Chapter 3

The video ended there.

Hearing her father's voice, Dawn spoke up weakly. "Is that Daddy... did Daddy come to save us?"

My heart tore into pieces.

He hadn't come to save her. He didn't care whether she lived or died.

Despair rose over me like a tide.

I'd known Yale couldn't be counted on, which was why I hadn't called him first. I'd called Nathan instead. And still...

"Boss, don't worry. I called 911 on my way here, and I've notified Mason," Nathan said, keeping his voice low.

"If Mason's coming, then..." My chest loosened. Mason was my last card, the man who handled the things that couldn't see daylight.

What a joke. I had ruled the business world for ten years, and today I'd gone down in a place like this.

It was my own fault. I'd gotten careless, come to the competition myself with my daughter, and brought not a single bodyguard.

Eden's face darkened. She picked up her phone and put it on speaker. Her voice turned syrupy. "Yale, baby~ someone's bullying me and Brie!"

Yale's voice on the other end went soft as honey. "It's okay, sweetheart. Whoever it is, I will make them pay..."

She hung up and lifted her chin at Nathan. "My husband says Dawnfrost has never heard of anyone named you! So what if my daughter pushed her? That little brat deserved to die!"

"Worst case, I pay. Her life isn't worth one of my handbags."

She snapped at the guards. "Smash his phone! In this city, I say what goes!"

Several guards rushed Nathan and slammed him to the ground.

With a crack, a brick came down on Nathan's phone and shattered it.

"I already called the police!" Nathan shouted. "You'll go to prison for this!"

The moment he heard the word "police," Howard's face changed. He scurried to Eden's ear. "Mrs. Sterling, if the police show up with all these people watching, and this blows up... that wouldn't be good for Mr. Sterling's reputation..."

Eden let out a scornful laugh. "What are you afraid of? With me here, what could they possibly dig up?"

Brie tugged at her sleeve and put on a good-girl act. "Mom, didn't Daddy say to keep a low profile lately? He's about to get a board seat..."

Eden frowned and waved a hand impatiently. "Fine, let them go! I don't want to cause trouble for my husband."

She flicked a black card at me with contempt. "A hundred thousand dollars. That's enough to buy ten of that little brat's lives! Keep your mouth shut, or I'll take your life too!"

I looked down at the card and almost laughed.

That was the supplementary card I'd given Yale.

I looked up coldly and laughed out loud. "Is there even money on that card?"

Eden's face curled with disdain. "Never seen a black card before, you low-class hick?"

"A hundred thousand dollars. That's a decade's worth of toilet-scrubbing wages! You've never seen that much money in your life!"

The crowd chimed in right away.

"That's a real black card!"

"I heard the limit could buy a whole building!"

She jerked her chin at Howard, pleased with herself. "Bring the card terminal. Let the country bumpkins see what real money looks like!"

I kept my arms around my daughter and glanced at Nathan. He gave me the smallest nod, and I relaxed.

I gave a cold laugh. "Mrs. Sterling, why don't you go ahead and swipe it?"

Eden slapped the card down on the terminal. "Watch closely!"