Chapter 3

At my new independent studio downtown, the front door was suddenly kicked open.

Beatrice, Raphael's mother, strutted in with her maid.

She was draped in gaudy designer logos, heavy gold chains, and chunky diamond rings that practically screamed "nouveau riche." Her face was twisted in a sneer.

"Windsor! You actually had the nerve to move out?" Beatrice pointed a manicured finger at my face.

I sat at my desk and didn't even look up.

Seeing me ignore her made her even angrier. She sat on my velvet couch and gestured to her maid to start throwing things.

"Raphael freezing your cards was a warning! You're a barren woman who couldn't even give our family an heir in three years of marriage!"

"And now you think you can threaten us with a divorce?"

The maid snickered in agreement.

Beatrice’s insults got worse. "Hailey is ten times the woman you are! She’s young, gorgeous, and a true design prodigy!"

"When she marries my son, she’ll give me a grandson in no time."

"You need to crawl back to Raphael and beg for his forgiveness right now, or you won't get a single dime in the divorce!"

I picked up the half-full cup of iced Americano from my desk and stood up.

Splash.

The cold, dark coffee hit Beatrice square in her face.

Ice cubes bounced off her forehead. The brown liquid dripped down her expensive silk scarf, staining her clothes.

The room went dead silent.

"Ah!" Beatrice shrieked, wiping her face in shock. "You bitch! How dare you throw coffee at me?"

"Who do you think you are, barking in my office?" I asked, pointing to the door.

"Get out in three seconds, or I'm calling the police for breaking and entering."

Beatrice trembled with rage and raised her hand to slap me.

But before her hand could land, a firm grip caught her wrist.

Sophia stood there, her high heels clicking on the floor, her eyes fierce.

"Want to add physical assault to your charges? I’ve been looking for a good lawsuit lately," Sophia said, shoving Beatrice's hand away.

She turned to the hallway and shouted, "Security! Get these two intruders out of here!"

Two building security guards rushed in and dragged Beatrice and her maid out of the office.

Beatrice’s screams faded down the hallway.

Sophia clapped her hands clean and locked the door. She walked over and slammed a thick folder onto my desk.

"They really have some nerve. But don't worry, I found what Raphael has been hiding."

Sophia sat down, her face serious.

I grabbed a wet wipe and cleaned my hands. "What did you find?"

Sophia opened the folder. "Your dear husband has been treating you like an idiot."

"Over the past three years, he used shell companies to funnel most of your marital funds into offshore accounts."

She pointed to a copy of a share transfer agreement. "And look at this. He secretly transferred 15% of R-H Jewelry's core shares to Hailey."

I stared at Hailey's name on the document.

I didn't feel angry. I just felt cold.

Raphael had been using my talent to build his wealth, while using that very wealth to spoil his mistress.

It was a beautiful little trap.

"If we sue for divorce now, it will be hard to get those assets back quickly," Sophia said, frowning. "He hid the paper trail well. We don't have the internal financial records."

"A standard lawsuit could drag on for years."

I closed the folder.

"We don't need to rush," I said, walking to the floor-to-ceiling window to look at the city. "R-H Jewelry is only successful because of the designs I kept in that safe."

I turned back, my eyes sharp. "If he thinks Hailey is a genius, let's give her the stage."

"I want to watch their little empire crumble to dust."

Sophia’s eyes lit up. "Are you making a comeback?"

"Yes." I walked to my computer and opened a webpage. "The International Jewelry Design Gala next month will be my first gift to them."

On the screen was my registration confirmation as an independent designer.

It was time to take back what was mine.