Just a few months ago, Selene was nothing more than a stray crumb clinging to the hem of his jacket–easy to brush off with a flick of his wrist.
During the divorce, when it came time to split their assets, he didn’t give her a single cent. He wanted Selene to know exactly how hard life would be without his protection–for both her and Daph. He was certain she’d come crawling back, like a dog that had run off for a taste of freedom only to slink home, filthy and hungry, begging for scraps at his feet.
How had it all changed so quickly?
Now, somehow, he no longer had the upper hand–not even the right to bargain with
Selene.
The thought struck Harrison as absurd, almost laughable.
He was the CEO of Vaughn Enterprises, a man at the very top of the Capital Circle. Selene? She’d just been playing at independence. Or so he’d told himself.
His confidence shattered the moment Selene’s calm, unwavering voice rang out, clear as a bell: “Ladies and gentlemen, Harrison and I are divorced. We are completely separate people now. I have no ties to Vaughn Enterprises, and I’m more than willing to challenge them head–on!”
She turned to the room, her gaze unflinching. “If Mr. Vaughn here can’t keep to his own territory, then let’s make this official: we’re competitors now. Let’s see which way the wind blows–who comes out on top.”
Harrison felt his breath catch in his chest. The woman he’d spent years dismissing, the wife he’d deemed little more than a parasite, had just thrown down the gauntlet–vowing to beat him at his own game.
A heat began to rise from deep within him, as if molten lava were cracking through the glacier he’d built around his heart, shaking his composure and shattering his legendary self–control.
Selene didn’t spare him another glance. Instead, she graciously accepted the business cards offered by the circle of industry leaders now crowding around her.
“The moon looks especially bright tonight, doesn’t it?”
Adrian’s voice drifted over Harrison’s shoulder.
He spun around, instantly on guard, eyeing the sly man who always seemed to
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know how to put on a show for Selene.
A streak of deep red stained Adrian’s lips–like a wounded rose, or a fragile beauty with a bloody mouth. The color only made his already striking features seem even more dangerously alluring.
“You never imagined she’d shine like this, did you?” Adrian murmured, his eyes glinting. “She dimmed her light for you, made herself invisible just to stand at your side, and you treated her like a worthless trinket.”
He looked back at Selene. “But now the moon is rising. Once she’s ascended, no one will ever bring her down again. And you? You’re just a stray mutt howling at the
moon.”
Meanwhile, a waiter was sweeping up shards of broken glass and drops of blood from the floor.
All eyes remained fixed on Selene–no one noticed that Felicity and the injured waitress had quietly slipped out of the ballroom.
Vivian stumbled breathlessly onto the balcony, her chest heaving.
She glanced back in panic and saw Felicity following at a leisurely pace, utterly
unhurried.
Vivian’s tight skirt clung to her legs. Blood streamed from her scraped knee, each step driving tiny glass splinters deeper into her skin. Bright red rivulets snaked down her calves, her slender legs looking shockingly vulnerable.
“Why are you running from me?” Felicity called, her voice almost sweet. “Come on, I’m not going to hurt you!”
Her tone was playful, but her eyes were cold and cruel.
To Felicity, the woman scrambling before her was nothing more than a frightened mouse–an easy catch. She stalked after Vivian, savoring the thrill of the hunt.
Vivian backed away, trembling, as Felicity advanced step by step.
“Stay away from me!” Vivian’s voice shook with terror, which only seemed to excite Felicity more.
Oh, the nerve–dressed so provocatively, trying to play the damsel in distress in front of Harrison. Felicity couldn’t wait to teach her a lesson.
Behind Vivian was the balcony railing. Though the ballroom was on the first floor,
the hotel was built on a raised foundation, so the drop from the terrace to the ground was about six feet. A fall wouldn’t kill her, but she might well break a leg.
But to Vivian, compared to what Natalie had endured, that was hardly a price to
pay.
Just the thought of Natalie made Vivian’s eyes darken, shadows falling across her face. Still, she played the part of the terrified victim.
“Don’t come any closer! I’m begging you!” she cried, her voice quivering with fear.
But inside, she was like a viper coiled in the shadows, ready to strike at anyone who dared approach.
The more recklessly Felicity advanced, the more the cornered mouse seemed to run straight into her trap. Soon, Felicity thought, it would be time to close the cage. “Don’t be scared, sweetheart! I’m here to save you!” Felicity crooned, her words dripping with false sincerity–especially the last three, each syllable biting with
menace.
In a sudden burst, Felicity lunged forward, reaching for Vivian, who was already scrambling up onto the balcony railing.
But Felicity’s rush was never meant to stop short.
Perched on the rail, Vivian pressed something sharp into her palm–a jagged shard of glass she’d been clutching all along.
Security had been tight tonight, even disguised as a waitress, she’d never have made it in with a knife. But after smashing her glass behind Harrison earlier, she’d pocketed the sharpest piece.
She was here for revenge–for Natalie.
She’d always thought that if Felicity’s crimes ever caught up with her, no legal sentence could truly make her pay for what she’d done.
So why not drag them both to hell together?
Vivian swung her arm, the glinting edge of glass aimed straight for Felicity’s throat.
Chapter 169
