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She pulls the knife away, only to trace the sharp edge along my jawline. It takes everything in me to not whimper in fear. “No, what I really want to know is…” Her voice drops to a whisper. “Did you kill Mark?”
I feel my breath catch in my throat as I slowly nod, unable to deny it.
Scarlett’s face splits in a wide, terrifying grin. “Good girl. He was so fucking annoying.” She leans in even closer, her lips nearly brushing my ear. “But you couldn’t have offed your stupid foster sister, too? She’s so very mad at you, Alexis.” Scarlett drags the syllables of my name out.
Fear grips me, but I refuse to let it show on my face. I have to be strong for my baby’s sake. Desperately, I try to recall the self-defense lessons Edo had taught me, searching for any weakness I can exploit.
Scarlett’s eyes narrow as she studies me, sensing my defiance. Suddenly, her hand shoots out, backhanding me across the face with such force that my head snaps to the side. I cry out in pain.
“You stupid girl,” she hisses, gripping my chin painfully, her long nails digging into my skin. “Do you know how infuriating it’s been knowing you’ve been with Damian for all these months? Damian is mine.”
I wince, both from the sting of her blow and the vise-like grip on my jaw. But I refuse to give her the satisfaction of seeing my fear.
Scarlett’s lips curl into a cruel smile as she presses the knife against my neck, just hard enough to draw blood. Pain shoots up my neck as I feel a drop slide down my skin, and I have to fight the urge to scream.
“You think you can just waltz in and take what’s rightfully mine?” she spits, her blue eyes devoid of any emotion. It’s like looking into a black hole. “Well, I’ve got news for you, Alexis. This ends today.”
I steel myself, determined not to beg or plead. Instead, I force myself to meet her gaze, silently daring her to do her worst. If I'm going to die here, I will do it with dignity, for my baby’s sake.
Be the wolf.
Scarlett’s cold eyes gleam with malice as she presses the knife harder against my neck, the bead of blood turning into a rivulet.
“You know, I’ve been just itching to slice open your pretty little neck, just like I did with my dear old dad,” she muses, her voice dripping with sadistic delight.
My heart beats faster at the casual mention of Mario Rafa’s murder. So she was the one who killed him—and now she has me in her clutches as well.
Scarlett’s grip on the knife tightens. “But as much as I’d love to watch the life drain from your eyes,” she continues, “you’re actually worth much more to me alive.”
She suddenly withdraws the knife, only to pat my cheek in a twisted parody of affection. “You see, Alexis, you’re my biggest prize. The money I’ll get for selling you off will make me a very, very rich woman.”
My heart races as the full implication of her words sinks in. She doesn’t want to kill me. She wants to sell me, carry on what her father intended. The thought of it makes bile rise in my throat.
“Damian will never let you get away with this,” I spit, mustering as much defiance as I can.
Scarlett lets out a cruel laugh. “Oh, I’m counting on his trying to save you, darling.” Her eyes gleam with malicious intent. “That’s when I’ll have him right where I want him—under my thumb.”
I swallow hard, the reality of the situation dawning on me. Scarlett not only wants to get rid of me, but she also wants to take down Damian as well, making him into her puppet.
As Scarlett’s fingers trail along my jaw, I have to resist the urge to flinch. “Soon, you’ll be out of my hair, and I’ll have Damian all to myself,” she purrs. “We’ll be the most powerful crime family in the country.”
The thought of Scarlett and Damian together again, ruling over a criminal empire, makes me sick to my stomach. I have to find a way to stop her, to get back to Damian and protect our child. But trapped as I am, with no way to escape, I feel utterly helpless.
I stare at Scarlett in disbelief, my heart pounding. “You’re insane,” I whisper, my voice trembling.
Scarlett’s eyes flash with fury, and before I can react, she seizes my jaw, forcing my mouth open. I feel the cold edge of the knife scraping against my tongue, and terror grips me.
“You know, I’m tempted to just cut out that pretty little tongue of yours,” she hisses. “That way, you won’t be able to talk back to your new master.”
The mention of being sold off like property makes my stomach churn. I fight back the tears that threaten to spill, refusing to give Scarlett the satisfaction.
But this defiance only seems to enrage her further. Suddenly, she begins lashing out, her fists raining down on me. I cry out in pain, my vision blurring as the blows rain down.
Just as I feel myself slipping into unconsciousness, the door opens and a familiar voice cuts through the chaos.
“Scarlett, do calm down,” Vincente drawls. “How can you expect anyone to want to buy her if she’s black and blue?”
Scarlett pauses, chest heaving, and turns to the older man. “She needs to learn her place,” she hisses.
