Chapter 3

Dylan froze on the other end, panic bleeding into his tone. "Luna, I'm coming to see you right now."

Three days later was Dad's memorial service.

I knelt before his casket, tears dripping silently onto the floor.

While everyone was paying their respects, the sharp clatter of high heels echoed from the chapel entrance.

Dylan walked in wearing a black suit, with Taryn trailing right behind him.

She was wearing a bright, fiery red designer dress with heavy glam makeup, looking as though she were attending a red-carpet gala.

Mom stood up abruptly, her face pale as ash.

My eyes turned lethal. I stepped forward to block them. "What are you doing here?"

Dylan parted his lips nervously. "Luna, I came to pay my respects to your dad."

I glared at Taryn. "Why are you wearing that?"

Taryn offered a breezy, careless smile. "I have a party to get to right after this and didn't feel like changing. Luna, you wouldn't mind, would you?"

My fists clenched so tightly my joints popped.

Dylan quickly stepped in between us. "Luna, please don't be mad. Taryn didn't mean anything by it."

Mom suddenly rushed over, trembling from head to toe. Pointing a shaking finger at Taryn, she shouted, "Who do you think you are, showing up to my husband's memorial dressed like a circus clown?! Do you have any manners at all?!"

Taryn smirked mockingly. "Mrs. Vance, instead of lecturing me, maybe you should keep an eye on your own daughter."

She pulled out her phone and shoved the comment section from the viral video into Mom's face. "Look, everyone online says your daughter traded her body to get ahead in business."

Dylan's brow furrowed. He shook his head at Taryn and tried to snatch the phone, but she dodged him easily.

Mom stared at the vile comments on the screen. Her breath hitched, and clutching her chest, she swayed and nearly collapsed.

"Mom!" My eyes widened in terror. I lunged forward to catch her.

In the next breath, I ripped the phone from Taryn's hand and smashed it violently onto the marble floor.

Taryn took a step back, her eyes wide with shock.

With ice in my gaze, I brought my hand across her face with a deafening crack.

"You—!" Taryn glared, but before she could finish, I backhanded her across the other cheek.

Taryn fell to the floor, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of her lip.

Dylan shoved me away hard, rushing to scoop Taryn up. "Luna, what the hell are you doing?!"

Stumbling back, I took a deep, ragged breath, my eyes rimmed with red. "Dylan, this is my father's funeral."

"If you came here just to cause a scene, don't blame me when I have security drag you both out like trash."

Dylan frowned. "I only came to pay my respects. How could you talk to me like that?"

Taryn clung to his arm, whimpering, "I mean, her dad just died. It makes sense she's completely losing her mind."

"Let's just go, Dylan. It's not like your own dad died anyway. There's nothing to see here."

The moment those words left her mouth, every single mourning guest stared at her in utter disbelief.

Even Dylan realized she had crossed a line. "You go wait outside. I'll stay for a moment."

I looked at him flatly, my face completely expressionless. "Get out."

Dylan pressed his lips together. He pulled a sympathy card from his pocket and pressed it toward my hand. "Take this. I'll get out of your hair."

With that, he turned and left with Taryn.

After seeing off the final guests, I returned home and called my assistant.

"Forward all the audit discrepancies and financial fraud evidence on Miller Enterprises to the SEC immediately. Keep it strictly confidential. I want his IPO blocked."