Introduction

For twenty years, Isabella Rothschild was New York's "poor little rich girl," a fragile heiress with a child's mind. At my lavish 20th birthday ball, my doting father paraded me before eligible bachelors, expecting me to choose my esteemed fiancé, Ethan Carter.

But the champagne's sweetness triggered a chilling memory: last Thanksgiving. Ethan drugged me, leaving me choking from a pecan allergy while laughing with his mistress, Emily, on a yacht. I was a forgotten doll, barely gasping for air.

They believed my mind too simple to grasp their open betrayal, society dismissing me as a "tragedy." My own fiancé casually orchestrated my near-death, boasting about knocking me "out cold," exploiting my innocence.

Now, amid opulent perfume, I tasted burning betrayal. The horrifying truth of past helplessness, mixed with their smug indifference, ignited a cold, clear fury. My mind was terrifyingly, utterly lucid.

I was alive; I was no longer a fool. With a cool, practiced smile, I raised my hand, pointing directly at Ethan. The room sighed, misinterpreting my gesture. My calculated, public revenge had just begun, for the "silly" Bella they knew was gone.