“Don't you dare lay a hand on me!”

I stared at Marie and forced the words out as fast as I could.

She barely glanced at me, contempt dripping from every syllable. ：“Excuse me? You throw yourself at my boyfriend, steal my things, and now you have the nerve to say I'm the one being unfair?”

Before I could answer, she turned to the men pinning me down and barked：“Strip her!”

“Let's see where this little tramp is hiding my property once there's nothing left to hide behind!”

The bodyguards moved the instant she finished, their hands reaching for my clothes.

I twisted against their grip, shouting：“Marie, you wouldn't dare!”

“Kerry Rowe invited me here to discuss a partnership with your father!”

“Are you really going to humiliate your family's business partner in front of everyone?”

I locked eyes with her, my voice ringing across the hall.

Her father was wealthy, sure, but Kerry and I both moved in Capital City's elite circles. I wasn't about to cower before a man like Felix Gilbert.

Marie looked at me for a long moment, then burst out laughing.

“You? A business partner?”

“What, you think batting your lashes at Kerry Rowe makes you his partner?”

“Take a good look at yourself!”

She swept her gaze over me, lip curling.

Then she folded her arms and went on：“I've met plenty of women like you.”

“Any man with money, and you're already scheming how to sink your claws in.”

“Delusional enough to think they'd actually want you back.”

Marie let out a cold laugh, then slapped me across the face.

“Now hand over the necklace.”

My head snapped to the side. I lifted it slowly, tasting copper, and fixed my eyes on hers.

：“Marie, I have never even met your boyfriend.”

“If you don't believe me, call the police and let them sort it out!”

“I'm telling you the truth. Kerry Rowe and I have a real business deal!”

“Keep this up, and you're the one who won't be able to walk it back!”

The second the words left my mouth, Marie threw her head back and laughed.

“You? A deal with Kerry Rowe?”

“Do you even know who he is? The Rowe heir. Top of the Capital City elite circle. And he'd partner with a scheming little tramp like you?”

“Oh, I bet the only 'partnership' you had in mind was between the sheets.”

She sneered down at me and raised her voice so the entire room could hear：“Strip her. Every last stitch. I want to see for myself whether she's got my boyfriend's necklace on her.”

Panic seized me. I wrenched around to face the crowd, screaming：“Please, someone call the police!”

“I didn't steal her necklace!”

“She's doing this on purpose!”

My voice cracked through the hall, but the instant I got the words out, Marie struck me again.

This time the blow split my lip. Blood pooled warm against my teeth.

Still not satisfied, she drove her stiletto heel down onto my hand.

The thin spike pierced my palm and the pain ripped through me, white-hot, so sharp I couldn't even scream.

“Marie, I swear I don't have it. What do I have to do to make you believe me?”

I turned to look up at her, my voice raw.

“Easy. You say you don't have it? Then strip. Right here, in front of every guest in this room.”

“A shameless little tramp like you should enjoy putting on a show, shouldn't she?”

I stared at Marie, panic clawing its way into my eyes, and my words tumbled out before I could stop them：“Marie, I never touched your boyfriend!”

“And I definitely don't have your necklace!”

“Go ahead and call the police. I'll cooperate with the investigation.”

I looked straight at Marie and spoke fast：“And when Kerry Rowe gets here, you'll find out for yourself whether or not I'm his partner.”

The moment those words left my mouth, Marie let out a cold laugh：“You really are a shameless little seductress, aren't you?”

“You're stalling because you've already moved the necklace, haven't you?”

“You're dragging this out so your accomplice can get away with it.”

Before I could respond, she stepped forward and slapped me across the face：“Partner?”

“What makes you think you're anything?”

“My father has to beg Kerry Rowe for a chance to collaborate!”

“You don't even have the right to speak his name.”

She punctuated the words with a kick.

It landed hard. I hit the floor and couldn't get back up.

The pain was so sharp my eyes blurred with tears. I turned my head toward the other guests, but not a single one of them moved.

A bitter laugh escaped my throat. They were the ones who had invited me here to discuss investments. Several of them had practically begged Kerry Rowe for the chance to work with me.

And now they stood there, watching me get beaten, without lifting a finger.

“Marie Gilbert, because of what you've done, I refuse to discuss a single deal at this event!”

“Starting today, I won't invest a single dollar here!”

I turned and shouted it at the entire room.

The guests laughed.

The loudest of all were Marie and Robert.

They looked at me like I'd lost my mind.

“You? Invest?”

“A thief?”

Marie's laughter rang through the hall. Her expression turned cold：“Looks like I need to teach you your first real lesson tonight.”

She turned to the men behind her：“Strip her.”

“She's got a decent figure. Consider it entertainment for the guests.”

“And she definitely has an accomplice. Make her talk.”

“That necklace is worth over a million dollars. They'll try to move it.”

Marie's two bodyguards had been waiting for the order.

The way they looked at me was already wrong.

One of them grabbed the fabric of my gown and started tearing.

I clutched at the dress with everything I had, thrashing to shake them off.

It didn't matter. Two grown men against me was no contest. They ripped harder.

My gown was shredding into strips.

Just as I was desperately trying to cover myself, a voice thundered from the entrance.

“What the hell are you doing?”

The shout cut through the room. Marie and Robert both went pale.

I turned and saw Kerry Rowe striding in alongside Felix Gilbert.

The second Kerry saw me, his expression changed.

He rushed over, shrugged off his jacket, and draped it around my shoulders in one swift motion.

Then he turned and fixed Felix Gilbert with a stare：“Felix. This is how you treat a business partner?”

“This is Moira Dickerson. My partner. The investor you've all been looking for.”