Lily's POV

We arrived at Sebastian's home a few hours later.

I was welcomed with a warm shower, fresh clothes, and dinner he insisted on having with me.

Sebastian rolled into the dining room as casually as he would have strolled in.

I tried not to stare at his legs, covered by a blanket, as he took his place at the table.

He had saved me from spending the night on the street, and I was about to ask him to stick his neck out for me. The least I could do was be respectful about what might be an insecurity for him.

After dinner, we moved to the lounge to drink and talk over a crackling fire.

I told him everything, and he listened, patient and attentive.

I couldn't help but compare him to Vincent, who always became the busiest man in the world when I wanted to talk, even though I was the one doing most of the work.

"Unless you can get proof he forged your signatures, the only way to get everything is to buy them back."

I sighed, exhausted both physically and mentally. "I don't have the money to buy back everything."

And I wouldn't pay Vincent a dime for what was rightfully mine.

"But I do. As well as the resources to have Vincent investigated for fraud."

I stared at him, contemplative. "You would do that for a stranger?"

He brought out a ring box from his housecoat pocket and held it out to me. "I would do that and more for my wife."

I took the box and opened it to reveal a stunning ring. It was a little more subtle than Stacy's ring, but to me, it was far more beautiful.

I slipped it on, and it fit, the heart-shaped emerald complimenting me perfectly.

"I can't get on my knee, unfortunately..."

"It doesn't matter," I brushed off easily, looking away from the ring to give him a soft smile.

He smiled back, and it lit up his face, making him appear twice as handsome under the fire's glow.

"Will you marry me, Miss Hart?"

"I will," I responded with a soft laugh at the absurd situation.

We spent the evening getting to know each other.

Sebastian was a reserved man, but I could tell from the way he spoke that there was warmth under the tough shield he kept up to protect his heart from the world's harsh judgment.

It was all going so well until he mentioned wanting children, and the once-burning whiskey in my belly turned cold.

Thankfully, he did not notice my silence about the topic, and we moved on to other things. Though that glimmer of hope in his eyes caused guilt to haunt me for the rest of the night.

The next morning, I left Sebastian's home to get the rest of my things.

The house loomed ahead, and Mattew and I shared a look when we saw the black smoke rising from the front yard.

I was out of the car the second he parked, my feet leading me past the gates.

Standing on the lawn was Stacy with a determined look on her face as she stared down at the dying flames of a blackened heap by her feet.

In one hand, she held lighter fluid, and in the other, a box of matches.

I marched over to inform her she couldn't just burn things on my carefully groomed grass.

However, my steps slowed when my eyes caught something peeking out from the blackened lump.

It was a familiar pink fabric that looked just like the suit my mother had worn during her court marriage.

My heart dropped to my stomach when I caught sight of the wheel of the luggage I had packed my things into yesterday.

"No," I whispered, watching as the dying embers consumed the last of my parents' things.

The photo album my mother had meticulously recorded all our memories in, my father's lucky cufflinks, and every other trinket that would be useless to everyone else but meant everything to me.

"W-what have you done?" I wailed as I crumbled to my knees, tears pouring down my cheeks.

Stacy smiled, her eyes filled with sadistic pleasure. "You acted so high and mighty yesterday, and that didn't sit right with me.”

“I don't think it's fair you keep anything bought with my husband's hard-earned money, so I made sure you can't."

Lily's POV

Rage like I had never felt burned inside me.

However, before I could act on my violent thoughts, a glint of gold among the ashes caught my eye, and I realized from its shape that it was my mother's locket.

Without a second thought, I reached into the pile and began digging it out with my hand.

Stacy gasped in horror and stumbled away from me.

The pain was almost unbearable, but I didn’t stop until I successfully pried it out and held it up in my blistering red hand.

The necklace was fine. That was all that mattered to me even as Matthew hurried to my side, panicking about my wounded hand.

His furious yelling at Stacy drew Vincent out of the house.

She immediately ran to his side, looking innocent, and he began comforting her, even as I was the only one visibly injured.

Vincent turned to me with a glare that wavered when he saw me in the arms of another man.

His jealousy reared its ugly head.

"YOU BRING YOUR NEW BOYFRIEND TO STIR UP TROUBLE IN MY HOUSE?!"

"It's my house, and I'll prove it when the police get here to kick you out and arrest her for destruction of property."

I pointed at Stacy, who cowered behind him with a pitiful whimper.

My words flipped a switch, and suddenly Vincent had on his professional smile.

"Calling the police is extreme, don't you think? Let's go inside and discuss this like adults. There's no reason all three of us can't be together peacefully."

"Vincent!" Stacy squawked, staring up at him in disbelief and betrayal.

I sneered, wondering how I had let myself be strung along by a plastic ring from a man like him.

"The police are on their way, Mr. Collins. I suggest you both get changed before their arrival."

Matthew helped me to my feet with gentle care, then led me into the kitchen.

There, we ran water over my hand while we waited for the police and ambulance to arrive.

Vincent tried to convince me to drop the charges, promising we would go back to what we used to be.

He still believed I was the little fool who would rather be a mistress than lose him. I was glad to prove him wrong.

When the police led Stacy away in handcuffs, kicking and screaming, I watched with hollow victory, knowing what I had lost to gain it.

Vincent chose to follow Stacy to the station while I was taken to the hospital. Not once did he stop to ask how I was doing.

My burns were second-degree, so I was discharged from the hospital soon after with a bandaged right arm.

When I stepped into the car with Matthew, he informed me that Sebastian was away on a trip and would be gone indefinitely.

I felt stirrings of longing and sorrow at the news.

We had just met, yet I craved his steady presence for comfort. The thought of returning to an empty house didn't sit right with me, so I decided to make better use of my time.

One phone call later and I had the house put up for sale.

I refused to let Vincent play house with Stacy in the home I had made for us.

I would need substantial evidence for a lawsuit against Vincent. And to get that evidence, I would have to find every single document that could incriminate him.

Knowing he was still with Stacy at the station, I had Matthew drive me back to the house.

The blackened lump was still on the lawn when I arrived. My heart ached from the loss, but I refused to pay it any mind as I made my way to the study, then to the safe, and began to rifle through it for what I needed.

The documents were just as I had found them, but further searching revealed a hitch in my plans.

The transfer of ownership and other documents within name were present, but the originals—the ones that had my name and signature—were nowhere to be found.

I searched through every cabinet and drawer but still, nothing.

Vincent was smarter than I gave him credit for.

He had planned ahead and made sure if I ever discovered his fraud, I'd have a hard time getting proof of it.

Months ago, Vincent had installed a safe in his office, behind a portrait. What he forgot was that I was notified of every change, down to new light bulbs in the company.

At the time, I had thought nothing of him having a safe he didn't tell me about. Now I knew it was the perfect hiding place for the original documents, and I was determined to get into that safe.

I stuffed the files into his briefcase and made my escape, returning to Matthew waiting in the car.

From there, we headed for the Hart Inc Head office, where it had all started.

Lily's POV

I could feel the stares when I walked into the lobby, the whispers of my employees following after me.

But I was a woman on a mission, and I didn't stop and chat with a few of them like I used to do.

Not when I was not sure of how deeply the rot that’s Vincent had eaten into my company.

He had been in charge of hiring for the last few years, as well as laying off staff. I shuddered at the thought of how many traitors and backstabbers I had treated like family.

I took the elevator and it opened up to the top floor, all of which belonged to Vincent as 'CEO'.

I made my way across the expansive space towards the door at the end of it.

Just before it was his assistant, Clarissa’s station, and I was forced to a stop when she suddenly jumped out from behind her desk and stepped in my way.

"Mr. Smith isn't in right now, but I can schedule an appointment for when he returns."

I stared at her with wide eyes, struck dumb by her audacity.

Like most things, I held my employees to very high standards, and the short minute I had been in her presence showed how little Vincent cared about Hart Inc's principles.

However, I had more important things to focus on than her poor communication skills.

"That won't be necessary." I tried to move, but she blocked me again, her plastic smile turning into an annoyed look.

"I can't let you go into Mr. Collins’ office without him present."

For a few seconds, I thought I misheard her.

Clarissa stared back defiantly, and a flash of realization made me understand why she was so bold.

Beautiful and fashionable, Clarissa looked more like a model about to step onto a runway than the secretary of a business executive.

So this was his ‘late nights at the office’.

My voice was low and level as I spoke.

"Excuse you, Clarissa, but I own Mr. Collins’ office just like I own your job. And if you don't get out of my way right now, I'll make sure this is the last time you ever step foot in this building."

Fear flashed over her face as she realized she wasn't in any position to mouth off when her sponsor wasn't there to protect her.

Clarissa mumbled a strained apology and stepped to the side.

I said nothing in response, knowing that when I purged the company of Vincent’s puppets, I would make sure she’d be the first to go.

I marched up to the doors and they opened to Vincent’s large office.

Stopping at the threshold my eyes swept over the extravagance with distaste and anger toward myself for letting it happen.

In one room was a pool table, a massage chair, as well as a couch, a TV and console so he could “de-stress” by playing video games.

The cherry on top was the door to the right.

It led to a small bedroom that Vincent insisted he needed for when work kept him at the office till it was too late to return home.

Like a dummy, I believed, ignoring Clarissa's flowery perfume that clung to his sheets the few times I had gone in there.

The safe was hidden behind a portrait on the far wall, and I got in on my first try.

My hand hovered midair as I stared, dumbfounded, at the only thing sitting in the large safe—a box.

Bringing it out, I began to search through it until I found what I was looking for and then some.

A draft of a contract for a merger was what caught my attention because I had never agreed to such.

The company proposing to merge with Hart Inc. was even more distressing.

It was Monroe Industries, Stacy’s dad’s company.

Mr. Monroe was infamous for his mergers that were really just violent takeovers of smaller businesses.

Vincent had come to me with the offer before, and I had turned it down because, unlike him, I knew who I was dealing with.

Our advisors should have warned him about this, and the fact they didn’t made me very suspicious.

My leading theory was that Mr. Monroe had planted his people in Hart Inc., and that created a bigger problem than I was ready for.

Vincent forging documents was one thing. Going up against a man as powerful as Mr. Monroe was another.

I quickly packed up everything and left the office, too disturbed by my discovery to notice the satisfied smile Clarissa sent my way.

"Ready to go home?" Matthew asked with a pointed look at my bandaged arm.

Home. Butterflies fluttered in my belly at the mention of Sebastian's home being mine too.

We had only known each other for a few days, yet Sebastian was a steady force I found myself drawn to.

He was there to help me, and I knew that if it came to it, I wouldn’t be going up against Mr. Monroe alone.

My anxiety calmed. I smiled. "Let's go home."

I settled into the seat for a calm ride, lazily watching the city go by.

The light turned red and we were forced to stop and wait.

My eyes casually drifted out my window and I stilled when I met the intense stare of the man in the car on the right.

It was impossible to ignore, and I turned to inform Matthew about it, only to find him in a staring match of his own with the guys in the car on our other side.

A foreboding feeling grew in the car and my heartbeat picked up.

"What's going on?" I asked, watching Mathew study the car behind us through the rearview mirror.

His eyes suddenly widened as he saw something in the reflection.

"Get down!" he yelled as the windscreen suddenly exploded in a shower of broken glass.