Chapter 3 3

Vicky flew backward. Her body hit the wall with a sickening thud, her head cracking against the heavy gilded frame of an oil painting.

The sound was wet. Solid.

"Vicky!" Debra screamed.

Vicky slid to the floor, her eyes rolling back. A dark, sluggish line of blood began to trickle from her hairline, staining the white collar of her uniform crimson.

The room seemed to tilt. The red of the blood was too bright, too real against the pristine white of the bridal suite.

"Messy," Marley said, wrinkling her nose. She didn't look at Vicky with concern, only annoyance. "Get a rug over that before the photographer comes in."

Debra struggled, her wolf stirring deep within her, a primal growl vibrating in her chest. Her eyes flashed a momentary gold. "I will kill you," she snarled at Marley.

"Cute," Colin said. He walked over to Debra, who was pinned by the guard. He stood close, too close. He smelled of stale smoke and expensive scotch. "Let's see the goods."

He reached out. His fingers were cold and clammy as they brushed against Debra's collarbone. She flinched, revulsion warring with the pain in her twisted arm.

"Don't touch me," she spat.

Colin ignored her. He hooked a finger under the gold chain. "Nice rock."

He didn't unclasp it. He yanked.

The gold bit into the back of Debra's neck, burning like a brand, before the links snapped. The sudden release made her stumble forward, but the guard held her upright.

Colin held the necklace up to the light, swinging it back and forth. The ruby spun, casting red reflections on his face. "Solid. Old cut. This is worth a fortune, sis."

"Give it back!" Debra's voice was raw, tearing at her throat.

"Let me see," Marley said. She held out her hand. "Careful, you idiot. Don't drop it."

Colin dropped the necklace into her palm. Marley inspected it, turning it over. Her eyes gleamed with avarice. "The clasp is broken. And look at this chain. It's twisted. But the stone... we can have it reset. Or better yet, sold loose to the private market in Singapore."

"It's mine!" Debra surged forward, breaking the guard's grip with a burst of hysterical strength. She lunged for Marley's hand.

"Get off me!" Marley shrieked, trying to shove Debra away while clutching the prize.

In the chaotic struggle, Marley's fingernails raked Debra's arm, and her grip on the necklace slipped.

The ruby flew from her hand.

Time seemed to slow. Marley gasped, reaching out, her face a mask of horror-not for the heirloom, but for the money slipping through her fingers.

The necklace hit the marble hearth with a sickening, high-pitched crack.

It wasn't just a chip. The impact was catastrophic. The ancient gold setting crumpled, and the large ruby, hit at its precise stress point against the unyielding stone, shattered.

It exploded into three large, jagged fragments and a spray of red dust.

Silence. Absolute, ringing silence.

"No!" Marley screamed, falling to her knees. She stared at the wreckage of her financial salvation. "You stupid girl! You clumsy, worthless little wretch! Do you know what you've done? You just destroyed millions!"

Debra stared at the fragments. That was her mother. That was the last time she held her hand. That was the promise of protection. Gone. Just red dust on a cold floor.

Marley scrambled for the pieces, her hands shaking with rage. "Pick it up! All of it! Maybe the jeweler can salvage something!"

But Debra moved faster. Driven by grief rather than greed, she threw herself onto the hearth.

"It's not yours!" Debra sobbed.

She scooped up the shards, heedless of the sharp edges slicing into her fingertips. She didn't feel it. She saw her own blood mix with the red dust of the stone, blending together. She grabbed the largest piece-the central facet where the crest was etched on the back-and clutched it to her chest.

"Get her!" Marley shrieked. "Get the stones back!"

A groan from the corner broke through Debra's trance. Vicky.

Debra's head snapped up. The rage that filled her wasn't hot; it was cold. Absolute zero. She looked at Marley, memorizing every line of her face, every inch of her panicked, greedy smile.

"It's ruined anyway," Colin sneered, looking at the dust. "Let her have the trash. We can claim insurance if we say she stole it."

Marley paused, her eyes narrowing. A new plan formed. "Yes. Theft. Grand Larceny. That pays better than a fence."

"We have a wedding to attend," Marley said, checking her reflection in the mirror one last time. "Clean this up. And get that bleeding girl out of my sight."

Marley swept out of the room. Colin lingered for a second. He looked at the shattered ruby on the floor, a flicker of genuine irritation crossing his face.

"Waste of money," he muttered. He pulled out his phone, typing a quick message as he followed his sister.

The door clicked shut.

Debra was left on her knees, bleeding, surrounded by the wreckage of her past.