Chapter 2

Vivian blew smoke in my face.

"Juárez has a private sanatorium in Mexico. You think you're some kind of mob boss, don't you? It's the perfect place to treat your delusions."

She rested a hand on her stomach.

"From now on, only the children I have with Arthur will inherit the Corsini family.

"Consider that ten million dollars repayment for what you've cost us over the past ten years."

I stared at Juárez's name at the bottom of the agreement. A chill ran through me.

In the Corsini family, two crimes are punishable by death.

Betraying the family.

And dealing with drug traffickers.

Arthur had served my father for over ten years. He knew that better than anyone.

But now, he'd do anything to clean up his image.

I went cold all over.

I couldn't tell whether it was the fever or the thought of the man who'd once taken three bullets for me.

I tore the agreement to shreds.

"Vivian, who do you think you are?

"I'm the head of the Corsini family. An outsider like you doesn't get to make decisions for me."

Vivian's face darkened, and she stubbed out her cigarette.

"The head? You're still dreaming.

"Arthur risked his life to give you everything you have now!"

Byrne, our longtime butler, burst into my bedroom.

He'd been the man my father trusted most.

He waved his cane at Vivian.

"Ms. Miller, know your place!

"Arthur only runs the family in Miss Helena's place. She is the true heir. Someone! Show Ms. Miller out!"

But no one outside the door answered.

Vivian brushed the scraps of paper off her shoulder.

"Save your breath. Everyone here is mine now."

Vivian shot her bodyguards a look.

One of them pressed a stun gun to Byrne's neck.

The old man screamed, convulsed, and collapsed to the floor.

"Byrne!"

I started to get up, but two male orderlies walked in.

They carried a straitjacket and a syringe filled with sedative.

"Don't take this personally, Helena.

"Hold her down. Make her sign."

I couldn't overpower them.

But I had Corsini blood in my veins.

And I was more ruthless than all of them.

The moment an orderly lunged at me, I grabbed his fingers and snapped them.

He screamed, and the syringe flew out of his hand.

I snatched it up, plunged it into his neck, and pushed the plunger all the way down.

The dose was strong enough to knock out a full-grown grizzly bear.

The orderly hit the floor hard.

There was only one syringe, and gunmen filled the hallway.

I jumped out of bed and pulled a knife from the drawer.

I pinned Vivian down on the couch and held the knife to her throat.

"Don't move."

She struggled, and the blade cut her skin. Blood welled up.

The sight of it made my vision go dark.

The hand holding the knife started to shake.

Vivian noticed.

"You're afraid of blood. Who do you think you're scaring with that knife?"

I pressed the knife a little deeper and whispered in her ear.

"You know I faint at the sight of blood.

"My hands are shaking. Want to bet I slit your throat before I pass out?"

The bodyguards raised their guns but didn't dare move.

Only then did Vivian panic.

"Back off and put your guns down! Carl, help me!"

Carl didn't react at all.

My vision was about to go completely black.

Then someone kicked the door in.

Arthur charged in with his gunmen.

He saw the knife at Vivian's throat.

Without hesitation, he drew his gun and aimed it at me.

"Helena, put the knife down!"