Chapter 3

A few days before the wedding between the Reed and Foster families, rumors were flying all over the place.

"I heard Violet made her stepsister marry the disabled heir of the Foster family."

"That's cold. Word is, she did it just to land a few hundred million in investment."

"No wonder Mr. Sterling's been keeping his distance from her lately. Guess he finally realized what she's really like."

I sat in the audience at the auction, pretending not to hear a thing.

But just then, Genevieve showed up, greeting me with a sugary-sweet smile. "Hey Violet, what a coincidence. What are you doing here?"

I gave her a cold glance.

She didn't seem to notice my attitude at all, just frowned with concern. "Oh, about those rumors. I'll speak up and set the record straight for you. After all, you're the one marrying into the Foster family."

With the wedding just around the corner, she had to be told that the bride was being swapped out.

I took a sip of champagne and gave a cold, mocking laugh. "Didn't you start those rumors yourself? Why bother?"

Her doe-eyed innocence vanished in a heartbeat. "So what?"

Her voice dropped, full of self-righteousness. "I was always meant to marry into the Foster family. The rumors got it right.

"All these years, you've been faking it, playing the good daughter in front of Dad, acting all sweet and innocent around Lucas, and pretending to be the big-hearted one for everyone else. Honestly, you make me sick.

"You and your mom are the same, always putting on that virtuous act, but underneath it all, you're just a two-faced, poisonous bitch."

I was about to slap her across the face when someone caught my wrist in a tight grip.

"Violet, what do you think you're doing now?" Lucas suddenly showed up behind me and yanked me back.

I stumbled backward, my heel twisted, and I collapsed onto the floor.

The champagne glass hit the floor and shattered, shards flying everywhere.

"Violet," Genevieve cried out, reaching out to help me up.

"Wait, there's glass everywhere. You'll get hurt." Lucas pulled Genevieve back behind him, then stepped forward and reached out his hand to me.

I gritted my teeth and forcefully knocked his hand away.

I braced myself against the floor and got up on my own.

My palm was sliced open, and the pain made my hand tremble.

"Lucas, she just insulted my mom. She called her..." I said, but those words were just too harsh, too hurtful for me to bring myself to say them out loud.

Lucas pulled his hand back awkwardly and then turned to Genevieve with a frown.

Genevieve shook her head, tears in her eyes, looking all hurt and innocent. "I didn't. I just told her you came here with me. I don't understand why Violet is trying to frame me?"

Lucas's hesitation vanished, and his tone turned icy. "You're honestly getting more and more disgusting. You'd even use your dead mom as a pawn just to frame Genevieve."

He stepped forward, towering over me as he glanced down at my bleeding palm with cold disdain. "Look at you now. What makes you any different from a resentful woman?"

A surge of bitterness welled up in my chest, making my throat tighten.

Just then, the auction chime sounded.

With a cold expression, I brushed past Lucas and returned to my seat.

I had more important things on my mind today.

Lucas kept bidding on all sorts of trinkets for Genevieve, brooches, hair accessories, and necklaces. He really looked like he'd brought her here just to have a good time.

Finally, the last item was wheeled out.

"An opal necklace from three centuries ago. Starting bid: two million," the auctioneer announced.

I was just about to raise my paddle when the whole place erupted in an uproar.

"Mr. Sterling just set the ceiling price," someone shouted.

I whipped my head around and locked eyes with Lucas's, his gaze icy and unyielding.

Whispers spread through the crowd.

"Is Mr. Sterling trying to snatch this from Ms. Reed?"

"I heard they had a big fight over the marriage alliance. Looks like it's true."

I bit down hard on my lip, forcing back the wave of hurt and resentment rising inside me.

That opal necklace was my mom's most treasured possession.

Back when the Reed family was on the verge of bankruptcy, they had to sell it, even though it broke her heart. And now, after all this time, it's finally resurfaced at auction.

He knew exactly what it meant to me.

After the auction ended, I went straight up to Lucas in the parking lot and confronted him.

"Why?" I asked.

Before Lucas could say anything, Genevieve cut in, "Violet, I've just been having these terrible nightmares lately. I thought maybe if I had an opal necklace as a protective charm, it would help a lot."

She glanced at me, all timid and pitiful. "If you're upset about it, I can let you have it."

Lucas frowned and quickly pulled her behind him. "Genevieve, there's no need for that."

His gaze was heavy and unyielding, locked right on me. "Every time you give in, she just pushes harder."

I couldn't help but let out a cold, mocking laugh, anger simmering beneath the surface. "Am I the one forcing her, or are you two the ones cornering me?"

I stabbed a finger at Lucas, my voice trembling with anger. "You know that was my mom's heirloom. How could you help her take it from me?"

Lucas's voice was cold and unyielding. "Why do you think Genevieve's been having nightmares? Isn't it because you pushed her into marrying into the Foster family? She's been anxious ever since, so what's wrong with her wanting a lucky charm?"

He paused and then looked away. "And anyway, this was your mother's keepsake. Grace was always so kind. If she knew it, she'd want Genevieve to have it."

What?

My head buzzed, and the world went black for a second.

In the next instant, I swung and slapped him, hard, right across the face.

The force was so strong that his head snapped to the side.

Genevieve gasped and threw herself at me.

She was holding the opal necklace, eyes brimming with tears. "Violet, I'm sorry. Please don't be mad, I'll give it back to you. Don't be mad at Lucas."

She made a show of handing the opal necklace to me, but before I could even reach out, it slipped from Genevieve's hand and hit the ground, shattering instantly.

It splintered into countless pieces.

For a moment, the air froze.

Genevieve started bawling, frantically trying to gather the shattered pieces off the ground. "How could this happen. Violet, I'm so sorry, I swear I didn't mean to."

Lucas yanked Genevieve to her feet, like he was afraid she'd hurt her hand on the broken pieces.

I stared at the shattered opal necklace lying on the ground, shaking all over. I couldn't hear a thing at that moment.

It felt like something inside me finally snapped.