Chloe was stunned for a second before her face hardened, and she spat each word through gritted teeth.

"What do you think you'll have left to compete with me once the baby in my belly is born?"

"Hah, the former Volkov princess, now nothing but a caged bird. Your father must be rolling in his grave..."

I cut her off with a sharp slap across the face.

Chloe staggered from the force of the blow. When she looked up, her eyes were filled with venom.

But before she could speak, a furious male voice ripped through the air.

"Elara! What the hell are you doing!"

The moment she heard his voice, Chloe's expression crumpled into one of pitiful helplessness.

"I'm sorry, Miss Elara. I just wanted to explain. I don't want you and Dante to fight because of me anymore."

"I grew up without parents. Dante just feels sorry for me. It's really not what you think between us."

Dante’s gaze was dark and cold as it fell on Chloe’s swollen, red cheek.

"Elara, she's pregnant! How could you hit her!"

I answered him by raising my pistol.

Bang!

The bullet grazed Chloe's arm with pinpoint precision.

In an instant, blood bloomed on her sleeve.

I lowered my wrist, staring coldly at the two of them.

"Remember the shot I held back last time? Now we're even."

"Dante, control your dog. Next time, this barrel will be pointed at her head."

Dante scooped Chloe into his arms. When he looked at me, his eyes were dark, simmering with barely suppressed rage.

After a long, tense moment, he ground out the words:

"Today was Chloe's fault. She shouldn't have provoked you."

"You're even."

With that, Dante didn't look at me again. He turned and strode toward the door with Chloe in his arms.

I don't know if he did it on purpose.

As he passed, he slammed his shoulder hard into mine and strode away without a second glance.

Caught off guard, the force of the impact knocked me to the ground.

My lower back slammed hard against the sharp corner of the steel gun-cleaning table.

A sharp, searing pain exploded through my body, so intense it stole my breath.

I heard the bodyguards behind me cry out.

"Miss Elara! You're bleeding!"

I looked down numbly as a crimson stain began to spread across the floor beneath me.

I couldn't hold on. My eyes fluttered closed, and the world went black.