Chapter 3

Mia's vomit spattered Colton's clothes.

Beth recoiled, dragging her son back in disgust.

Colton kept patting Mia's back. She vomited until her face went scarlet, her eyes rolled back, and her shoulders trembled.

Colton remembered what Dylan had said earlier about Mia scavenging food from garbage cans.

Realization hit him.

"She must have eaten something rotten. Call the doctor."

He carried Mia toward the house.

Pinching her nose, Beth hurried after him. "It’s perfectly normal for a child to get an upset stomach from eating something bad. There's no need for a doctor. We still have some of Samson's medicine left."

Colton hesitated.

Then he nodded.

"Thank goodness you're here."

Beth's smile stiffened; her nails bit into her palms. "Of course. Mia is practically my daughter too.

"But given how sick she is, shouldn't we tell Monica?"

"What good would her knowing do?!"

Colton erupted.

"This is Monica's fault! She'd better be dead, because otherwise I swear I'll make her explain what she thought she was doing to Mia!"

"Maybe she did it to get at me. She knows how much you love Mia..." Beth began to cry.

She bowed her head and wiped her tears, looking utterly wronged.

Colton's expression darkened further.

Beth wanted to destroy what was left of my reputation and cast me as a cruel mother.

I could see it. She didn't actually want Mia to stay here.

But Colton was so insistent that she had no choice.

So this was the only move she had left.

But nothing she said mattered anymore.

I was already dead and could do nothing.

Colton put Mia in a guest room. The medicine had put her to sleep, but she was still pale.

I stayed by the bed and didn't dare relax.

Then the bedroom door flew open.

Samson Rinaldi came in and headed straight for the bed. He stared down at Mia with contempt.

The longer he stared, the more hatred filled his eyes.

He picked up a second pillow and raised it over Mia's face. As it came down, I screamed, "No!"

I threw myself at him and went through him again.

Mia's eyes fluttered open. Sensing danger, she fought through her illness and clamped a hand around Samson's wrist.

"What are you doing!"

Samson pushed down harder. "You bastard. You came back to take my place as heir.

"Dad said everything in this Family belongs to me.

"You won't get a penny of it!"

Still sick, Mia was no match for Samson. "I'm not a bastard. He's my dad too..."

Before she could finish, he crushed the pillow over her face.

"Let me go!" Her cry came out muffled. She thrashed and kicked at Samson.

Samson scrambled onto the bed, his eyes bloodshot.

He meant to kill Mia.

I screamed and tried again and again to stop him, but my hands passed through everything.

Years of roaming alleys and hauling cargo at the docks had made Mia quick on her feet.

She kicked Samson off the bed.

Samson tumbled to the floor. He sprang up in a rage, slapped Mia across the face, and ripped the ring and cord from her neck.

That ring had been mine. The Bellini family crest was engraved on it.

I never took it off.

"You're a bastard, and your mother is a whore. You two came here to destroy my family and steal my dad!

"Trash like you has no right to be in my house! I'll kill you!"

Every word out of Samson's mouth was vicious.

Mia's eyes burned red. Finally snapping, she pulled a small knife from her pocket and drove it toward him.

The blade sank into Samson's shoulder. He screamed.

I sobbed in panic, tears streaming down my face. I knew exactly what that single stab could cost Mia.

And now that I was dead I couldn't even protect her.

But Mia didn't understand. She drove the knife deeper into Samson's shoulder until he screamed himself hoarse.

Their screams brought Colton running.

Colton's shoulders locked at the sight. He rushed forward and shoved Mia away.

"Who gave you the right to do that?

"Samson is your brother! Did Monica teach you to kill? Is that why she made you carry a knife?"

The knife jutted from Samson's shoulder. Pain shook his whole body; his lips had gone white.

Colton shoved Mia so hard that the back of her head struck the corner of a table. It took her a long moment to come to.

Eyes closed, she said weakly, "He was trying to kill me.

"He took the only thing Mom left me. I only stabbed him because I thought he was going to kill me."