Julian Thorne had always believed that success made him untouchable.
At forty-five, he was the Senior Vice President of Sterling Media, a powerful figure in the Manhattan advertising world. That evening he sat comfortably inside the velvet-lined booth of Le Monde, the kind of steakhouse where deals were sealed over wine worth more than most people’s rent.
Across from him sat Sienna, a twenty-four-year-old junior art director who had been his secret for the past six months. She leaned forward, tracing the rim of her glass while Julian laughed loudly, basking in the illusion that he controlled everything.
To the outside world, Julian was the devoted husband of Elena Sterling—the quiet daughter of Magnus Sterling, president of the very company Julian worked for. But to Julian, Elena had become little more than a convenient connection to power.
“You worry too much,” he told Sienna smugly as he signaled for another bottle of Cabernet. “Elena thinks I’m at a board meeting. That woman barely notices anything.”
A waiter approached their table.
Julian expected wine.
Instead, the man set down a silver tray carrying a thick manila envelope.
“For you, Mr. Thorne. Special delivery.”
Julian opened it casually, expecting paperwork.
What he found inside froze him where he sat.
The document was titled: Petition for Dissolution of Marriage.
It was a divorce filing.
But it didn’t stop there. The paperwork included a court order freezing his personal bank accounts, revoking his corporate credit cards, and prohibiting him from entering the Hamptons home he shared with Elena.
