Chapter 12
Z
The Annual D.C. Philanthropy Gala at the National Portrait Gallery was supposed to be a celebration of our foundation’s record-breaking educational grant distribution. Instead, it became a battleground.
I wore a floor-length emerald green gown, my hair styled in an elegant updo, walking arm-in-arm with Ethan through the vaulted marble hall. Donors, politicians, and community leaders greeted us warmly. Bright Horizons was now a powerhouse, and as its Executive Director, my position in the city was formidable.
Then the room went noticeably quiet near the grand entrance.
Victoria Sterling walked in, radiating ruthless authority in a midnight-blue velvet dress. And standing beside her, holding a glass of sparkling water with an icy, triumphant smile, was Diane.
Diane looked older, the sharp lines around her eyes carved deeper by seven years in prison, but her posture was rigid, arrogant, and brimming with malice. She wore expensive diamonds—courtesy of her sister—and moved through the crowd as if she still owned the room.
Gasps echoed among the older D.C. socialites who remembered the scandal. Whispers rippled through the hall like wildfire.
Ethan’s body went taut beside me. "I'm having security throw them out."
"No," I said quietly, placing a calm hand on his arm. "Victoria is a board member of the gallery’s sponsor group. She has a legitimate invitation. If we make a scene, we play right into their hands."
Before we could move away, Victoria and Diane walked directly toward us, the crowd parting around them like the Red Sea.
"Natalie," Victoria spoke first, her voice smooth, dripping with artificial charm. "It’s been a long time. I don't think you've met my sister... officially, in a professional setting."
Diane stepped forward, her eyes scanning my face, locking onto the faint, nearly invisible scar along my jawline where her ring had cut me seven years ago.
"You look well, Natalie," Diane said, her voice low and raspy. "Managing a multi-million dollar non-profit... quite an achievement for a front-desk hotel clerk."
"I earned every bit of it, Diane," I replied, holding her gaze without a single flicker of fear. "Unlike the things you stole."
Victoria’s eyes narrowed slightly, but her smile remained fixed. "We're here to announce a new initiative, Natalie. Vanguard Public Affairs is launching the Vance Educational Fund—a private charity designed to compete directly with Bright Horizons' grant programs. Diane will be serving as our Chief Financial Director."
A cold, sarcastic laugh nearly escaped my lips. "Chief Financial Director? You're putting a convicted federal wire-fraud felon in charge of a charity fund?"
"Her conviction was settled, and her debt to society paid," Victoria countered smoothly. "In fact, we've already secured pledges from three of Bright Horizons' major corporate donors tonight. They seem to prefer our... streamlined tax structures."
My heart hammered against my ribs. They weren't just trying to intimidate me; they were actively poaching our funding, using Victoria’s political muscle to gut Bright Horizons from the inside out.
"Those donors trust us because we operate with absolute transparency," I said, stepping closer to Victoria, ignoring Diane completely. "If you think you can bring your sister's dirty financial tricks into the non-profit sector again, Victoria, you're severely underestimating who you're dealing with."
Diane leaned in, her scent of heavy rose perfume suffocatingly close. "You took seven years of my life, Natalie. You ruined Arthur, you took my home, and you left me with nothing. I am going to take your foundation, your reputation, and your peace of mind. Step by step."
"You ruined yourself, Diane," I said, my voice dropping into a register of pure, lethal calm. "And if you come after my foundation or my family, I won't just send you back to prison. I will make sure you never see the light of day again."
Victoria chuckled dismissively, taking Diane's arm. "Enjoy the evening, Natalie. Enjoy it while your funding lasts."
They walked away, mingling with a group of wealthy corporate executives who looked eager to cut their tax bills.
Ethan looked at me, his eyes blazing with fury. "They're going to use Vanguard's dark-money accounts to undercut our grants."
"Let them," I said, pulling my smartphone from my purse and tapping a contact. "They think they're playing political chess. But they forgot that Marcus spent seven years tracking every single person associated with Richard Sterling's old network."
May you like
I placed the phone to my ear as Marcus answered on the first ring.
"Marcus," I said, watching Diane laugh with a senator across the room. "Initialize the audit on Vanguard Public Affairs. It's time to see where Victoria Sterling really gets her money."
