Chapter 3

Before the security guard could make a move, the elevator doors slid open again.

A group of middle-aged women decked out in gold and silver came pouring out, chattering and passing judgment as they headed our way.

The heavyset woman leading them had a head of tight little curls and was carrying two knockoff designer bags. She was shouting at the top of her lungs.

"Ruth, your aunts are all here. Where's this private room you booked?"

"Goodness, what a fancy hotel. You're so lucky, landing yourself a rich husband."

The second Ruth spotted her cheering squad, her face flipped into a wounded victim's look.

"Auntie, you finally made it. These two came here to stage an accident and shake me down for money—and they even hit me."

"Look right here, it's all one big bruise."

She yanked up her sleeve, and there was nothing at all on her shoulder, but her relatives didn't even bother to look.

The moment she heard that, the heavyset woman's face darkened, and she blew up on the spot.

"The nerve! Who would dare lay a hand on my niece?"

"Do you people know who Ruth's boyfriend is? That's Mr. Swanson, worth billions. Crushing you would be as easy as stepping on an ant."

The whole crowd surged in around us, pointing right in our faces and cursing.

"You've got the gall to walk into a place like this dressed like that? Have you no shame?"

"Looks like a couple of beggars to me—hanging around refusing to leave, hoping to squeeze out how much money?"

My mother instinctively lowered her head and pulled the front of her coat tighter.

Several stout older women got themselves more and more worked up, not just cursing but shoving with their hands.

I kept one arm around my mother and used the other to fend off their shoving, but there were just too many of them.

To make a show of her authority, the heavyset woman in the lead grabbed a genuine antique porcelain vase within reach.

She slammed it down hard, and it shattered to pieces, then pointed at the shards on the floor to threaten us.

My mom's foot had already been stepped on and hurt, and she couldn't even keep her balance.

In the chaos of shoving and dodging the broken porcelain shards, she lost her balance entirely and fell hard to the floor.

The back of her hand caught on something, and a gash tore open in an instant, blood gushing out.

"Mom!"

I shoved aside the heavyset woman blocking me and clawed and pushed my way through, gathering my mother into my arms.

My mom was hissing in pain, but she was still tugging at my sleeve with her uninjured hand.

"Maisie, I'm fine, it's just a scrape, don't fight with them."

I grabbed her hand and pressed the corner of my clothes hard against the wound, but the bleeding just wouldn't stop.

Ruth strolled over in her high heels, took a couple of steps closer, and tilted her head to look down at us.

"Oh, so she's down already? Now this is a fresh new twist on staging an accident—pretty convincing acting, too."

"Who told you to be so blind, hanging around and refusing to leave? You brought it on yourself, so who's there to blame?"

"With that kind of strength in you, what land couldn't you farm? Why do you have to pull a scam like this?"

The relatives roared with laughter.

I lifted my head and looked straight at Ruth's face.

But a streak of blue light at her throat caught my eye.

It was a deep-blue diamond necklace, ringed with tiny white diamonds—the only one of its kind in the world.

I had bought this necklace six months ago at a private auction for twenty million.

For next month's wedding, I'd had Kent bring it back home for safekeeping.

It was the love token I'd prepared for my own wedding; it should have been sitting in a safe.

Yet right now it was hanging around the neck of my fiancé's mistress, swaying back and forth as she threw her head back to sneer at me.

Seeing me staring at the necklace, lost in thought, Ruth instinctively touched the blue diamond and let out a scoff.

"Jealous, aren't you? This is a love token from my boyfriend—the only one of its kind in the world."

She lifted her chin, looking down at me with a cold smile.

"But you've made a complete mess of my birthday party. Until you get down on your knees and kowtow an apology, don't even think about walking out that door."

I glanced down at the still-bleeding wound on the back of my mother's hand and the birthday sash trampled on the floor.

Then I glanced at the necklace around Ruth's neck that should have been mine.

I felt a surge of blood rush straight to my head.

Good.

Old grudges and new—today they all get settled at once.

I helped my mother slowly over to a chair and eased her down, then tucked the blood-stained corner of her clothes away from the back of her hand.

Then I straightened up and looked at Ruth.

"You want me to kowtow? Do you even deserve it?"