My Parents Forced Me to Marry a Tycoon, But My Groom Had a Better Plan

The Price of a Legacy

Three days later, Victoria found herself walking down the aisle of a private chapel, draped in white silk that felt like a shroud. Her parents sat in the front row, their faces beaming with triumphant satisfaction. They had successfully traded their only daughter to secure the survival of the Sterling name. At the altar stood Julian Vance. He was a man of striking, sharp features and an icy demeanor that had earned him a reputation as a ruthless corporate predator. He did not smile as she joined him, and their vows were exchanged in a solemn whisper.

After the ceremony, they arrived at Julian’s sprawling penthouse overlooking the city skyline. Victoria stood near the floor-to-ceiling windows, bracing herself for whatever demands this powerful stranger would make. But Julian merely poured two glasses of champagne, handing one to her with a surprisingly calm expression.

"You can drop the act, Victoria," Julian said, his deep voice cutting through the silence. "I know you don't want to be here, and I don't blame you."

Victoria stared at him, her guard instantly rising.

"Then why did you agree to this?" she demanded. "Why buy a wife from a family that's clearly desperate?"

Julian walked over to a sleek black desk and picked up a thick manila folder, tossing it onto the coffee table between them.

"Because your parents didn't just ruin their own fortune through bad investments, Victoria," Julian explained, his eyes darkening. "Ten years ago, they stole fifty million dollars from my late father’s estate. They forged documents, manipulated the board, and left my family near ruin."

Victoria gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. She opened the folder and saw the damning evidence—her father's signature on fraudulent transfers, her mother's offshore accounts. Her entire life of luxury had been funded by theft.

"They thought marrying you to me would wipe the slate clean," Julian whispered. "But I agreed to this marriage for one reason: to destroy them completely. And I want you to help me do it."