Chapter 4

Idella stumbled out of the main house, her legs feeling like lead. The wind whipped across the estate's sprawling gardens, drying the wet patches on her clothes into freezing, stiff patches.

Her mind raced, cycling through loan sharks, payday loans, anything to get the cash.

Suddenly, a high-pitched, agonizing yelp shattered the quiet of the garden.

Idella's heart stopped. The sound came from the direction of the decorative infinity pool. It was Buddy. Her four-year-old Golden Retriever.

She shoved through the perfectly trimmed hedges, thorns tearing at her coat, and sprinted toward the water.

When she broke through the clearing, the blood drained from her face.

Austin was standing at the edge of the deep end. He held a long, thick rose branch covered in sharp thorns. In the water, Buddy was thrashing wildly, his head barely staying above the surface.

Every time the dog tried to paddle toward the tiled edge, Austin swung the thorny branch, jabbing it hard into Buddy's face and paws, pushing him back into the center. A faint trail of red blood swirled in the chlorinated water.

"Stop!" Idella screamed, a raw, guttural sound tearing from her throat.

She lunged at Austin. She grabbed the rose branch with her bare hands. The thick thorns sliced deep into her palms, but she didn't feel the pain. She ripped the branch away and shoved Austin hard by the shoulder.

The boy lost his balance, his expensive sneakers slipping on the wet tiles, and he fell hard onto his backside.

Idella didn't hesitate. She dove straight into the freezing pool.

The icy water shocked her system, but she kicked hard, swimming toward the sinking golden retriever. She grabbed Buddy around the chest. The dog was heavy, his fur waterlogged, his breathing ragged.

Using every ounce of strength she had left, Idella dragged the dog to the edge and heaved him up onto the concrete.

Just as she pulled herself out of the water, a piercing, theatrical wail erupted from Austin. He sat on the tiles, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Austin!"

Angelita came running from the tea pavilion, her silk dress fluttering. She dropped to her knees, grabbing Austin and frantically checking his arms for injuries that didn't exist. She shot Idella a look of pure, venomous hatred.

Heavy footsteps approached. Fount strode out from the patio, his jaw clenched tight.

"She pushed him!" Angelita cried, her eyes filling with instant tears. "She came out here demanding money, and when she didn't get it, she attacked Austin!"

Idella knelt on the concrete, shivering violently, her arms wrapped around Buddy. Blood dripped from her lacerated palms onto the dog's wet fur.

"He was drowning my dog!" Idella yelled, pointing at the bloody rose branch on the ground.

Fount didn't even glance at the dog. He marched right up to Idella, his shadow falling over her. His eyes were completely devoid of humanity.

"You are out of control," Fount said, his voice a dangerous, low rumble. "You are a violent liability to my family."

"He was torturing an animal!" Idella screamed, her voice cracking.

Fount let out a cold sneer. "No one on this estate will believe the word of a hysterical woman over my heir. I saw you push him."

He leaned down, his face inches from hers.

"Apologize, Idella. Or I will personally call the board of directors at the Mayo Clinic right now. I will inform them that every single cent of the Fitzgerald family's philanthropic donations will be permanently revoked, and I will make sure they understand the endless legal harassment they will face if they keep your mother as a patient. Do you really think they will risk crossing me for a nobody? Your mother will be wheeled out onto the street before sunset."

The threat hit her like a sledgehammer to the base of her skull. All the fight, all the righteous anger, evaporated in an instant. He had her by the throat, and he knew it.

Idella slowly pushed herself up to her feet. Her wet clothes weighed a hundred pounds. She dug her bleeding fingernails deep into her palms, the physical pain grounding her.

She looked at Angelita, who was hiding a smirk behind her hand, and Austin, who was sticking his tongue out again.

Idella bowed her head. The humiliation burned like acid in her throat.

"I'm sorry," she forced the words out of her mouth.

Fount scoffed. He pulled a silk handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his fingers, as if just standing near her had contaminated him. He turned and escorted Angelita and Austin back toward the house.

Idella fell back to her knees beside Buddy. She buried her face in his wet fur. The absolute despair morphed into a hard, freezing knot of hatred in her chest. She would make them pay.