I would lose it all and be penniless.
I had to find a way to get what was mine back, but with no one I could truly trust to not be on Vincent's side, I didn’t know where to begin.
My mind flashed back to my encounter with Sebastian Jones.
I was unsure if he would be willing to help after I turned him down. But he was powerful and possibly the only person who could help me get what was rightfully mine back.
But was I willing to enter a loveless marriage to save my parents' business?
The answer came easy.
I left the study and headed straight for my car, hoping I could still find his number in the glove compartment.
The doorknob turned before I could grab it. There was no time to hide as the newly wedded couple walked into the house.
Vincent's smile dulled when he caught sight of my red-rimmed eyes, and Stacy's smile did the exact opposite.
"Did you find out from the news?" She asked with a cheerful giggle. "You know our wedding was the talk of the town. Even ‘G’ Entertainment covered the reception, and people couldn't shut up about my ring."
She shoved her hand in my face to show off what had been bought with the hard work stolen from me.
Impatient to get Sebastian's number, I slapped her hand away and tried to walk past her.
Stacy screamed like she had been burned. I watched, stunned, as she crumbled to the ground while clutching her hand.
It was a ridiculous display, something only a fool would believe.
Vincent hurried over and began fussing while she whimpered and her eyes filled with fake tears.
He turned to me with a glare.
"I understand you're upset, but you have no right to put your hands on Stacy."
"I don't have time for this," I mumbled, trying to head to the door.
Vincent blocked my path, his eyes—that had once gazed at me with tender affection—burning with rage.
"Don't ruin this for me, Lily. Marrying Stacy is the best thing for me. For us," he said, reaching out to touch my cheek. I slapped his hand away.
"I wish you a happy married life, no hard feelings. Now if you’ll excuse me..."
He blocked me again. "Apologize to her. She's my wife, and I refuse to let you disrespect her—"
"This is my house, and I'd be damned if I let you order me around in it," I hissed, all the rage and frustration I felt bubbling up to the surface.
"You think Vincent letting you squat here makes you the owner?" Stacy laughed, her tears nowhere to be found.
Confused, I turned to Vincent, who had a deer-in-headlights look.
Realization dawned on me, and I couldn't hold back my smile. "You told her I'm squatting in your house, Vincent?"
"Stop talking," he growled, too prideful to beg me to stay quiet.
"Why should I?" I challenged him. "Don't you want your bride to know how much her successful husband is really worth...?"
His hand was suddenly in my hair, and I screamed from the pain, causing me to drop my keys.
I scrambled to get them, but his hold was unrelenting as he dragged me to the door.
"I wanted to be civil about this, maybe even keep you for when Stacy became too much," he whispered as he opened the door. "But now I see you're not worth the trouble."
He tossed me out into the cold and slammed the door in my face.
I banged on the door, screaming for my keys and wallet, but Vincent ignored me.
I was left outside with no way to get into my car and no money to get a hotel room.
With nothing left to do, I made my way into the street, hoping to hitchhike my way to a friend's house.
A car pulled up beside me, and I sighed in relief when I saw the familiar face of Sebastian's assistant, Mattew.
I got into the car, and he drove me away from the life I had worked so hard to build, with nothing but the clothes on my back.
