Chapter 3

Furious comments flooded the screen like a waterfall, each one calling for me to be torn apart piece by piece.

In the courtroom, Brody's body trembled slightly. He clenched his fists so hard his knuckles went white.

Ellie threw her arms around him at just the right moment, gently patting his back. "Brody, don't be upset."

She let out a soft sigh, her voice carrying perfectly measured sympathy. "Lara only ever cared about money. She couldn't see what really mattered.

"Thank god you saw her true colors in time, or else…"

Brody's breathing quickened. He pulled Ellie tighter against him. "Ellie, I'm so glad I have you.

"Lara didn't deserve my feelings. She didn't deserve my future."

I watched them hold each other for a moment, then lowered my eyes. Apparently, souls could feel heartbreak too.

The screen lit up again, showing a private room in an upscale club. Beneath the crystal chandelier, I wore a tight red dress and moved between a group of sleazy chemical plant executives.

Glasses clinked. I had a sultry gaze as I laughed, all traces of the innocence I'd shown Brody completely gone.

"Ms. Quinn, you're such a pleasure to work with. Here's to you."

Gerard Wilcox from Apex Industries raised his glass, his heavy face plastered with a leering smile. I drained the wine without hesitation.

"You're too kind, Mr. Wilcox. We're all friends here."

I leaned closer with a coy smile, letting his hand slide around my waist. After God knew how many drinks, my hand rested against Gerard's chest as I pouted sweetly.

Finally, he nodded in satisfaction and pulled a bank card from his suit jacket. "This is the first hush payment. From now on, I'm counting on you to… polish our factory's data."

I took the card without hesitation and tucked it into my dress.

"Don't worry, Mr. Wilcox. You know I always deliver."

Raucous laughter erupted from the room.

"Ms. Quinn is so straightforward!"

"Ha! That bookworm Brody Pierce has no idea what women want!"

I smiled brightly, my face a mask of shameless flattery. My pale fingers flirted with his belt, tugging it suggestively.

The next instant, he waved his hand and ripped away my only piece of clothing right in front of everyone in the room.

The image blurred. Outside the courtroom, the crowd's fury reached its peak.

Comments saying "criminal", "disgusting", and "shameless for money" scrolled frantically across the screen, threatening to drown it entirely.

Brody's expression turned completely dark. The rage in his eyes looked ready to burst into flame.

"A woman like her, who only cares about money, deserves to be used by men. Dying in some bastard's bed would be too good for her!"

The comments piled on.

"How can a soul like this be pure white when she was literally selling herself?"

"She's filthy to the core. Mr. Pierce must have been blind to fall for a woman like that!"

Wave after wave of outrage crashed through the crowd.

Ellie wrinkled her nose in disgust, barely masking the revulsion in her voice. "How did Lara end up like this? Just for money?"

Brody's face turned ashen. He stared at me on the screen, his fists clenched so tight the veins bulged.

"Animal!" He spat the curse through gritted teeth.

Just when everyone thought the truth had been laid bare, the scene suddenly shifted. It was late at night in a damp, run-down basement.

Covered in hickeys, I sat beneath a dim yellow lightbulb and pulled stacks of cash from a metal box under the bed. Piles of bills sat on the table as I carefully divided them into hundreds of envelopes.