Chapter 33: Stolen Away

"Hey!" Miss Ross screeched, glaring at Victoria. "Who are you, and why are you standing so close to my fiancé?!"

Victoria sneered, her eyes dark with cold disdain. "Your fiancé? Not for much longer."

"What are you trying to do?!" Miss Ross demanded, her voice rising in panic.

"I’m stealing the groom," Victoria uttered smoothly through her deep red lips.

Her gaze dropped back onto Julian, her voice dropping into a dangerous whisper. "Didn’t I tell you? If you get involved with another woman or try to escape me, I’ll lock you up... hmm?"

"Victoria," Julian quickly tried to explain, "don’t... misunderstand—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Victoria pulled him by his tie and pressed her lips forcefully against his.

She didn’t want to hear his excuses. In her eyes, men always spun elaborate lies to cover their betrayals, and she refused to let him talk his way out of this.

The hotel security guards peeking through the lobby doors stared in absolute shock.

Holy crap! She actually crashed the venue to kidnap him! This is better than any TV drama!

The surrounding high-society guests began whispering frantically among themselves.

"A romantic abduction?! Are Julian Vance and President Sterling actually together?!"

"That has to be it! The Vance family tried to force Julian into a political marriage with the Ross heiress, so his billionaire girlfriend came to take him back!"

"What a scene! When was the last time something this wild happened in elite circles?"

"Honestly... Julian and President Sterling look ridiculously good together. They’re a complete power couple."

Miss Ross snapped out of her daze, her face contorting with rage. "You actually kissed my fiancé in front of me?! I’ll kill you!"

Overcome with fury, Miss Ross forced herself out of her wheelchair. Though her damaged leg nerves sent searing pain up her spine, she gritted her teeth, stubbornly taking a few staggering steps toward them.

"Get away from him!" she screamed, lunging forward.

Smack!

Before she could get within arm’s reach of Victoria, one of Victoria’s burly bodyguards stepped in and shoved her back. Miss Ross hit the floor hard, tumbling onto the carpet.

"Ahhh!" Miss Ross pounded the floor in utter despair, pointing a trembling finger at the lobby. "Where is security?! Drag this crazy woman away right now!"

The hotel guards stood completely still, pretending not to hear her. For , three thousand dollars a month, none of them were stupid enough to challenge a squad of lethal elite bodyguards.

Victoria finally broke the kiss, pulling back slightly from Julian’s lips.

Julian caught his breath and tried once more. "Victoria, listen to me! This is a total setup! I came here tonight specifically to break off this ridiculous arrangement, not to get engaged. Give me two minutes and I’ll end it right in front of you—"

Victoria’s expression remained sarcastically distant. She assumed Julian was merely making up excuses on the spot to pacify her.

"Julian," Victoria murmured with terrifying gentleness, "we’re going home."

Before Julian could react, Victoria raised her hand and delivered a swift, precise chop to the side of his neck.

Julian’s eyes fluttered, and his world went black as he collapsed into her arms.

Two bodyguards immediately stepped forward, carefully lifting the unconscious Julian and escorting him toward the waiting limousine.

Miss Ross glared up at Victoria from the floor, trembling with rage. "Who do you think you are?! How dare you kidnap my fiancé in broad daylight?!"

Victoria didn’t answer. Instead, her dark, lethal gaze swept over Miss Ross, Mr. Ross, and the Vance family members one by one.

An icy chill ran up their spines. The way this woman looked at them felt as if she were staring at corpses.

In that fleeting moment, Victoria genuinely wanted to wipe all of them out. If they vanished, Julian’s heart would belong entirely to her forever.

However, she held herself back. If she killed his family, Julian would hate her for the rest of his life.

She slowly withdrew her gaze, a dark, chilling smile appearing on her face. "Who am I? I am the only woman in Julian’s life. He belongs to me."

She looked directly at Arthur Vance and Mr. Ross. "Consider the Vance and Ross engagement officially canceled."

Without another word, Victoria turned on her heel and strode out of the grand ballroom, her bodyguards falling into formation behind her.

Arthur Vance finally snapped out of his shock, his face flushed with embarrassment as he raised his voice to the whispering crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen... please excuse today’s unexpected commotion! The banquet is now concluded. Please exit in an orderly fashion."

The guests quickly filed out, eager to spread the sensational gossip across the city’s high-society circles.

Within minutes, only the Vance and Ross families remained in the ruined ballroom.

"Who was that psychotic woman?!" Arthur spat, his expression grim. Today’s embarrassment had completely destroyed the Vance family’s reputation.

Leo Vance’s eyes narrowed as a calculated scheme formed in his mind.

"Mom," Leo whispered, putting on a concerned facade. "Remember when we went shopping at the luxury mall and ran into Julian? He spent over thirty million dollars buying matching limited-edition watches. We wondered back then if he was being kept as a mistress by a wealthy woman..."

Leo’s jaw tightened with envy. "That woman... she must be the sugar mommy who’s funding him."

He had originally assumed Julian’s benefactor was an ugly, elderly heiress. He never imagined she would be a breathtaking, young billionaire CEO with top-tier beauty and authority.

I need to find a way to make that woman abandon Julian, Leo thought bitterly. Though she’s already been touched by Julian... she’s tainted. Disgusting!

"What?! A sugar daddy?!" Arthur Vance roared, his face contorting with anger. "As a son of the Vance family, he lowered himself to become a kept man for a wealthy woman?! Absolutely disgraceful!"

How could he have sired such a shameless son? If he had known, he would have left Julian in that rural village forever!

Mr. Ross stepped forward, his face dark. "Arthur, how does your family plan to handle this scandal? You owe the Ross family a full explanation!"

Fearing her father would break off the alliance, Miss Ross pleaded frantically from her wheelchair, "Dad, no! I love Julian! Please don’t cancel the engagement! Once Julian marries into our family, I’ll make sure he never sees that woman again!"

She clutched her father’s sleeve. "Besides... maybe Julian was forced into it by her! He probably didn’t even want to be with that woman!"

Arthur Vance quickly seized the opportunity. "Old Ross, give me a chance to sort this out. I will track down Julian and demand answers. I assure you, Julian will marry your daughter!"

"Hmph!" Mr. Ross scoffed, turning toward the exit. "I will give you three days. If this disaster isn’t resolved by then, all corporate partnerships between the Ross and Vance families are permanently terminated!"

As the Ross family departed, Arthur Vance’s chest heaved with violent rage.

"That unfilial, rebellious brat!" Arthur barked at his wife. "Get him back to the Vance estate within three days! If he refuses, I will officially sever all father-son ties with him forever!"

Leo sneered internally. Keep destroying yourself, Julian. Once Dad disowns you for good, the entire Vance inheritance will be mine.

Meanwhile, at Rose Manor.

The grand living room was shrouded in heavy silence. Victoria sat on the plush leather sofa, her dark eyes filled with an impending storm as she waited for Julian to wake up.