Bella's POV
I had requested a few moments alone with Vance before facing the council, and now we stood together in the sprawling living room of the estate.
The children were upstairs on the rooftop terrace with Chloe, their laughter drifting down through the open windows. I felt relieved they had left after everything they had witnessed today.
Watching them look at their stepfather again would be unbearably uncomfortable.
"Something tells me you're not exactly thrilled to see me," Vance said, his tone carrying that familiar note of casual complaint. His hands rested deep in his trouser pockets, his posture radiating the effortless confidence that defined him.
This was vintage Vance. Always composed, never rattled.
Nothing ever seemed to disturb his equilibrium.
He possessed enough wealth to dismiss minor inconveniences as irrelevant. That philosophy had always been his mantra.
