Celina didn't flinch. Her muscles remembered the brutal street fights from her past life. Her body naturally coiled, ready to execute a perfect, minimal-effort dodge to the left. She had already calculated the trajectory; the dart would miss her cheek by exactly two inches.

But before she could shift her weight, the heavy oak doors burst fully open.

A rush of cold wind swept into the foyer. A tall, broad figure in a black suit cut across the marble floor with the terrifying speed of a striking viper.

Donovan stepped directly in front of Celina.

He didn't duck. He reached his hand out. His long, powerful fingers snapped shut in mid-air, intercepting the dart's path.

The momentum of the heavy dart was too strong. As Donovan deflected it, the razor-sharp metal tip scraped violently across the crystal face of the custom watch strapped to his left wrist. A sickening screech of metal on metal echoed through the room.

The dart bounced off his wrist and shot sideways. It slammed hard into a tall wooden pedestal standing near the staircase.

On top of the pedestal sat a massive, blue-and-white Ming dynasty vase.

The impact tipped the pedestal. The vase plummeted to the marble floor.

CRASH.

The priceless antique shattered into a thousand pieces. The sound was deafening.

The foyer plunged into a dead, horrifying silence.

Celina stood frozen. She stared at the broad, muscular back of the man standing in front of her. The scent of expensive agarwood and cold rain filled her lungs. Her heart skipped a beat. She never expected this untouchable billionaire to throw himself in front of a weapon for her.

Donovan slowly lowered his arm. He turned his wrist.

A deep, ugly gouge tore straight across the face of his custom watch.

The temperature in the room plummeted. Donovan's eyes turned pitch-black, radiating an aura of pure, murderous rage.

Warren Hayes stumbled through the front door. He saw the shattered pieces of his prized Ming vase on the floor. His face contorted in agony.

But then Warren looked up and saw Donovan Suarez standing there, staring at his wrist.

Warren's knees physically buckled. The blood drained from his face until he looked like a corpse.

Up on the second floor, Dock hadn't realized who had just walked in. He only saw the broken vase.

"You stupid bitch!" Dock screamed, pointing a finger down at Celina. "You dodged it! You broke dad's vase! You're paying for that!"

Elvie panicked. She knew Warren loved that vase. She immediately pointed at Celina too.

"Look what you've done the second you walked in!" Elvie yelled, trying to shift the blame to save her son.

Karrie hid behind Elvie, pretending to cry. "Sister, why did you do that?"

Celina felt a dark, violent laugh building in her chest. She looked at the three of them, her eyes turning to ice. She opened her mouth to speak.

Donovan slowly turned his head.

He looked up at the second floor. He locked eyes with Dock.

Donovan's gaze was so heavy, so devoid of human empathy, that it looked like he was staring at a dead animal.

Dock's mouth snapped shut. The breath caught in his throat. A cold sweat broke out on his neck.

Donovan turned his body to face Warren and Elvie. A cruel, lazy smirk touched his lips.

He didn't look at the broken vase. He slowly raised his left arm and held it out.

The deep scratch on the glass of his watch caught the light.

"It seems," Donovan said, his voice a low, terrifying rumble that vibrated in the chest of everyone in the room. "The Hayes family greets their guests with weapons."

The words dropped like a bomb.

Warren let out a choked gasp and collapsed onto his knees on the marble floor. He knew his family was dead.

Chapter 7

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