Chapter 2

The crisp sound of footsteps echoed from the foyer.

Skylar Bell's sickly sweet voice carried through, as she bossed Silas's men around, directing their every move with her luggage.

"Careful!"

"Silas bought this for me at auction, don't you dare scratch it!"

She stood in the luxurious villa, scanning her surroundings, her eyes filled with undisguised greed and provocation. Her gaze finally landed on my back, as I sat on the sofa, flipping through documents.

She sashayed over to me. "Raven," she cooed, "Silas said it's such a lovely place here, and he wants me to move in, get along with you. You don't mind, do you?"

I didn't even look up.

I turned another page of the financial report, my voice flat and emotionless.

"I do mind."

Skylar didn't expect me to be so direct, unwilling to even bother with pleasantries.

She froze for a moment, then her smile widened, now a smug, utterly foolish sneer.

"It doesn't matter if you mind."

"This is what Silas wants. He said that once I get familiar with company management, I'll be the lady of the house."

She walked to the liquor cabinet, talking to herself.

She picked up one of my collector's crystal glasses. "This glass is lovely. Perfect for my smoothies."

Seeing that I still wouldn't acknowledge her.

Skylar simply sat down beside me, snatching the documents from my hand.

"What are you looking at?"

"You're not allowed to look at these! From now on, only I get to see these files!"

The crisp edge of the freshly printed page. Yanked from my grasp, it sliced a stinging line across my palm, a bead of blood blooming.

Only then did I finally turn my gaze to Skylar Bell, my eyes cold and devoid of emotion, as if looking at an insignificant piece of trash. Honestly, it had been years since I'd seen someone so desperate to die.

"Who let you in?"

"Silas, of course! You're just a..."

I cut Skylar off, my voice still soft, but carrying an unshakeable pressure.

"There's only one master in this house."

Skylar was momentarily cowed by my aura. But then she stood up again, puffing out her chest.

She looked down at me, triumphantly.

"You'd dare touch me?"

"Silas said yesterday was his absolute last warning. Lay a hand on me again, and he'll kick you out so fast your head will spin!"

I let out a soft laugh.

The smile didn't touch my eyes, and to Skylar Bell, it was a chill that went straight to her bones.

I stood up, pulled the gun from my waistband, and reloaded it in front of her.

"Touch you?"

"That would just dirty my hands."

I suddenly raised my hand.

Skylar shrieked, cowering, her hands over her head, eyes squeezed shut.

The expected death didn't come. My gun wasn't aimed at her.

It was aimed at the liquor cabinet behind her.

The next second -

CRACK!

A crisp shattering sound exploded, and flying fragments even grazed Skylar Bell's leg, leaving a deep, bloody mark.

She froze in place, her face bloodless, forgetting even how to cry.

"Filthy."

"Have it cleaned up."

Dominic immediately responded.

I looked at the trembling Skylar Bell, then bent down. I warned her, word by word.

"The last person who dared to throw a tantrum like that in front of me was Jax. I sent him to meet his maker yesterday. If you don't believe me, I can arrange for you to join him and ask."

Finished, I straightened up and pulled out my phone, calling Silas.

I put it on speaker.

"You have twenty minutes to get your people and her trash out of my house."

"Otherwise, you can start planning a funeral."