Chapter 3

The car had barely stopped at the villa entrance when Jasper Lewis, the housekeeper, hurried over.

"Ms. Spark came back earlier. She said she wanted to take Mr. Payne to tonight's charity auction, but he didn't have a suitable outfit."

He hesitated, then added, "She… She took him straight into your dressing room."

My heart sank, though my voice remained steady.

"What did Joshua choose?"

Jasper took a deep breath, clearly holding back his anger.

"The 'Blazing Flame', the one Ms. Spark specially made for you."

My breath caught.

The 'Blazing Flame' was not some custom piece from a luxury brand.

It was my grandmother's design, something she had poured her heart into before she passed, stitching it together by hand, piece by piece, as a wedding suit.

That outfit's value could no longer be measured in money.

As my girlfriend, Sophie knew exactly how much it meant to me.

I had never doubted that she once loved me.

However, in that moment, I understood that love can change in an instant.

My phone started vibrating like mad.

A dozen messages from an old friend flooded the screen.

[That pretty boy named Joshua… Has he lost his mind?!]

Below was a link of a photo that had clearly gone viral.

It was my face. I was caught mid-expression, shock and anger I had not managed to hide.

Across my face, two bold black words were scrawled.

[Old Bachelor]

It was like a stain that would not wash off.

My hair was a mess. I looked utterly disheveled.

The caption had been posted by Joshua.

Just one sentence, followed by a smirking emoji:

[Teaching this useless rich kid who lives off his family a lesson. What do you all think–did I do the right thing?]

My friend called immediately.

"It's blowing up everywhere. I mean, what he said isn't technically wrong, but…"

I understood what he meant.

My reputation was in ruins.

I opened my mouth, intending to brush it off with a joke.

However, it felt like something was lodged in my throat. No sound came out.

I took a deep breath, forcing my voice to stay calm.

"Don't worry. I'll handle it."

I hung up.

Almost at the same time, footsteps came from outside the villa.

More than a dozen bodyguards in black walked in, dragging a bound Joshua and throwing him onto the floor.

He struggled, shouting hoarsely, "Anthony, all you know how to do is harass people using your family's power. What else can you do?!"

Then, something seemed to occur to him, and a smug grin spread across his face.

"If Sophie finds out what you've done to me, she won't let you off!"

I crouched down, brushing my fingertips lightly across his smooth cheek as I spoke quietly.

"Joshua, my name is Anthony Miller."

He froze, clearly confused by the sudden statement.

I paused, watching the color slowly drain from his face.

"You've probably heard what the name 'Miller' stands for in this city."

He was in shock, fear flooding his expression.

Of course he knew.

In the capital, the Miller family existed in a realm so high it was beyond his reach.

Joshua forced himself upright, though his voice trembled.

"I-I just wore one of your outfits! What's the big deal?!"

As he spoke, he fumbled to unbutton his suit.

However, he tugged too hard, and the buttons snapped off and clattered across the floor.

"That's unnecessary. I don't want anything that's been soiled."

I let go of him and took the disinfectant towel Jasper handed me, carefully wiping my hands.

"People who've been tainted… I don't want those either."

Joshua went rigid, all color draining from his face.

I gave a slight nod to the tattoo artist I had called in.

The artist picked up his machine and began marking Joshua's body without hesitation.

Joshua screamed.

One stroke after another, the ink carved itself into his skin, his arms, his neck, even his face, leaving behind glaring red text.

He cried, begged, then cursed.

By the end, he lay collapsed on the floor, his body covered in grotesque red markings.

I looked down at him, my tone calm and detached.

"Oh, I forgot to mention. This tattoo ink is specially made. It won't fade. It'll stay with you for the rest of your life."

I tilted my head slightly, almost amused.

"I was just joking around with you, Mr. Payne… You're not upset, are you?"