Chapter 3

If Richard could use my birth mother against me once, he could hold it over my head for the rest of my life.

I wasn't about to trust that bullshit waiver.

I was sure Richard wouldn't blow this up; he would never risk the Saunders family's reputation.

I quietly finished packing my things. When I looked up, the dinner was already over.

My phone kept buzzing on the table.

It was Charles.

His messages kept popping up on the screen, trying to explain himself.

He sent: [Emily, pick up the phone.

[Emily, let's talk. It's not what you think.

[Emily, I promised I'd marry you tomorrow, and I mean it. Tell me where you are, I'll come get you.]

I reached out to silence the phone, but the bodyguard grabbed it before I could.

The bodyguard said, "Sorry, Ms. Saunders. Mr. Saunders wants you to just focus on preparing for your wedding.

"As for a new phone, the Ford family will take care of it. Their people are already here."

I glanced at the clock. It was 12:15 AM.

The Ford family was here way too fast.

I was racking my brain for a way to stall.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Anna leaned against the doorframe, making a show of knocking on the already open door.

Anna said, "Emily, congratulations. Dad said you agreed to marry into the Ford family.

"But I heard your fiancé lost an eye years ago and has a violent temper. He drove his first three wives to their deaths. Try to stay alive, at least until Charles and I get married.

"I was actually going to invite you to our wedding."

I gave her a cool glance, crushing her hopes without mercy.

"Charles isn't going to marry you," I said, deadpan.

Anna's smug smile instantly vanished.

I said, "He doesn't even like you.

"I don't know what made him back out at the last minute, but Anna, you know it better than anyone; even if I weren't here, Charles would never choose you."

Anna's face fell, as if I hit a nerve.

But she forced a cold laugh and said, "So what?

"At least right now, you're the one getting shipped off like trash. I'm the real heiress of the Saunders family!"

I gave a wry smile, my gaze sliding past her.

I looked out at the pitch-black sky outside the villa, rain pouring down in torrents.

I asked, "Anna, want to make a bet?

"Being the real heiress won't save you. Your ending won't be any better than mine. To Richard, we're just goods waiting to be sold. If Charles doesn't marry you, you'll still get shipped off to someone else, right?"

Anna was livid.

She jumped like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on.

"You're talking nonsense," she said.

I sneered, crossing my arms and firing back with a sharp retort.

I said, "It's Ethan Miles, right? I heard he partied way too hard overseas, got hooked on drugs, and ended up crippled; he has to spend his days in a wheelchair. Anna, is that who you're supposed to marry?

"Honestly, you'd be better off..."

"You bitch," Anna shouted.

Anna, furious, lunged at me.

She slapped me right in the face.

I staggered from the slap, crashing my back against the icy, sharp corner of the wardrobe with a heavy thud, then dropped onto the carpet.

My left hand covered my cheek, already swelling up. I kept my head down, messy hair hiding most of my face.

It hurt.

But deep down, I was calm.

Finally, I pissed her off.