The room went dead silent, the kind of silence that comes before earthquakes.Dominic stepped forward, his eyes locked on the screen like he was watching his entire world reshape itself.His voice, when it came, was arctic wind and buried daggers."End the playback."Jules did, but the damage was done. The truth hung in the air like poison gas.Delacroix tried to speak, her voice coming out in a strangled whisper. "T-this is clearly a misunderstanding. The lighting was poor, the angle was wrong—"Dominic turned to her, and I swear the temperature in the room dropped ten degrees."Get out."She blinked, confusion replacing terror. "Excuse me?""You're fired. You leave this house now, or you'll be escorted out by security. Your company will be blacklisted from every luxury event on this coast. I'll make sure you never work in this industry again.""You can't do that—""I just did."Security guards appeared at the door as if summoned by magic.Delacroix blanched, then turned on her heel
It started with a scream that could have shattered crystal.Not from me.Not from any of the pampered guests still recovering from the chaos of my fall.From the head of security—a man who looked like he'd rather face a firing squad than deliver this news."The gift is gone."The words echoed through the east wing like a death knell, bouncing off marble walls and settling into my bones with the weight of catastrophe.Jules froze beside me, her hand instinctively moving to the weapon concealed beneath her jacket. I was still aching from my tumble down the stairs, my shoulder throbbing and my ribs protesting every breath, but this—this was so much worse than physical pain.This was betrayal with surgical precision.Dominic materialized in the doorway like vengeance incarnate, his perfectly tailored tuxedo somehow making him look more dangerous, not less. His eyes were burning with a fury so cold it could freeze hell itself."What did you say?" His voice was deadly quiet, the kind of cal
Before I could even process what was happening, Delilah was in front of me like a hurricane in emerald silk—wild-eyed, flushed, reeking of expensive gin and pure, undiluted rage.Her perfectly applied makeup was smudged, her elaborate updo coming loose, and there was something unhinged in her eyes that made my blood run cold."You think you can steal my night?" she shrieked, loud enough for half the ballroom to hear. "My man? My life? Again?"I opened my mouth to respond, to defend myself, but she was beyond reason.Her manicured nails—painted blood red to match her lipstick—dug into my wrist hard enough to draw blood."You're nothing!" she screamed, spittle flying from her lips. "A used-up whore who trapped Blake with lies and manipulation! You should have stayed buried!"And then she shoved me.Hard.With both hands and all the fury of a woman who'd lost everything and had nothing left to lose.I stumbled backward, my heels sliding on the polished marble, my arms windmilling as I tr
I didn't want to go back inside that glittering prison.Not after the acid that could have melted my throat. Not after seeing how close I'd come to dying with a smile on my killer's face. Not after realizing that someone in that ballroom had looked at my pregnant body and decided both my baby and I needed to disappear.But I did it anyway.Because Scarlett Blackwood didn't run anymore. She walked straight into the fire and dared it to burn her.I glided back into that ballroom like I owned every inch of marble beneath my feet, like I hadn't just watched poison eat through stone, like my heart wasn't still hammering against my ribs so hard I could taste copper.The chandeliers cast their golden light over hundreds of beautiful predators in designer gowns and thousand-dollar tuxedos. The air hummed with barely contained excitement—the kind that came from witnessing drama, from sensing blood in the water.Jules materialized at my side like a guardian angel carved from shadows and steel.
The ballroom was a golden cage designed to trap beautiful prey.Too loud. Too hot. Too many predatory eyes tracking my every movement, waiting for me to stumble, to bleed, to shatter into pieces they could feast on. The air tasted of expensive perfume and barely concealed malice, and I could feel the weight of a hundred conversations that stopped the moment I passed.My chest was getting tight, my breathing shallow. I needed to escape before I suffocated on all the fake smiles and venomous whispers.Slipping away from the crowd like smoke, I pushed through the side doors and stepped onto the garden terrace. The night air hit my overheated skin like a blessing, cool and clean after the suffocating atmosphere inside. A soft breeze whispered through the marble columns and set the crystal lanterns swaying from their wrought-iron arches, casting dancing shadows across the stone.The noise of the gala faded to a distant hum, replaced by the gentle symphony of chirping crickets and rustling
Red. That was the only color that belonged to me tonight. The red silk of the dress Dominic got for me, poured over my body like blood and war, the high slit cutting up one leg, the neckline sinful and elegant. Every step I took down the grand staircase felt like a challenge thrown into the faces of everyone who wanted me buried instead of celebrated. This is what I want. I want everyone to see me and not see a woman scorned but a woman who has everything in control. This might must be perfect, smile, wave, socialize, be the perfect Blackwood wife and give Dominic the important gift once it’s time. That, and not forgetting that my life may be in danger from all my enemies who want me dead so even though they’re all dressed like they came to the party, I have up to twenty guards scattered across the ballroom, just for me. I feel safe. And that is all thanks to my cold, arrogant contract husband. The chandeliers above dripped crystal light across the ballroom. Waiters moved