Chapter Three

Voss Group's headquarters occupied the tallest skyscraper in New York's business district.

When Daphne and I walked into the conference room together, everyone present turned toward us in surprise.

Richard Hayes, one of the group's senior board members, pulled me aside.

"Vivian, are you absolutely certain about this?"

"My decision has been made."

I signed the equity transfer documents, officially handing over all my ownership interests, voting rights, and management control in Voss Holdings to Daphne.

Daphne accepted the documents without saying a word.

"Thank you, Vivian. I promise I won't let you down."

There was a long silence during the drive back.

Only after we had left the business district did Daphne finally speak.

"Why are you giving all of this to me?"

I leaned against the car window, watching the streets slip past.

"Because these are the things you've always wanted."

"I never wanted to take anything away from you."

"Then don't make me regret giving them to you."

She looked at me, clearly at a loss for words.

"Take good care of Aria," I continued. "She's still young. Don't let her know what happened between the adults. She needs a stable home, not a reason to grow up hating anyone."

Daphne lowered her eyes.

"I promise."

I turned back toward the window.

There was nothing else I wanted to ask of her.

That evening, I was alone in the study.

Emily, my personal physician, walked in. She was not only my attending doctor but also the only person who knew the full truth about my condition.

The moment she saw the documents scattered across my desk, her eyes immediately reddened.

"Have you really decided to stop fighting for a chance at treatment?"

"The only available heart transplant has already been given to Daphne."

"But your condition..."

"I know."

I pointed toward the metal storage box on the desk.

"Keep everything inside this box safe. Don't destroy anything, and don't let anyone know these materials exist for now."

The moment Emily opened the box, her expression changed.

Inside were all the pieces of evidence I had collected over the years, including Daphne's falsified medical records, lists of suspicious medication purchases, and footage of her private meetings with Nathan Cole.

"This evidence is enough to make her pay for everything she's done." Emily's voice trembled. "Why don't you hand it over to the police now?"

"Because the time isn't right yet. I've already made other arrangements."

"But Aria has the right to know the truth."

I lowered my eyes to the documents.

"If we expose this evidence now, both Garrick and Daphne could lose everything. Aria would be left with no one. I don't want her to lose her entire family all at once."

Tears welled up in Emily's eyes.

"Then what should we do with the evidence?"

"Keep the originals safe. I'll tell you when the time comes to use them."

I pushed the storage box toward her.

Emily eventually nodded, although I could tell she disagreed with my decision.

I knew she wanted me to keep fighting.

But I had already made my choice.