Chapter 2

I lunged for my phone, but someone pinned me down.

When Blaire saw the call was from Logan, her face darkened.

"Unbelievable. He's getting married today, and he still has time to worry about you.

"Looks like his little mistress means more to him than I do."

She was seething, her teeth clenched.

She'd fought tooth and nail to become Mrs. Norwood, and she hated anyone who coveted that title.

Breathing hard, she ground her high heel into the back of my hand.

I broke out in a cold sweat from the pain.

"Blaire, look at this."

Someone had dug a card bearing the house's address out of my bag.

Blaire went wild with jealousy and kicked me hard.

"He even bought you a house? Logan really spoils you, doesn't he?

"Then we won't hold back either.

"Come on, girls. Let's go check out this bitch's place."

I was hauled roughly to my feet, my legs still shaking.

The people behind me kept shoving me forward until they'd pushed me all the way into the house.

Inside, it was exactly what I'd pictured: clean, elegant, and tasteful.

The shelves held antiques I'd bought on the black market, every one of them worth a fortune.

It was all supposed to be a surprise for her. Now it was only feeding her hatred.

Blaire went from room to room filming on her phone, her eyes blazing.

"You guys, look how fancy this mistress's place is.

"I'm so mad I could scream."

She kicked a shelf over in a rage, and everything on it crashed to the floor.

Blaire didn't know what she was looking at, but some of the viewers did.

[Oh my God, that white porcelain vase she just broke looked like an authentic eighteenth-century French piece. You can't buy those at any price.]

[I bid on that alabaster platter at auction once. Some mysterious big shot kept outbidding everyone with no ceiling and walked off with it.]

[Everything in that house is worth way more than the house itself.]

Even Blaire was startled by what she saw in the chat.

She cleared her throat a couple of times and tried to act casual.

"Logan bought all this stuff anyway.

"And I'm about to be Mrs. Norwood, so everything in here, including this house, is mine."

She had her friends smash everything in the place to pieces.

On the coffee table sat an emerald bracelet that had belonged to Mom.

I reached for it, but she grabbed it first.

I warned her sharply.

"Give that bracelet back right now.

"Or I'll make you regret it."

She laughed loudly, twirling the bracelet around her finger.

"This tacky old thing? I wouldn't want it anyway.

"You want it? Fine. Here you go."

She tossed it over her shoulder. I threw myself after it, but I couldn't catch it.

The bracelet hit the floor and snapped apart.

I broke down and screamed.

Blaire looked annoyed.

"God, you're loud.

"You're just a mistress, and you're still acting this cocky?"

Someone leaned in and whispered in her ear, and a nasty smile spread across her face.

"You always have the best ideas.

"Girls, strip her."

Before I could even react, her friends started tearing at my clothes.

They mocked me the whole time.

"At your age, and you're still out here being somebody's mistress.

"Let's see what you've got that's so irresistible!"

I screamed, "Stop! Get away from me!"

But there were too many of them. All I got for fighting back was a few more slaps across the face.

I steeled myself and slammed my head into the coffee table. Everything went black.