Chapter 3

Before I returned to the capital, Adrian had told me how desperately the Blackwell family wanted this engagement. The old duke had negotiated with the palace three times and surrendered control of three Northmere estates before my father agreed.

If Duke Blackwell learned that his own son had ruined the arrangement, the aftermath would be interesting to watch.

That thought improved my mood enough that I continued toward the exit.

Juliette grabbed my arm from behind hard enough for her nails to dig into my skin.

I turned around and looked at her. “What now?”

Her face was twisted with anger, but Cassian standing behind her had clearly given her confidence again.

“You embarrassed me in front of everyone,” she snapped. “Do you really think you can just walk away?”

I waited for her to continue.

“Give the necklace back,” she demanded, “and apologize in front of everyone.”

“If you refuse, you are not leaving Northmere today.”

Before I could answer, she raised her hand toward my face, her sharpened nails aimed directly at my eyes.

I caught her wrist instantly. Juliette froze for a moment before trying to pull away, but my grip did not loosen.

“Let go of me,” she hissed. “Do you have any idea what Cassian will do to you?”

I pushed her back without much force, but she still stumbled into the marble counter behind her.

“Cassian!” she cried. “She attacked me again!”

For the first time since entering the store, Cassian looked at me seriously.

“You seem very comfortable attacking people under my protection.”

He tilted his head slightly, and four security guards stepped forward.

I reacted quickly enough to kick the first guard in the leg, but before I could recover my balance, two others had already grabbed my arms.

They forced me backward against the marble counter hard enough to bruise.

One of them pinned my wrists behind my back while the other kept a firm grip on my shoulder, making it impossible to move.

Cassian barely spared me another glance.

Instead, he looked at Juliette and said calmly, “Handle it quietly.”

Juliette smiled slowly, and there was real cruelty in it.

She walked toward me and slapped me hard across the face.

Pain spread sharply through my cheek.

“Aren’t you supposed to be clever?” she whispered. “Go ahead. Say something.”

I stayed silent. She slapped me again.

“Finally quiet?” she asked with satisfaction.

Her eyes drifted toward the crystal display beside the counter. Inside an ice bucket sat a bottle of imported champagne, chilled for private appointments.

Juliette reached for the silver bucket instead.

The moment I realized what she intended to do, my expression finally changed.

She noticed immediately and laughed.

“Oh, so this is what gets a reaction out of you.”

Cold water sloshed against the sides of the bucket as she walked back toward me.

“You care so much about dignity, don’t you?” she murmured. “Let’s see how elegant you look after this.”

Before I could move, freezing water crashed over my head. The shock stole my breath instantly.

Water soaked through my clothes, ran down my face, and dripped from my hair onto the marble floor beneath me.

A sharp gasp spread through the store. Humiliation settled heavily in the silence because everyone understood exactly what Juliette was doing. She was humiliating me publicly for her own amusement.

Juliette crouched in front of me and grabbed a fistful of my wet hair.

“Look at you,” she said softly. “You don’t even belong in the same room as me.”

“Juliette. Stop now.”

She laughed lightly. “Are you threatening me?”

“You truly have no idea who you’re dealing with,” I said quietly.

“I don’t care who you are.”

Behind her, Cassian stood with both hands in his pockets, watching the scene with detached indifference.

Juliette tilted her head and smiled. “Maybe I should take a picture and send it to your family,” she said. “They deserve to see what their daughter really looks like.”

At that moment, my phone rang. Juliette snatched it from my hand and switched the call to speaker.

Adrian’s calm voice came through the phone. “Sera, did you choose the necklace yet? There’s a banquet tonight, so come back early.”

I clenched my jaw before answering, “Adrian, come to Northmere.”

Juliette laughed beside me. “Your little sister was behaving badly,” she said mockingly into the phone. “Someone needed to remind her how to behave.”

Silence answered her.

“If you have a problem with that,” she continued, “you’re welcome to come here yourself. Don’t forget to pay for the necklace your sister tried to steal.”

Then she hung up, tossed the phone aside, then casually handed the bucket back to the staff.

I had no idea how much time passed afterward. Every second dragged until I finally heard engines outside the store.

Several cars stopped outside. A moment later, car doors opened, followed by heavy synchronized footsteps moving toward the entrance.

Royal security had arrived.

The glass doors were pulled open from both sides, and a man stepped inside wearing a dark gray coat without a single royal insignia.

Adrian Valemont, Crown Prince of Aurelia.

Twelve armed royal guards entered behind him and formed a line near the entrance.

Juliette froze, and Cassian’s expression finally changed.

Adrian’s gaze moved across the store, passing over the terrified customers, the trembling sales associate, and the water dripping from the marble floor beneath me.

“I’m Adrian Valemont,” he said evenly. “Crown Prince of Aurelia.”

“Now, would someone like to explain who gave you permission to lay a hand on my sister?”