Chapter 3

"What are you going to do?"

I walked toward Marcus.

"I'm going to turn you back into the nobody you used to be."

Marcus went quiet for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Vivienne, stop dreaming. The company's been under my control for ages now. As for your parents..."

He scoffed.

"They already handed the company over to me. All they've got left is the five-hundred-dollar monthly allowance I give them. What exactly do you think they can do to change anything?"

I hurled a teacup to the floor.

A shard of glass grazed Marcus's cheek as it shattered.

A bead of blood rolled down his face.

"Are you sure my parents only have this one company?"

Marcus frowned.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

I glanced at Amber, who had rushed over to cling to his arm.

I smiled brightly. "When I first met you, you'd been beaten bloody by some homeless guy, begging on the side of the road like a stray dog. I took pity on you. I asked my father to sponsor your education."

Those words were the last thing Marcus ever wanted to hear.

His face cycled between ashen and purple.

"That was the old me. I'm the one calling the shots now. You, the former heiress, need me to survive."

Amber stood on her tiptoes and kissed Marcus on the cheek.

She looked at me with open defiance. "Marcus loves me now, me and our baby. Vivienne, stop acting like you're still some pampered heiress. You've been kicked to the curb."

Kicked to the curb?

I let out a cold laugh.

Right in front of Marcus, I dialed my father's assistant.

"Get up here. Now."

The words had barely left my mouth when the door swung open.

Declan Mercer strode in with several bodyguards.

He came straight to me.

And gave a slight bow.

"Miss Ashford, I've brought everything you requested."

I took the divorce papers he held out and flung them at Marcus.

"Sign. Then get out."

Marcus's expression shifted again and again.

Amber grabbed his arm. "Marcus, if she were really an heiress, why would she have lived in a basement with you? Why would she have survived on plain bread? Don't forget, you were appointed CEO by headquarters because of your talent. You landed those major deals. They valued you for your abilities."

Marcus's confidence returned after hearing Amber's little speech.

He looked at me with contempt.

"Vivienne, I'll admit the actor you hired isn't bad. But don't waste your energy. Some pretty boy isn't going to change a thing."

Pretty boy?

I glanced at Declan Mercer, broad-shouldered and sharp-eyed, and couldn't help but curve my lips.

"Declan, I seem to recall you absolutely hate being called a pretty boy. And everyone who's ever called you that has paid for it."

Declan nodded, stepped forward, and clamped his large hand down on Marcus's shoulder.

With just the slightest squeeze, Marcus was already grimacing in pain.

"Let... let go."

Declan pressed down a little harder.

Marcus's eyes went red with pain.

Declan looked at me and sighed. "Miss Ashford, terrible taste in men."

Before, I would have argued. But now...

I simply nodded.

"Terrible taste. Even worse judgment."

Minutes later, Declan hauled Marcus into the conference room.

Amber trailed behind.

The department heads were all present.

I walked straight to the seat Marcus used to occupy and sat down.

My gaze settled on him.

"You're fired."

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