Chapter 4

After saying that, Steven called for his men.

I collapsed onto the ground. Every movement sent pain through my body, and I could barely prop myself up. My voice came out hoarse. "Steven, my dad treated you like his own son. Have you forgotten all of that?"

Steven didn't even look at me. He was busy checking Julie's wrist for scrapes. "Why are you making such a big deal over a dog? Besides, Julie already tried to stop it. What more do you expect her to do?"

His men moved efficiently. Two of them grabbed me by the arms and dragged me toward the gate.

I struggled desperately with my heels scraping across broken bricks until bloody trails formed behind me. "Let go of me!"

Julie crouched down and pointed at a tiny scrape no larger than a fingernail's size on Sunny's front leg. Tears instantly welled up in her eyes. "This is all my fault. Kelly could've just blamed it on me. Why did she hurt my dog?"

I was thrown into the interrogation room beneath the docks. The iron door slammed shut behind me. A harsh fluorescent light buzzed overhead. Standing outside the bars, Steven looked at me as if he were questioning a criminal.

"Stay here for five days. Use the time to think about what you've done."

Five days. The moment I heard those words, all the blood rushed to my head.

"Steven, can't we resolve this privately?"

I threw myself against the bars. My fingernails dug into the rusted metal. "Nora is home alone. If she doesn't see me for five days, she'll be scared."

Steven glanced at me. For a brief second, his expression softened a little.

Julie noticed that and immediately stepped forward. She wrapped both hands around his arm and said softly, "Steven, if you let her out now, what kind of example does that set? If people break the rules and aren't punished, who will follow them in the future? What will happen to the family's reputation?"

Steven's expression hardened again. Whatever hesitation he'd felt disappeared completely.

"Kelly, you're the one who attacked first. This is a good opportunity to show everyone what happens when rules are broken. I'm sure Nora can take care of herself. You'll stay here. You're not going anywhere."

"Steven!"

I reached for him, but my shoulders couldn't get past the bars. He walked away without looking back. The sharp clicks of Julie's high heels echoed across the concrete floor until they faded into silence.

The guards shoved me inside and locked the iron door.

I couldn't imagine how Nora would manage without me for five days.

I paced the interrogation room. I was so anxious I could hardly breathe.

This place was damp and cold.

Before long, I collapsed onto the floor. Only then did the injuries from earlier begin to fully make themselves known.

I closed my eyes and wished time would pass faster.

Suddenly, someone shoved me from behind.

It was one of the guards. "I heard you're the Don's woman. How'd you piss him off badly enough to end up like this?"

I turned over and faced the wall. I ignored him.

After three minutes of silence, he woke me up again.

It was deliberate. Every time my consciousness began to fade, he woke me up with a whistle, a bang against the bars, or some crude insult.

By the break of dawn the next day, I was completely exhausted.

Leaning against the bars, he lowered his voice and laughed. "Serves you right. You shouldn't have crossed the Don."

I closed my eyes and rested my head against the wall. I no longer had the strength for resentment. I only wanted the five days to pass by faster.

By the fifth day, the wound on my forehead had gone untreated for so long that it was swollen and infected. Even a slight touch would result in numbing pain.

Steven was already waiting outside the interrogation room when I was finally brought out. The moment he saw me, a flicker of pain crossed his eyes. He stepped forward and tried to pull me into his arms.

"Have you learned your lesson?"

I didn't move. I let him put his hands on my shoulders. Every bone in my body ached.

"Your dad's ashes weren't completely ruined."

His voice softened slightly. It almost sounded like he was trying to console me. "I had people collect what was left. I bought a new urn and had him buried in a decent plot on the north side of the mountain. When you're feeling better, I'll take you there."

I barely heard a word he said. Instead, I shoved his arm away.

I then thrust a folder from my bag into his hands. "The money you paid wasn't enough for that piece of land. Sign this."