Chapter 2: Five Years Later

Five years passed in the blink of an eye.

In the bustling metropolis of North City, the atmosphere inside the VIP terminal of the international airport was electric. Security officers stood in strict formation as a stunning woman stepped off the private jet.

Victoria Sterling had transformed completely. Gone was the timid, plain woman who wore baggy sweaters to hide her pain. Today, she wore a sharp, crimson designer pantsuit that accentuated her flawless figure. Her dark hair fell in soft, elegant waves down her back, and dark sunglasses concealed eyes that were now as sharp as polished diamonds. Over the last five years, she had taken full control of the Sterling Group, turning it into an international tech conglomerate worth tens of billions.

Walking on either side of her were two four-year-old children who immediately commanded the attention of everyone in the terminal.

On her left was Leo. Dressed in a tiny charcoal suit with a miniature bow tie, his handsome little face was a direct replica of Ethan Vance. He held a high-tech tablet in his small hands, his fingers flying across the screen at an impossible speed as he bypassed corporate firewalls for fun.

On her right was Chloe. She wore a stylish pastel-yellow dress, holding a plush teddy bear in one hand while her sharp, intelligent blue eyes scanned the crowd with a mischievous glint.

"Mommy," Chloe said, her voice small and sweet, though her expression was wicked. "Is this the city where that bad man lives? The one who made you cry five years ago?"

Victoria slowed her pace, looking down at her daughter with a soft, affectionate smile before her gaze hardened. "Yes, darling. This is the city."

"Don't worry, Mommy," Leo chimed in without looking up from his tablet. "I've already intercepted the financial report for Vance Enterprise. Their new AI software launch is set for next week. It has seven critical security flaws. I can crash their entire corporate network in three seconds if you give the signal."

Victoria chuckled softly, running a hand through her son's soft hair. "Patience, Leo. We don't destroy an empire in a single day. We let them think they are winning first."

Her loyal assistant, Mark, hurried up behind her, holding a black encrypted smartphone. "Boss, the luxury villa in the West District is fully prepared. Also, the board meeting for the Vance Enterprise acquisition project is scheduled for tomorrow morning. Ethan Vance will be attending in person."

"Good," Victoria replied, her voice dropping into an icy tone. "It's time Ethan realizes that the wife he threw away like garbage is now the only person who can save his company from bankruptcy."

***

Meanwhile, in the bustling concourse of the airport's main terminal, a high-level executive meeting had just concluded in the airport VIP lounge.

Ethan Vance walked through the terminal surrounded by six bodyguards in dark suits. Five years had made him even more intimidating, cold, and distant. His jawline was sharper, his aura more lethal. Ever since Victoria disappeared five years ago, his heart had turned completely to stone.

Melanie had tried every trick in the book to marry him, but Ethan had repeatedly postponed the wedding. To make matters worse, Melanie’s supposed pregnancy five years ago had been a false alarm—a "miscarriage" she had faked when her lie was about to be exposed. Ethan had tolerated her only out of family obligations, but his patience was wearing dangerously thin.

Deep down, a relentless, burning guilt plagued Ethan every single night. The night Victoria left, he had returned to the penthouse only to find her ring lying on the table alongside the unsigned five-hundred-thousand-dollar check. He had sent his men to search the entire country, but Victoria Sterling had vanished into thin air.

"President Vance," his secretary, Director Chen, whispered nervously as they walked. "The Sterling Group's global CEO has officially landed. They hold fifty-one percent of the voting shares for the upcoming tech merger. If we cannot secure their partnership today, our stock value will drop by thirty percent by market close."

"I know," Ethan said coldly. "Prepare the car. We go directly to the—"

*Thump!*

Ethan stopped dead in his tracks.

A small child had collided right into his knees. A miniature tablet slid across the marble floor, spinning to a stop near Ethan’s leather shoes.

"Watch where you're going, kid!" one of the bodyguards snapped automatically, stepping forward to push the child back.

"Stand down!" Ethan’s voice boomed, sharp as a whip.

The bodyguard froze immediately.

Ethan looked down. Sitting on the polished floor was a tiny boy in a miniature charcoal suit. The boy brushed off his knees calmly, picked up his tablet, and looked up.

When Ethan saw the boy's face, his breath caught in his throat. His blood ran cold.

The boy had his nose, his dark hair, his jaw structure, and above all, his piercing blue eyes. Looking at the four-year-old child was like looking into a mirror of his own childhood photos.

"Are you alright, little guy?" Ethan asked, doing something his staff hadn't seen him do in years—he knelt down on one knee on the hard airport floor to be at eye level with the child.

Leo looked at Ethan coldly. He recognized this face instantly from his secret database searches. *Ethan Vance. The deadbeat dad.*

Instead of showing fear, Leo smirked slightly, tilting his head. "I'm fine, mister. But your security guard needs better reaction time. If I were an assassin, your left flank would already be wide open."

Ethan stared at the toddler, stunned by the child's absurd composure and razor-sharp intellect. A strange, unfamiliar warmth blossomed in Ethan's cold chest.

"What is your name?" Ethan asked softly, reaching out a hand instinctively toward the boy.

Before Leo could answer, a crisp, melodious voice echoed from the VIP corridor behind them, carrying a sharp, dangerous chill that made Ethan’s heart stop completely.

"Leo! I told you not to wander off."

Ethan froze. That voice. He would recognize that voice even if he were dead and buried.

He slowly stood up and turned around.

Standing twenty feet away, flanked by elite bodyguards, was Victoria. She removed her dark sunglasses, her bright eyes locking directly onto Ethan’s stunned face.

"Victoria...?" Ethan gasped, his voice shaking for the first time in five years. "It's... it's really you?"

Victoria gave him a cold, stunning smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"It's been a long time, President Vance," Victoria said calmly. "Or should I say... former husband?"