Chapter 3

Michael watched me with an icy gaze as I spoke, and even when I finished, he appeared unmoved.

"I think you're crazy and must have mistaken me for someone else."

Rosalie was quick to put on a disdainful look as she said to me, "Just stop with the act already. The Gardner family isn't as easy to fool as you think. Jake, I'm leaving her to you to deal with."

With that, Jake and his men lifted me above their heads before hurling me to the ground hard.

"We'll throw her down hard enough to kill her, then make it look like she jumped off a building to end her life," Jake ordered.

However, Rosalie cut in with an amused tone, saying, "As if we should let someone out to kill Grandpa off so easily. Why not break her arms and legs first, then cut off her legs? After that, toss her into some remote village to 'benefit' the local bachelors. This could count as a good deed for the Gardner family."

Following that, she shot Jake a commanding stare, and he quickly jumped into action.

Her words chilled me to the bone. I had done my best to give her a good life while abroad, yet this so-called best friend of mine turned out to be so wicked and cruel.

"We're living in a society governed by law! How could the Gardner family do something like this?" I demanded.

Jake instantly seized me by the throat and lifted me into the air.

"A society governed by law? Then why don't you try calling the police? See if they believe you or Ms. Gardner."

Since when could a daughter of the Gardner family disregard the law?

Meanwhile, Michael wrapped an arm around Rosalie before using the other hand to gently cover her eyes.

"Don't look, Rose. This isn't something you should see."

Jake's little group of bodyguards stepped forward to seize my arms and break them. Despite the vice grip around my throat, I managed to squeeze out a strangled scream from the pain.

"Jake Ferrell, I'm the one you're supposed to protect, not her! How can you treat me like this after everything that Grandpa's done for you?"

However, Jake was unfazed.

"You think you have the right to be my mistress? You? Mr. Gardner Senior's nurturing of my skills was precisely for me to protect Ms. Gardner and deal with frauds like you!"

As I slowly ran out of air, my eyes rolled back, my face flushing red before gradually turning blue.

Nonetheless, Jake seemed to feel that killing me just like that wasn't enough to quell his anger, so he suggested, "Men, it's been a tough day for us all, but there's money to be earned from this! This fraud has plenty of jewelry and accessories on her, so whatever you grab, you can keep."

Every single item on me, from my jewelry to my clothing, was branded and worth quite a bit.

A greedy gleam entered the eyes of the group of eight men. The moment Jake released me, I didn't even get a chance to take a deep gulp of air before I was thrown to the ground by the burly men. They stomped on me with such force that I couldn't even muster the energy to get up.

They then agreed that whoever stomped on something first would get it.

Two of my fingers on my left hand were immediately broken as a heavy boot came down on them, while my newly manicured nails were torn right off from the force.

In a bid to snatch my crystal bracelet, another man stomped a little too hard on my left wrist, crushing the bracelet and causing shards to dig into my skin. At the same time, the bangle on my right wrist was roughly yanked off, the forceful motion practically crushing the bones of my hand.

My ears weren't spared any mercy either, as someone forcefully ripped out the earrings. Blood immediately gushed forth relentlessly.

I wailed at the pain and tried to seek help from Michael.

"Michael, we grew up together! Are you really going to stand by and watch as they do this to me?"

We had clearly been so sweet together overseas, and we had trusted each other so much!

"I already said that we would marry once I returned to the country! Then Gardner Corporation would be yours and mine!"

Michael took Rosalie's hand, and it was then that I noticed his ring and hers were obviously couple rings.

Stroking the ring, he commented casually, "Why would I marry you? The woman I love has always been Rose."

At that, I abruptly recalled that things had been rather fishy between them since a long time ago.

Many times, while Michael and I were out dating late into the night, Rosalie would suddenly appear, seemingly unintentionally, before the two would disappear for some time.

My best friend and my boyfriend, the two people I trusted the most, had always been playing me for a fool.

In the end, I was stripped down to my underwear. Everything else had been taken from me.

At that moment, the butler, Mr. Warren, hurried over. I instantly opened my mouth to shout for help, but Rosalie hastily slapped a hand over my lips.

"Quick, surround her and hide her from sight. Don't let Mr. Warren see her."

The crowd instantly formed a human wall around me, thoroughly blocking me from Mr. Warren's sight.

Rosalie released me, but before I could make any sound, one of the bodyguards clamped his hand over my mouth.

Utter despair welled in me, threatening to bring tears to my eyes.

Then, Mr. Warren asked the questions I had been hoping he would.

"Who pressed the doorbell earlier? Jake, Michael, what are you all doing by the gates? What happened?"