Chapter 5: The Queen Returns

The private VIP hall of the Crestview Grand Hotel was packed with the city's top elite, corporate CEOs, government officials, and high society socialites.

Tonight was the annual Crestview Commerce Summit, the most prestigious gathering of the year, where the city's top financial players gathered to announce major corporate mergers and international partnerships.

Damien Vance stood near the center of the ballroom, holding a crystal glass of champagne.

He looked terrible. His dark hair was slightly untamed, dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his usual confident, arrogant posture was completely missing. For the last twenty four hours, his mind had been in a state of absolute chaos.

Ever since Julian Sterling walked into his office yesterday, Damien's world had been turning upside down. He had tried calling my old phone number a hundred times, but the number was completely disconnected. He sent his security team to search for me across Crestview City, but no one could find a single trace of Sophia Hayes, because Sophia Hayes no longer existed.

Beside him, Mrs. Vance and Clara were dressed in elaborate floor length gowns, clinging to Damien's arms as they showed off Clara's newborn twins to surrounding reporters.

"Damien, dear," Mrs. Vance said, whispering in his ear with a smug grin. "Have you heard anything from that useless Sophia yet? I bet she's sleeping on a park bench right now, waiting for you to bring her home!"

"Shut up, Mother," Damien snapped through gritted teeth, his voice so sharp that Mrs. Vance gasped in shock.

"Damien!" Mrs. Vance huffed, offended. "How dare you speak to me like that? I'm just saying—"

"I said shut up!" Damien hissed quietly, his blood running cold. He couldn't even bring himself to tell his mother the truth. If his mother found out that the woman she had abused for three years was actually a Sterling heiress, she would probably suffer a heart attack on the spot.

Suddenly, the grand double doors at the main entrance of the ballroom swung wide open.

The heavy chatter in the room instantly died down. The dimming chandeliers turned bright, casting a blinding spotlight over the grand red carpet leading into the hall.

The master of ceremonies stepped up to the microphone, his voice echoing loudly across the speakers.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Please welcome the new Executive Chairwoman of the Sterling Global Conglomerate... Miss Sophia Sterling!"

A collective gasp echoed through the room.

Damien's heart leaped into his throat. He spun around sharply, his eyes glued to the grand entrance.

Walking down the red carpet was a woman who took everyone's breath away.

She wore an exquisite emerald green silk gown that clung perfectly to her elegant figure. Her long, dark brown hair was styled in soft, sophisticated waves over her shoulders, and around her neck sparkled a priceless diamond necklace that caught every drop of light in the room. Her makeup was flawless, highlighting her sharp, striking features, and her dark eyes were filled with an aura of supreme power, calm, and absolute dominance.

It was me.

Behind me walked three powerful men who made every CEO in the room hold their breath.

To my left was Julian Sterling, my elder brother, looking like a protective dark king.

To my right was Marcus Vance, no relation to Damien, but the international human rights attorney and legal mastermind who had never lost a single court case in his career. Marcus looked at me with a soft, respectful smile, holding my silk cape.

Walking right behind us was Alexander Thorne, the youngest multinational technology mogul in Europe, who stepped forward with a breathtaking smile, adjusting my gown's train with absolute devotion.

"Sophia, get divorced already," Alexander murmured softly into my ear as we walked down the carpet, his voice loud enough for the nearby reporters to hear. "I've waited three long years for you to leave that blind fool."

"If he doesn't sign the papers," Marcus declared smoothly, adjusting his wire rimmed glasses with a lethal smile, "I'll file a global asset freeze tomorrow morning and tear the Vance Group apart piece by piece."

The reporters' cameras flashed wildly, capturing every single word and every single angle.

Damien stood frozen in the middle of the room, his champagne glass slipping from his numb fingers and shattering into a hundred pieces on the marble floor.

Clatter!

Mrs. Vance's jaw dropped so wide her glass almost fell as well. Clara turned ghostly pale, stumbling back two steps as she stared at me in sheer, terror filled disbelief.

"S-Sophia?" Mrs. Vance stammered, her voice shaking violently as she pointed a trembling finger at me. "That... that can't be Sophia! She's just a poor orphan girl!"

I stopped in the center of the ballroom, right in front of the Vance family.