The next morning, the sun hit the glass facade of Bergdorf Goodman on 5th Avenue, turning the building into a glittering monument to excess.
Victoria walked through the revolving doors. She wasn't wearing black today. She was wearing a white trench coat and oversized sunglasses, looking every inch the scorned billionaire's wife spending her pain away.
She pulled out the burner phone—she had synced Nathaniel's contacts to it the night before—and dialed a number.
"Colin," she said when the line picked up.
"Mrs. Sterling?" Colin, Nathaniel's Chief of Staff, sounded breathless. "Mr. Sterling is in a critical merger meeting—"
"I don't care where he is," Victoria interrupted. "Technically, the divorce is just a piece of paper right now. Which means I am still his wife for all intents and purposes. Get your ass to Bergdorfs. I need someone to carry my bags."
"Mrs. Sterling, I really can't—"
"Colin," she purred, her voice dropping an octave. "Do you want me to show up at the boardroom and make a scene? You know how much Nathaniel hates drama."
There was a pause. Colin knew exactly how volatile the situation was. He sighed.
"I'll be there in ten minutes."
When Colin arrived, he looked like a man marching to the gallows. He found Victoria in the handbag department. She was standing in front of a display of limited-edition exotic skin bags.
"You're late," she said, not looking at him. She pointed a manicured finger at the shelf. "I'll take that one. And that one. Actually, I'll take them all. In every color."
The sales assistant, a woman who had seen a lot of rich women have breakdowns, didn't even blink. She just started scanning.
Victoria handed over the Black Amex card. It was Nathaniel's corporate secondary card she had kept.
The machine beeped. One hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
Across town, in a glass-walled conference room, Nathaniel's phone lay face down on the table. It vibrated silently against the mahogany. Once. Twice. Three times. Fraud alerts.
Nathaniel glanced at the screen, saw the notification from Bergdorf Goodman, and his jaw tightened. He was in the middle of a delicate negotiation with a Korean tech conglomerate. He couldn't leave. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction.
He flipped the phone back over and focused on the projection screen, forcing himself to ignore the buzzing.
Back at the store, Victoria moved to the jewelry department. Colin was already struggling, holding six massive shopping bags in each hand, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Mrs. Sterling, please," he wheezed. "Mr. Sterling is going to be furious."
"He has billions, Colin," Victoria said breezily. She pointed at a diamond necklace. "That one. It looks like tears, doesn't it? Fitting."
Five hundred thousand dollars.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
Nathaniel's phone was relentless. His Chief Financial Officer leaned over, whispering, "Sir, is everything alright? Security is flagging unusual activity."
"Ignore it," Nathaniel gritted out. "It's just... overhead costs."
Victoria moved to the men's watch section. She saw a Patek Philippe, intricate and robust. It was exactly the kind of watch her father, Conrad, would appreciate.
"Wrap that one up," she told the clerk.
"A gift for Mr. Sterling?" the clerk asked politely.
"No," Victoria said, her voice loud enough for Colin to hear. "For a friend. Someone who actually knows the value of time."
Suddenly, Nathaniel's phone rang. It wasn't a vibration this time; it was the distinct, piercing ringtone he had assigned to the private hospital line.
The room went silent. Nathaniel's face went pale instantly. The anger regarding the credit card drained out of him, replaced by cold fear.
"Excuse me, gentlemen," he said, standing up abruptly. "I have a family emergency."
He answered the phone as he strode out of the conference room. "Hello?"
He listened for a few seconds. His eyes widened. "I'm on my way."
He hung up and immediately dialed Colin.
"Where are you?" Nathaniel barked as he sprinted toward the elevator.
"Bergdorf Goodman, sir. Mrs. Sterling is—"
"I don't care what she's buying," Nathaniel interrupted. "Get her in the car. Now. Bring her to Mount Sinai. I'll meet you at the entrance."
"Sir?" Colin was confused. "The hospital?"
"Just do it!" Nathaniel shouted. "She needs to see what she's done."
He ended the call. His mind was racing. Julia. Accident. Truck. And Victoria, conveniently on a spending spree right when the threat was carried out.
It couldn't be a coincidence.
