Chapter 6 - The Broken Crown
Grant’s hand shook so violently that the black fountain pen nearly slipped from his fingers three times as he signed his name on the final page of the settlement documents.
With a single stroke of ink, his three-story Lake Forest home, his luxury sports cars, his investment portfolio, and his controlling shares in the firm he had spent eight years building were stripped away, transferred directly into a private trust bearing the name of Claire Vance.
"A wise decision, Mr. Miller," Eleanor said, casually retrieving the signed documents and checking each signature with a satisfied nod. She slid a small white envelope across the table. "Inside is a one-way bus ticket to Scranton, Pennsylvania, and five hundred dollars in cash. Courtesy of my niece."
Grant stared at the envelope, humiliation burning deep in his chest. "Scranton...? I don't know anyone in Scranton!"
"Then I suggest you learn how to make friends quickly," Eleanor replied coldly, standing up to signal the end of the meeting. "You have until 6:00 PM to leave the state boundaries. If our security teams spot you or Miss Cole within fifty miles of this city after six o'clock, the criminal arrest warrants will be executed immediately."
Grant stumbled out of the Vance Tower into the bright afternoon sun, feeling like a hollow shell of a man.
He met Vanessa at a nearby diner, where she was sitting with two large suitcases containing the few clothes she had managed to drag out of the house.
When Grant explained that they were completely bankrupt, stripped of all assets, and forced to leave the city, Vanessa’s sympathetic act instantly evaporated.
"Are you out of your mind?!" Vanessa screamed, standing up in the middle of the crowded diner and drawing the attention of every patron. "You signed everything away?! You gave her your company?!"
"I had no choice, Vanessa!" Grant hissed desperately, trying to pull her back down to her seat. "They were going to put me in prison for tax fraud! Her father is Arthur Vance!"
Vanessa looked at him with pure, unadulterated disgust. She grabbed her designer purse—the only expensive item she had left—and took a step back.
"You are a coward and a fraud, Grant," Vanessa spat, her voice dripping with venom. "I didn't leave my wealthy ex-husband for a guy who lives in Scranton on five hundred dollars! Don't ever touch me again!"
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"Vanessa, wait!" Grant cried out, reaching for her arm.
Vanessa slapped his hand away with a loud crack, turned on her high heels, and walked out of the diner, leaving Grant standing completely alone among the staring strangers, holding a cheap white envelope containing a bus ticket to nowhere.
