She thought I was just a server at the charity gala—until a question revealing the hotel owner's true identity made her go pale.

Vivienne swallowed hard, trying to hold his gaze. "What do you want from me?"

Dominic reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a single sheet of paper, sliding it across the dark wood toward her.

"This is a complete release of all claims against the Valerio holdings," Dominic explained calmly. "You will surrender your board seats, hand over your family's remaining voting shares, and vacate the state of New York by midnight tomorrow."

Vivienne looked down at the document. "And if I refuse? If I take this to federal court?"

Dominic leaned back in his leather chair, resting his hands on the armrests.

"If you refuse," Dominic said, his deep voice smooth as velvet, "I will publish the complete financial audits of your family's accounts over the last decade. Your father will face thirty years of federal tax fraud, your private ventures will be liquidated by receivership, and you will spend the rest of your life answering questions from federal prosecutors."

Vivienne stared at the paper. Tears of pure frustration and helplessness welled in her eyes, making her rosy skin flush with emotion.

She picked up the silver pen resting beside the document. With trembling hands, she signed her name across the bottom line.