Chapter 2

Evelyn was always careful about covering her tracks. I was just her excuse, her alibi. How was I supposed to know where she really was?

I said it flat. "She's a grown woman. She goes where she wants. What am I supposed to do, follow her around like a babysitter?"

That wasn't what Dominic wanted to hear. His face twisted.

He let go of my hair and slapped me so hard my ears rang. My head snapped to the side.

Rage flared in my chest. But so did anticipation.

Already this mad? Just wait. You have no idea what she really is. When you find out, the look on your face is going to be priceless.

He saw the defiance in my eyes. His hand went to his belt.

He pulled out a knife. Not a big one. The kind you keep in your pocket for close work. He pressed the flat of the blade against my cheek, then dragged it down slowly. The tip caught the collar of my blouse and sliced through it like paper. Buttons popped. The fabric fell open.

That was when my phone slipped out of my pocket and hit the floor.

Dominic picked it up. He looked at the screen, then at me. "Same birthday code, huh? You never change." He typed it in. The phone unlocked.

He scrolled through my contacts. When he found the top one, marked with a heart, he snorted. "Let me guess. Evelyn?" He looked at me with pure disgust. "Of course. You've been sucking her dry for years. Why would you have anyone else in your life?"

And then it rang.

The screen lit up. My love ❤️ Julian was calling.

Dominic smiled. He answered and put it on speaker.

"Scarlett? You there?" Julian's voice came through, warm and a little worried. "I've been trying to reach you. Everything okay?"

Dominic didn't give me a chance to speak. One of his men clamped a hand over my mouth.

"Scarlett can't come to the phone right now," Dominic said. His voice was calm, friendly almost. "This is her ex. Dominic."

A long pause on the line. "Why are you answering her phone?"

"Just thought you should know a few things about the woman you're about to marry."

Another pause. "What are you talking about?"

"Her whole life is a disaster," Dominic said, leaning back against my desk like he owned the place. "She's been bleeding my wife dry for years. Made her sell her jewelry so she could buy designer bags. She pays for male escorts. Throws these dirty little parties. And she doesn't bother with protection. You know she had an abortion recently? Made my wife sit with her in the hospital. I'm guessing the kid wasn't yours."

Dominic looked at me while he talked, enjoying himself.

"So I'll ask you again," he said into the phone. "You really want to marry that kind of trash? You're not worried about catching something?"

Silence. Julian said nothing for a long time.

Julian and I were good. Really good. We were already planning the wedding. He was decent and kind and gentle. No matter how bad our fights got, he'd always come back and work through it.

But now he just stayed quiet.

Dominic hung up. He smiled at me. "Still not telling me where Evelyn is?"

I kicked the guy covering my mouth. Hard. He yelled and let go.

"You can't just make up lies like that," I said, my voice shaking with rage. "You didn't even check if any of it was true."

Dominic's smile didn't move. "Check? I don't need to check. I know you."

He looked around my office at the broken computers and the smashed furniture. His men were still tearing things apart. One of them ripped a poster off the wall. Another kicked a hole in the drywall.

"You want to talk about crime?" Dominic said. "I am the crime. I run this city. The cops don't touch me. I am the law around here."

He stepped closer and grabbed my chin. "You think I don't know how much you've stolen from Evelyn over the years? This whole company? She paid for it. Every desk, every computer, every stupid little plant in the corner. I'm just smashing my own stuff. So what's the problem?"

He said it like he was some kind of hero.

I looked at the clock on the wall. Less than half an hour. That was when Evelyn would bleed out in some hotel room with Dominic's uncle.

Almost there. The show's about to start.

I gave Dominic a tired look. "Maybe wait a few minutes. Your wife is about to call you."

That pushed him over the edge. His face went red. "Still acting tough? Fine. You want to play games? I'll destroy you. Right here. Right now."

He nodded to his men. "Take her outside."

They grabbed me by the arms and dragged me out of my office, down the hallway, and through the front door of the building. The whole way, one of them ripped at my blouse. Buttons scattered across the floor. Another one grabbed my skirt and yanked. By the time they threw me onto the sidewalk, I was barely covered.

People were walking by. Office workers on their lunch breaks. Secretaries. A couple of guys in suits. They stopped and stared.

Dominic followed me out. He stood over me and started talking. Loud. He told everyone who would listen about what a terrible person I was. How I drained Evelyn dry. How I was dirty and cheap and worthless.

The crowd got bigger. People pointed at me. Their voices were sharp and mean.

"Are you serious? That woman is married and pregnant, and she's letting her friend do this to her? The friend must be a complete idiot. I would have cut her off years ago."

"Textbook fake friend. Smiles in your face, stabs you in the back. Wants everyone to be as miserable as she is. My wife had a friend just like that. Messed her up so bad she's still on medication."

"A total leech. Sucks the life out of her family, then her friends, then whatever guy is dumb enough to marry her. Anyone who gets close to her ends up ruined."

"Don't forget the sleeping around part. She's been with half the city from what I heard. I wouldn't want to live anywhere near her."

They were all so sure. So convinced I was the devil.

Dominic looked down at me. "How about it? Still want to act tough?"

He thought he had me cornered. He thought I was about to beg.

I gave him a cold smile. "This is your big move? A few office workers yelling at me? I'll just move. Problem solved. You want to really ruin me? Call some influencers. Stream this live. Let the whole city watch."

His face went dark. "Fine. You asked for it."

Yes, I thought. Let it burn. Let everyone see how your uncle and your wife have been screwing you over this whole time.