Chapter 3

In the yacht’s luxurious top-floor hall, dim lights set a scene of indulgent decadence.

Vivian wore a haute couture gown, holding champagne, smiling sweetly at her phone camera.

“Tonight I’m taking you all to see New York’s most exclusive party.”

“I heard Mr. Holt will appear soon. Hit that follow button so you don’t miss the exciting moments.”

Martha stood beside her, face full of smiles as she schmoozed with the wealthy merchants and socialites around them.

“Yes, yes, our Vivian was personally invited by Mr. Holt himself.”

“Soon the Jones family and Mr. Holt will practically be family.”

The giant screen in the center of the hall had been playing soothing music.

Suddenly, the image flickered.

The music stopped.

The screen showed surveillance footage from the lower cabin corridor.

In the frame, I wore a torn dress, held a bloodied baton, and stood over two bodyguards lying motionless at my feet.

The hall fell instantly silent.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at the screen in shock.

Vivian’s smile froze on her face.

Martha’s champagne glass slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor.

“What… what’s going on?!”

Vivian looked frantically between the screen and her phone.

Her livestream chat had exploded.

[Holy shit! Isn’t that the girl who was tied up earlier?]

[Those fighting skills are insane! She took down two guys!]

[Didn’t Vivian say her sister volunteered to serve Mr. Holt? Why are they fighting?]

[What the hell is happening? Is this kidnapping?]

Vivian broke out in a cold sweat and tried to shut down the livestream.

“Network error! This is behind-the-scenes footage from a movie! Yes, just footage!”

Useless.

I’d already locked her livestream backend.

Unless I released it, she couldn’t even turn off her phone.

I looked at the surveillance camera in the corridor and slowly smiled.

“Vivian, didn’t you want me to scream louder?”

My voice transmitted clearly through the yacht’s PA system to every corner.

“I’m out now. How exactly do you plan to make me scream?”

The hall erupted in chaos.

All eyes turned to Vivian and Martha.

“Mrs. Jones, what’s going on? Isn’t that your family’s real daughter you just found?”

“You tied up your biological daughter and sent her to Mr. Holt? And livestreamed it?”

“The Jones family will do anything for money — such despicable tactics!”

Martha’s face alternated between green and white as she pointed at the screen and cursed.

“Skyler! You little bitch! What are you doing!”

“Get back down there now! If you anger Mr. Holt, our whole family will pay with our lives!”

I laughed softly.

“Pay with our lives?”

“Mrs. Jones, you’ve got something wrong.”

“The only ones dying here today will be you.”

I gripped the baton and turned toward the elevator to the top floor.

The elevator doors opened and five fully armed bodyguards charged out.

Leading them was a scarred man — Ethan’s head of security.

“Take her down! Dead or alive!”

Scarface roared and all five rushed at me.

I sidestepped the first one’s baton, chopped the side of his neck with my hand.

Seized his baton and smashed it into the second man’s jaw.

Blood sprayed.

My movements never paused, like a precision killing machine.

Three years ago in the back alleys, I’d fought my way through an entire street of thugs to protect that useless Ethan.

These greenhouse-raised bodyguards moved like they were in slow motion to me.

Less than a minute.

All five bodyguards lay on the ground groaning.

Scarface clutched his broken ribs, staring at me in terror like he’d seen a ghost.

“Who… who are you?”

I lifted his chin with the bloody baton.

“Go tell Ethan.”

“His dogs are blocking my path.”

Scarface trembled and scrambled away.

I stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor.

The elevator rose slowly.

I knew a group of clowns was waiting for me above.

And one lunatic I hadn’t seen in three years.