Two burly security guards held me tight. Kylie grabbed my hand and, in a trembling voice, assured me, "Noelle, it's going to be okay."

"Come on! Keep hitting me! Why did you stop?" Cassidy got up from the floor, her eyes full of venom. She asked me, "Do you think hitting me will make those broken pieces whole again?"

She kicked the shattered remnants of the watch with her heel.

"Noelle, don't worry. I'll keep the pieces. We can get it fixed." Kylie stepped toward the pile of fragments, trying to pick up whatever parts she could still recognize.

Cassidy kicked her away and then mercilessly stomped on the little pile Kylie had gathered with her sharp stiletto heels.

She barked, "Old hag, you want to fix it? I'll grind it all into dust today!" As she crushed the pieces, her eyes locked onto me. "See that? That's how you and your treasure look beneath my feet."

"Kylie!"

As I watched Kylie fall to the ground, something inside me snapped. I broke free from the guards' grip.

"I'm going to kill you!"

I grabbed an empty wine bottle off the nearest table and charged at Cassidy.

She screamed in terror. The head of security reacted instantly, kicking me away hard.

"Ms. Lorne, are you okay?" he asked Cassidy as he grabbed my hair and shoved me back down.

"Teach her a lesson! Rip that nasty mouth apart!" Cassidy screamed wildly, clutching her chest.

"I'm not just Jerome's wife. I'm the heiress to Linton Group! Don't you dare touch me!" I shouted.

The guards hesitated, shaken by my fierce demeanor.

"So what if you're Linton Group's heiress? You're still lying under Jerome! But…" Cassidy had a mad look in her eyes as she continued, "I guess he doesn't even want to touch you anymore!" She broke out into hysterical laughter.

Her words pierced me deeply. It was true that Jerome and I hadn't been intimate for a long time.

"What's going on here?" Jerome appeared, flanked by two assistants. He frowned at the chaotic scene around us.

I froze and raised my head.

But almost at the same moment, a more commanding voice rang through the room.

"Noelle!"

The crowd parted as a tall, imposing man strode quickly toward me.