Chapter 1
The first thing my father saw was me on my knees.
Not the flowers.
Not the mirrored panels.
Not the ballroom prepared for my wedding.
Me.
Scrubbing mud from marble while Victoria Caldwell stood over me with a champagne glass.
My hands were raw.
The bucket beside me contained gray water and blood from two split knuckles.
Victoria kicked it.
The rim struck my ribs.
Dirty water climbed the front of my dress.
“Clean properly.”
She caught my chin.
“Poor girls should be grateful they’re useful for something.”
Then she slapped me.
Tiffany laughed behind her phone.
Three relatives joined her.
I looked down.
That was the part they liked most.
Not the work.
Submission.
Then the side doors opened.
Sebastian Pembroke stopped in the doorway.
My father.
The man half of New York whispered about and the other half pretended not to fear.
His eyes found my hands.
Then my cheek.
He became still.
Preston saw him too.
He didn’t know why Sebastian was looking at me.
That ignorance saved his confidence for another ten seconds.
I tried to stand.
Preston shoved me against the marble column.
“Finish the floor before you embarrass me again.”
Then he punched me.
I tasted blood.
And looked past him.
At my father.
“Dad…”
Preston froze.
“I’m done hiding.”
He turned toward Sebastian.
Confusion.
Then rage.
He swung at me again.
This time I slipped it.
Caught his wrist.
And hit him back.
Preston crashed through the mirrored display.
Victoria threw her champagne glass.
It struck my shoulder.
She lunged.
I slapped her away.
She disappeared into the floral transport boxes.
Then my father’s bodyguards filled the ballroom.
No shouting.
No chaos.
Just men taking positions.
Sebastian walked to me.
Removed the Pembroke signet ring.
Placed it into my scraped palm.
Every capo lowered his head.
Preston stared.
My father looked at him.
“You made the future head of my family kneel and scrub your floor.”
Preston’s face went white.
Then Tiffany lowered her phone.
Too late.
May you like
Because she had been recording everything.
And I suddenly wanted to know how many other things she had recorded before today.
