Chapter 2

"What did you just say to her?!"

Logan, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly lunged forward and slammed his fist into Ethan's face.

"Do you have any idea how much she loves you? How dare you humiliate her like that?"

Ethan sneered, wiping the blood from his lip. "That's her own choice. I never asked for it."

"You bastard!"

The two brothers started punching each other, and Richard roared in anger.

I quickly dragged Logan out of the living room.

Out in the courtyard, as I gently dabbed antiseptic on his cut knuckle, he looked at me nervously. He squeezed my hand gently. "I'm sorry, Serena. I know I shouldn't have lost my temper, but I just..."

"Thank you."

"What?"

I smiled softly. "Thank you for standing up for me."

His ears turned bright red, and he nervously scratched the back of his neck. "Then... are you..."

Before he could finish, a loud shouting match echoed from the villa.

"If you keep trying to stop me from being with Chloe, I will leave this family!" Ethan screamed.

"Fine! Let's see how long you survive out there without my money!" Richard bellowed back.

Seconds later, Ethan stormed out of the house.

As he passed the courtyard, he glared at me with absolute disgust, as if I were a piece of trash blocking his way.

Not too long ago, he used to look at me with so much warmth, whispering, *“Who else could I ever love but you, Serena?”*

Everything changed the moment Chloe appeared.

Chloe Miller...

If she willingly backed away, would everything go back to normal?

I dug up her address and went to find her with a checkbook in my bag.

But when I arrived at the entrance of her sketchy alley, I saw her flirting with a man covered in tattoos. She was carrying a brand-new designer bag.

"Thanks, Leo. Thanks for helping me clear that debt with the underground casino."

Casino debt? Didn't she say her mother needed emergency surgery?

Chloe noticed me first. She quickly pushed the man away and adjusted her clothes.

"Can I help you?" she asked, her voice instantly turning cold.

I had to admire her acting skills. She composed herself so quickly.

"I thought you loved Ethan so much? I thought it was 'true love'? Can't keep up the act anymore?"

Chloe chuckled mockingly. "So what? Ethan prefers my sweet, innocent act over your perfect heiress persona. In the end, I win."

"Aren't you afraid I'll tell him the truth?"

"Go ahead. Tell him. Let's see who he believes."

She turned to leave.

I grabbed her wrist. "Enough. You just want money. How much?"

Chloe snatched her hand back. "How much can you give me? A million? Five million? Once I marry Ethan and become Mrs. Thorne, I'll have more money than I could ever spend. Don't make me laugh."

She walked away without looking back.

The more I thought about it, the more suspicious it felt. I tracked down one of the thugs from the alley and slid him a stack of cash. He finally spilled the truth.

"Chloe's mom died years ago. That money she owed was from a gambling run in Vegas. A wealthy client had already paid it off for her. We weren't even planning on bothering her, but she paid us to stage that fight so she could look like a damsel in distress for that rich idiot."

So that was her game.

I immediately drove to Ethan's apartment to tell him. But before I could even open my mouth, he slammed his keys on the table and yelled at me.

"How could you do this, Serena? How could you hire people to beat Chloe up?"

He grabbed my shoulders, his eyes bloodshot. "You know how much I care about her! Why are you doing this?!"

I stared at him, completely numb.

"Do you really trust her more than me now?"

"Yes!"

Ethan let go of me, his eyes filled with pure disdain.

"This is my final warning. Stay away from Chloe. Stop trying to sabotage our relationship."

"If you do something like this again, I won't hesitate to ruin you."

Ruin me?