Chapter 1

The call came during the quarterly board meeting.

My phone, set to silent, vibrated against the polished mahogany of the conference table.

A text from Maria, my oldest friend, not usually one for interrupting work.

"Scarlett. Urgent. Check this link. I'm so sorry."

A knot tightened in my stomach, something was very wrong.

I excused myself, a rare move, and stepped into my private office.

The link led to an Instagram reel.

My blood ran cold.

It was Desert Mirage, my champion Arabian stallion, a legacy from my grandfather, the rodeo legend.

He was distressed, eyes wide with fear, his magnificent coat matted with what looked like cheap glitter.

A woman, Tiffany Starr, some wannabe actress I vaguely recalled being a PA on Ethan' s last set, was yanking cruelly at his reins.

She was laughing, a shrill, ugly sound.

"Taming the beast!" she shrieked, her voice vulgar. "Gonna make this baby viral!"

Desert Mirage reared, terrified.

Then I heard it, Ethan' s laugh, unmistakable, in the background.

"You got this, Tiff! Show him who's boss!" he encouraged her.

The caption burned into my eyes: "Ethan says I can handle anything! Even this rich bitch's pony. #StarrPower #HollywoodBound"

Rich bitch's pony.

My hands clenched, nails digging into my palms.

This wasn't just mistreatment, it was a deliberate, public desecration.

A violation of something precious, something tied to my soul, to my family.

The humiliation was a raw, physical ache.

Anger, cold and pure, flooded through me.

I tapped Ethan's contact.

He picked up on the fourth ring, sounding annoyed.

"Scarlett? I'm a little busy."

His voice was casual, like I was calling about dinner plans.

"You saw that video Tiffany Starr posted?" I kept my voice level, a dangerous calm.

A pause. "Oh, that. Yeah, Tiffany was just having some fun, Scarlett. Don't be such a drama queen. He' s just a horse."

Just a horse.

My horse. My legacy.

"She' s overreacting, Ethan told someone nearby, probably Tiffany. "Always so uptight."

The line went dead. He hung up on me.

The world narrowed to a single point of fury.

He dismissed it. He dismissed me. He sided with her.

This was more than betrayal, it was a declaration of war.