Chapter 2

Cameron's brows pulled together. "V-Vivian? What are you doing?"

I tilted my head at her. "Vivian?"

With the two of them standing behind me, Cameron lowered her head, guilt all over her face, and her voice shook. "M-Ms. Rosen."

Erin frowned and put on her most patient voice. "Vivian, can you stop making a scene?"

Blake Barton stepped up. His father ran the local Viper Syndicate, and he pushed people around at school like he owned it. He pulled Erin against him and glared at me.

"Vivian, you got a death wish? You think hiring a couple of rent-a-cops lets you run your mouth in here?" he spat.

He came at me with his fist up. Before he got close, one of my men stepped in, wrenched his wrist out of joint, and put him face down on the floor.

Blake screamed. The color drained out of his face.

The party crowd shrieked and scattered at the sudden violence.

"Erin, didn't you say Vivian was the nanny's kid? What is going on?" someone shouted.

Erin forced her voice steady. "Vivian, we're all classmates here. Why would you bring in private security to start something?"

I didn't waste another word on her. "Take them out," I told my men. "In thirty minutes, I don't want anything in this house that isn't mine."

"Yes, Ms. Rosen," they answered.

They threw Blake and Erin's whole crew out the front door. That left me, Cameron, and Erin in the house.

Cameron dropped to the floor, grabbed my hand, and wailed. "Vivian, how can you be so heartless? Your parents dumped you here and never came back. I've cooked and cleaned for you for months. Erin borrows the house once and you pull this?"

I pulled my hand free, my voice flat. "Cameron, you're fired. Take your daughter and go."

Cameron stared, panic and accusation in her voice. "You're firing me over something this small? I ran this house for you. I've been half a mother to you. This is how you treat me? How can you be so cold and selfish?"

My expression didn't change. "Selfish? You get paid three times the going rate, you let your daughter take over my house, and now you want me out. Not pressing charges is me being generous. And never compare yourself to my mother again."

Erin glared at me, her face twisted. "Vivian, your parents don't visit you once a year. You think you're some heiress? No. You're a charity case nobody wants but us. You think I don't know? They wrote you off years ago."

Right then, my two bodyguards came back into the living room. One look from me, and they started toward Cameron and Erin.

Cameron went white. She grabbed Erin and fled without another word.

On the way out, Erin threw me a look full of hate.

The next day at school, I found Erin at the center of a crowd, beaming, chin in the air, a black credit card held up in her hand.

"I'm apologizing on Vivian's behalf for yesterday. Lunch is on me. Order whatever you want," she announced.