Chapter 3

The announcement was everywhere. It was as if Jase wanted the whole world to see how much he loved Aria, humiliating me just to get even on Aria's behalf.

A week later, he brought her home.

The moment he saw how pale I looked, he frowned. "Why do you look so terrible? I told them to—"

"Ah!" Aria suddenly clutched her stomach. "Jase, my stomach hurts."

His expression changed instantly. He swept her into his arms and hurried upstairs, ordering his assistant to call in every top obstetrician in the city.

As our eyes met, Aria gave me a smug look and flashed me her middle finger.

That night, I was in the greenhouse wiping the leaves of the jasmine I'd planted. Aria walked over and kicked the flowerpot onto the floor.

She sneered, "Shameless old hag. He threw the divorce papers in your face, and you still won't leave?"

I looked at her coldly. "Pick it up."

She laughed. "You think you can order me around?"

Then she stomped on the jasmine's exposed roots. "I heard you planted this to remember that little brat you lost. What do you think? If I destroy it, will Jase defend me or your dead little brat?"

"Shut up! Don't you dare talk about my Willa that way." Rage surged through me. I drew my gun and shot Aria in the thigh.

Her scream echoed through the entire backyard.

Jase came running. The instant he saw her bleeding, he nearly flew into a rage. He pulled out his own gun and pressed it against my forehead. "Francesca, have I been too lenient with you? Who gave you the nerve to shoot her?"

I glared back at him, raising my own gun until it rested against his heart.

"And who gave you the nerve to point a gun at me?" I shouted. "Don't forget who taught you how to shoot in the first place."

Back then, the two of us had joined a gang just to survive, but Jase wasn't a good shot. He let our enemies escape more than once, and the boss warned that he had no use for dead weight.

I took an apple and volunteered to be his target. I used his love for me to push him into becoming a top marksman.

I gritted my teeth, fighting back the tears.

"Open your eyes and look, Jase. She destroyed the jasmine I planted for Willa. This jasmine has been with me for four years. To me, this is Willa."

He looked down at the crushed roots. A trace of pain appeared in his eyes.

Aria burst into tears. "I didn't know the flowers meant so much to you. I know I was wrong to break the pot, but I didn't mean to.

"Jase, I'll do anything to make it up to her. Please... please ask her to forgive me. Please don't let her hurt my baby.

"She... she pointed the gun at my stomach and said she wanted our baby buried with her daughter. If I hadn't moved in time, you would've lost both of us..."

Jase's expression darkened instantly. He wrapped a hand around my throat.

"You were trying to kill her baby? You were a mother once. You know what it's like to lose a child. How can you turn around and put someone else through it?"

I was so furious I almost laughed.

Without even looking, I racked the slide and fired. The hanging basket at the greenhouse entrance crashed to the ground.

"See that? If I'd wanted your baby's life, do you really think she could've dodged my shot?

Jase froze. He glanced at Aria, his expression unreadable, but he said nothing.

Instead, he bent down and picked her up. "No matter what happened, you shot Aria in the leg. You've had your revenge."

I raised a hand to stop him. "What if I decide to make the accusation true? What if I insist she pay with her life?"

"Don't push your luck, Francesca." His eyes narrowed as he glanced at my leg. "Don't forget. You're nothing but a cripple who can't even walk anymore."