Chapter 3

The next morning, the iron gate creaked open.

"Olivia, you have a visitor," the guard called out.

I stood up, brushed the dust off my clothes, and followed the guard out.

Soon, we arrived at the visitation room.

Through the thick bulletproof glass, I saw two faces that made my stomach turn.

Selena wore a designer Chanel suit, full makeup, and expensive jewelry.

Yvonne sat next to her in a new Dior dress, acting like a spoiled princess.

Spotting me in my wrinkled clothes, Yvonne covered her mouth and gasped dramatically. "Oh my god, Olivia, what happened to you? You look terrible."

I sat down and picked up the phone. "Thanks to you, I slept fine."

Yvonne's face stiffened, her eyes flashing with wariness.

Clearly, she knew what had happened to Luna last night.

But she quickly went back to her sweet, fake act.

"Why are you being so stubborn? Better to plead guilty early than suffer in there," she said.

Selena tapped the glass impatiently. "Alright, Yvonne. Don't waste your breath on this good-for-nothing."

She grabbed the phone, looking at me like I was trash. "James said you won't sign?"

I stared back at her coldly, not saying a word.

Pissed off by my cold stare, Selena raised her voice. "You think being stubborn helps? Police already filed charges. You'll never get out of this."

She took a deep breath, holding back her rage. "I'm here to give you one last chance."

She pulled a paper out of her Hermès bag and held it to the glass.

I squinted, making out the bold print: [Statement of Renunciation of Inheritance Rights to Stone Enterprises.]

"Sign this," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Give up all your shares and claims to the Stone family, and I'll have James beg the judge for a lighter sentence."

She paused, then added in a patronizing tone, "I'll even put 150 dollars on your prison card every month so you don't starve."

I stared at the paper and felt utterly absurd.

This was my birth mother.

To give everything to an adopted girl, she was making me take a prison sentence and stealing my last bit of worth.

"150 dollars? You think I'm some beggar?" I scoffed. "Is that all 10 percent of Stone Enterprises is worth to you?"

Selena's face darkened. "You can't even finish high school. What good are those shares to you?

"Stone Enterprises will go to Yvonne anyway. She graduated from a top college and is about to be a huge star."

Yvonne straightened up and smoothed her hair. "Olivia, stop being so stubborn.

"I'm about to audition for the lead role in Queen's Reign, and the director already promised it to me."

She looked at me, her eyes full of smugness and malice. "Once I become Best Actress, Stone Enterprises's value will skyrocket. A criminal like you only ruins our name."

I watched her smug face and felt sick. "Promised you? You sure you'll even leave this building?"

Yvonne's face changed. "What do you mean?"

Selena pushed her aside and glared at me. "Stop talking nonsense. You sign this paper, whether you want to or not."

She pulled a high-quality emerald bracelet out of her bag and slapped it on the table.

My eyes widened.

It was Grandma's.

She'd held my hand tight and given it to me on her deathbed.

But after I moved in with the Stones, Selena snatched it away, claiming it was "for safekeeping."

Catching the look in my eyes, Selena smirked, "You want this?"

She held it up and shook it in front of the glass. "This stupid old rock means nothing to anyone but you."

She turned, took Yvonne's hand, and slid the bracelet onto her wrist.

"Yvonne, it's ugly, but the quality's okay. Wear it for fun," she said.

Yvonne held up her wrist and showed it off under the light.

"Thanks, Mom," she smiled. "It's outdated, but I'll wear it. Better than some prisoner having it."

My breath came in ragged bursts. Rage burned inside me, almost breaking my control.

They weren't just stealing my life; they were trampling on my most precious memory.

I stared at Yvonne's wrist, my voice icy. "Take it off."

Yvonne flinched and hid behind Selena.

Selena slammed her palm on the glass. "Don't you yell at Yvonne! I gave it to her, and it's hers.

"If you don't sign, I'll shatter this bracelet. Your grandma won't rest in peace."

I slowly closed my eyes, pushing down the fury boiling inside me.

When I opened them again, my gaze had turned serene.

I stared at the two women outside the glass, who thought they had everything under control, as if gazing at two corpses.

"No need to sign." I stood up and tossed the intercom phone back onto the receiver. "Your good days are over."

"Still running your mouth, huh? Rot in prison!" Selena cursed, furious.

Her voice rang out through the thick glass, muted and heavy.

Then she grabbed Yvonne and stormed out of the visiting room in her heels.

I watched their backs disappear down the hall and smiled coldly.

The guard came over, ready to take me back to my cell.

Just as I stepped out of the visiting room, a sudden burst of hurried, chaotic footsteps echoed down the hallway.

Matthew Mason, the police chief, ran toward me with several senior officers.

He sweated heavily, his usually neat hair messy. Even his uniform was buttoned wrong.

From far away, he shouted, "Stop there!"