Chapter 4 - THE COTTAGE BY THE SEA
An hour later, the gala had been forcibly dismissed by the Sterling legal team, leaving the grand hall empty save for Julian, Maya, and Julian's trusted personal assistant, Sarah.
Julian sat on a low velvet bench near the piano, holding a warm cup of tea he had poured for Maya.
"Your legs..." Julian said gently, his eyes filled with a deep, aching remorse as he looked down at her wheelchair. "What happened?"
"A fever when I was seven," Maya answered simply. "The local clinic didn't have the proper medicine in time. Mother worked three jobs to pay for my physical therapy and tutors."
Julian buried his face in his hands, a ragged sob tearing from his throat. Twelve years of living in luxury, flying in private jets, and acquiring corporate rivals—while his daughter was sitting in a rural clinic without basic medicine because his father had blacklisted Elena from every major hospital network in the state.
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"I didn't know, Maya," Julian wept, looking up at her with tears spilling over his structured jaw. "I swear to you... my father told me your mother took the money and moved to Europe. He told me she didn't want me to follow her."
"She knew he lied to you," Maya said softly, reaching out her small, calloused hand to touch his shoulder. "That’s why she composed The Winter Aria. She said it was the only piece of truth your father couldn't buy or destroy."
