###Chapter 2

I froze. Dropped the charges? What the hell were they talking about?

I rushed to the law firm as fast as I could. But by the time I got there, the file—my mother’s case file—was already shredded into confetti.

Everything blurred. I collapsed to my knees, grabbing the lawyer’s sleeve, my voice breaking.

“You promised. You said you’d help me get justice for my mother!”

The lawyer looked uncomfortable and let out a long sigh.

“The person who withdrew the complaint… was your husband. Mr. Marks. None of us are in a position to go against him. I’m truly sorry.”

And just like that, with a small nod, he had security drag me out into the street.

But I wasn’t giving up.

There had to be someone in this godforsaken city who still had a spine.

Hands shaking, I called every top law firm I could find. One by one, they turned me away. The replies were all the same.

“Sorry, Miss Ward. Mr. Marks made it very clear—anyone who touches that case is out of business by morning. We can’t help you.”

I dropped to the pavement. My palm landed on jagged concrete, blood seeping from the cut—yet I barely felt a thing.

When I was sixteen, my father threw Mom and me out. The same day, Piper and her mother moved in.

I still remember Piper—just thirteen—smirking from the staircase. That’s when I learned the truth. My father had been cheating for years.

Mom and I ended up on the streets. One freezing night, we stumbled into the middle of a kidnapping. A bunch of black-clothed guys dragging a young man in to a van, Colin Marks, heir to the Marks Family, was being dragged into a van.

Mom didn’t hesitate. She jumped in, fought the men off, saved Colin—almost died doing it. Stabbed over and over.

Afterward, Colin brought us into his home, against his parents’ wishes.

Mom turned down his offer to support us. Instead, she worked as a housekeeper in the Marks’ estate. I transferred to Colin’s school. Day after day, I watched that sweet, kind boy grow into someone I couldn’t help falling for.

He loved me back. On my 20th birthday, he held my hand, knelt in front of my mom and promised he’d spend the rest of his life protecting me.

But all that started changing a year ago.

He went to karaoke with some friends. When he got back, he started talking about Piper… differently.

“She’s not who I thought she was,” he said one night. “She’s working three jobs to pay for school. Can you believe that?”

“And get this—some rich guy tried to hit on her, said he’d spoil her rotten. She stood up and slapped him across the face. What a feisty girl.”

Then he added, “I know you two never really got along. But maybe it’s because you never gave her a real chance. If you just spent some time with her, maybe you’d see how lovable she is.”

My gut was screaming at me that something was off. But I brushed it aside. Told myself I was just being paranoid. That I was overthinking things.

And then, not long after, a friend told me that Colin had bought a bracelet. Not just any bracelet—a vintage piece that once belonged to a real-life European princess. Not only did she wear it, it was apparently one of her favorites.

So naturally, I thought… maybe he bought it for my birthday.

But on the day of my birthday, Piper posted on Instagram. That exact bracelet, worth millions, was wrapped around her wrist. In the photo, a man’s hand was holding hers—fingers laced.

That night, I waited until the last birthday candle burned itself out. Colin never came home.

It was the first time he ever forgot my birthday.

After that, he always had some excuse for missing our important dates—anniversaries, celebrations, milestones. There was always something that came up.

At the same time, Piper’s Instagram kept updating—his familiar silhouette in the background, his ringless fingers holding a wine glass, his toned body behind a fogged-up shower door…

Six months ago, we’d signed our marriage certificate. He told me he wanted to give me the perfect wedding.

Now I know… there won’t be a wedding at all.

I picked up the phone and dialed.

“You wanted my shares in Marks Corporation, right?” I said coldly. “I’m signing them over. All of them.”

It was a “gift” he gave me the day he finally won me over—those shares. I told him it was way too much, but he held my hand tight and insisted I sign the papers.

That gentle voice still echoes in my mind like a cruel memory,

“Baby, if you want the stars or the moon, I’ll give them to you. What’s a few shares compared to that?”

I know now—what we had, it was real. But people change. Hearts grow cold. And love? Love is never immortal.

The boy who once held me like I was his whole world—he’s long gone. Swallowed by time.

Just as I ended the call, my phone lit up with a message from Colin.

[Calmed down yet? I’ve arranged the cemetery and paid for the funeral. Satisfied now? Stop testing my patience.]

Another one followed almost instantly:

[Did you not see my message? Get to my office now. Sign the non-prosecution agreement for Piper.]

Something in me finally broke. I called him. My voice was shaking with rage.

“Why the hell should I sign that form for her? And if I say no, what then? You gonna press my bloody finger onto the damn paper?”

###Chapter 3

He hung up. Cold. No hesitation.

Seconds later, he sent a photo.

It was a scanned document. An investment contract signed between my mom and Piper.

Bold letters in the center screamed at me:

Investments carry risk. All losses due to personal judgment errors are the client’s own responsibility.

My mother’s signature and fingerprint sat neatly at the bottom.

He’d been preparing for this. His legal team—massive, ruthless—ready to crush me like I was nothing.

Still, I went to the Marks Corp building.

In the elevator, I ran into Piper.

She was wearing a custom Chanel gown, carrying a handbag worth more than most people’s cars and of course—the princess bracelet shimmered on her wrist.

She looked like royalty. Like someone born into love.

Her lips curled into a smile the second she saw me.

“Oh no, Annelise... you look awful,” she cooed. “Guess it’s true what they say—when a woman gets old, the bloom fades. No wonder Colin lost interest.”

Then, with mock concern, she said, “Still haven’t buried your mom? Want me to help plan the funeral? I mean, we are family after all.”

My hands curled into fists. Rage boiled up inside me until it threatened to burn me alive.

“You knew it was a scam,” I hissed. “You knew! That was telecom fraud and tricked my mom into giving up every cent she had!”

She feigned hurt, but the corner of her lips twitched with amusement.

“How could you accuse me like that? I was just trying to help,” she said sweetly. “Your mom wanted to earn more for your wedding dowry. I couldn’t say no to her, could I?”

My chest tightened. I could feel the blood rushing to my head. 

“Boy, that old hag love you like the world, didn’t she?” she sneered. 

Then she leaned in close and whispered near my ear, “One day, I stepped on Mr. Marks’s favorite peonies—on purpose. The butler said he’d dock her three months’ pay. She begged on her knees. Right there.”

“I found out later she hadn’t taken a day off in months. Just to save money… for you,” Piper went on, giggling. “When I told her to crawl through the garden like a dog? She did it. Just like that.”

My world crumbled. All those times my mother smiled and told me not to worry about a thing while I planned my wedding... I never knew what she had to endure for my sake.

As the elevator doors opened, something inside me snapped.

I raised my hand, eyes blazing.

“Piper, you’re a monster!”

But before my hand even touched her, she threw herself out of the elevator, crying hysterically as she held her face.

“Annelise, I said I was sorry! I even knelt to you, but you’re still being so cruel—do you really want me dead that badly?!” she sobbed dramatically. “If you want me dead so bad, then fine! I’ll die for your mother!”

She staggered up, pretending to hurl herself into the wall.

“Piper!”

A figure rushed forward, arms wrapping protectively around her—Colin.

He yanked her into his arms and slammed into me with his shoulder. I wasn’t prepared. My head whipped back, smacking the wall behind me with a sickening thud.

The world tilted.

Warm blood trickled down the back of my neck.

Colin turned on me, his eyes bloodshot with rage.

“Anneliese Ward, how dare you? Apologize to Piper. Now.”

It was like she was his wife. And me? Just some lunatic who had to be dealt with.

Piper sobbed against his chest, trembling.

“I know she’s just hurt, she whimpered, clinging to him like he was her lifeline, “but I already said I’d pay for it. I’d take on every job I could, even illegal ones. But she… she still hit me. And she cursed me—said I should drop dead.”

Colin wrapped his arms tighter around her, jaw clenched, eyes dark with fury.

“Have I not compensated you enough?” he snapped at me. “Look at yourself. You’re just like your mother. Petty. Greedy. Always playing the victim. You two deserved the punishment.”

My breath caught in my throat. The room spun, but I stood rooted, too stunned to move.

“Petty and greedy?” I whispered, staring at him like I’d never seen him before. “Is that really what you think of me? That seeking justice for my mom makes me some money-hungry lunatic?”

Tears blurred my vision, but I refused to let them fall.

Something in Colin flickered when he saw me holding back my tears. But the moment Piper whimpered in his arms, his expression hardened again.

“I saw you try to hit her. I don’t care what your excuse is.”

He took a step forward. “This is the last time I’ll say it. Apologize.”

My heart clenched like it was being crushed in a vice.

“And what if I don’t?” I said coldly. 

###Chapter 4

“She's not just the daughter of a mistress—She's the reason my mother’s dead. And you expect me to apologize?!" I yelled. 

Piper didn’t even have time to open her mouth. Colin’s eyes went glacial.

“I warned you,” he said, his voice like steel dragged across ice. “Don’t test my patience.”

Then he turned to his men and barked, “Get her mother’s body. Drag it out of the funeral home.”

Every word was a dagger dipped in poison.

“She won’t learn until she’s broken,” he sneered. “You think someone like you deserves to be lady of the Marks Family?”

“Feed the corpse to the dogs.” He meant it.

The guards moved without hesitation, their footsteps echoing like a death march.

“No! No, please!” I lunged forward in blind panic—only to be grabbed by another bodyguard. His grip crushed my arm so hard I heard a crack.

Agony burst through me like wildfire.

Tears blurred my vision. I cried so hard I couldn’t breathe.

“Colin, please! Don’t do this to my mother. She’s—she’s gone. Isn’t that enough?!”

Piper tilted her head sweetly, hiding the smirk playing on her lips.

“Colin… the dead deserve peace. Maybe we should let this go?”

He turned to her with a sigh. “You’re too soft. That’s why she walks all over you.”

Then he looked back at his men. “Well? What are you waiting for? Do you need me to show you where the funeral home is?” he barked at the guards.

His voice cut through me like broken glass, scattering the last remains of the love I’d held onto for ten long years.

He knew. He knew my mother was my only weakness. And he didn’t hesitate to crush it underfoot.

I broke.

I bowed.

My spine bent, my head dropped, my pride bled out on the floor at Piper’s feet.

“Please,” I whispered, tears falling hard. “Please just leave my mother. Let her rest in peace.”

Each word was a blade in my throat. “I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

Wrong for hoping for fairness.

Wrong for believing—foolishly—that maybe, just maybe, he’d choose me over her.

As I bent forward, the blood-soaked back of my collar showed.

Colin’s eyes flickered. For a split second, he seemed stunned.

“Is this enough for you?” I straightened with every last ounce of strength I had left–staring him down with disgust I couldn’t barely concealed.

His jaw tightened. He gestured to his assistant. “Bring the agreement.”

Only when I pressed my bloody fingerprint onto the page did his brow finally ease.

“You’re bleeding,” he said. “I’ll call a doctor.”

He let go of Piper and moved toward me.

I slapped his hand away.

“Save it. Go get your precious girl's injuries checked instead—if you wait any longer, the fake bruises might fade.”

I turned to leave, but Piper stuck out her foot.

I tripped hard, crashing forward.

Colin’s instincts kicked in. He reached out—but stopped himself just inches away.

His hand froze mid-air. Then he stepped back.

“Alright. Handle your wound yourself,” he said stiffly.

I forced myself to stand tall, even as pain shot up.

He looked at me as they reached inside the elevator. “I’ll go with you to the wedding boutique tomorrow,” he said, before the elevator doors closed behind them.

My body swayed, the dizziness from blood loss rising in waves.

In the blur of pain, I was pulled back to a memory—back to college.

Colin was just nineteen when he took over the family business. He’d worked through endless nights, eyes rimmed with exhaustion. One day, I burned my hand slightly while making soup for him. Just a tiny blister.

Yet somehow, he found out. He stormed out of an important meeting and sped home, barely stopping at red lights.

He grabbed my hand, stared at the burn and held it like it was made of glass.

“I’m so sorry, baby. I should’ve protected you,” he said, voice tight with guilt. “I swear, as long as I’m breathing, I’ll never let anything hurt you again.”

Then he pulled me into his arms. Warm, strong, trembling just a little. That hug—and that promise—etched themselves into my memory like a brand.

But that boy was long gone.

He grew up into a cold, distant man who looks at me like I’m nothing. Like I’m disposable.

Now, he’s the one hurting me the most.

I stumbled toward the building’s exit. Everything went black.

But before I hit the ground—I fell into someone’s arms.

A stranger’s arms, firm and unfamiliar.

Before the darkness swallowed me whole, I heard one quiet breath against my ear.

“Do you want revenge?” A whisper, like a devil making an offer.

“As an exchange for those shares… I’ll help you find the evidence on your mother’s death.”