Chapter 7

Katia' s face fell. She looked at Julian, her eyes wide with shock and humiliation.

"Julian?" she whimpered. "Why are they taking them?"

Julian' s jaw tightened. He glared at Esther. "Give the earrings back to Katia."

"No," Esther said, her voice quiet but firm.

She had endured enough. Tonight, she would fight back. For her parents. For herself.

"I am Julian Mcgee' s legal wife," she said, her voice gaining strength as she addressed the room. "These jewels belong to me. No one else has the right to them."

Katia' s face turned ugly. "But you signed the divorce..." She stopped herself, realizing her mistake.

"What divorce papers?" Julian asked, his eyes narrowing.

Katia' s eyes instantly filled with tears. "Oh, Julian, I' m so sorry. I shouldn' t have said anything. I know I' m just your mistress. I shouldn' t want things that belong to your wife." She made a show of turning to leave. "I' ll go. I won' t bother you anymore."

Julian' s face went dark with rage. He grabbed Esther' s shoulder, his fingers digging into her skin. "You just can' t leave her alone, can you?"

He laughed, a terrifying, unhinged sound. "Fine. You want to play games? Let' s play."

The auctioneer, taking his cue from Julian, returned to the stage with a new item. A box containing Esther' s personal sketchbooks. Her most private thoughts and drawings.

"Next up for auction," the auctioneer announced, "the private diaries of Mrs. Esther Mcgee! And as a bonus, a collection of intimate photographs!"

The room erupted in whispers and jeers. Esther felt as if she had been plunged into ice water.

Julian had frozen all her accounts. She couldn't even bid to save her own privacy.

A group of sleazy young heirs started bidding, their eyes raking over her with contempt. The price shot up.

"Feeling a little poor, Mrs. Mcgee?" one of them called out.

Esther stood frozen, her hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms.

Julian lovingly stroked Katia' s hair. "Are you happy now, my love?"

Katia smiled and raised her hand. "One million dollars."

She had won. The box of Esther' s deepest secrets was handed to her. She held it up, her smile dripping with poison.

"Looks like you can' t afford to protect yourself, Esther."

Esther closed her eyes, swallowing the bile that rose in her throat.

The gala ended. Esther felt numb, hollow. All she could think about was the flight to London. Just a few more days.

As she was leaving, Katia blocked her path.

"Did you know," Katia whispered, her voice a venomous hiss, "that every time I hurt you, Julian's score for me on my little system goes up? I think I need another boost."

Before Esther could react, Katia smashed a champagne flute on the floor, grabbed a shard of glass, and sliced it across her own palm.

"Help!" she screamed, her voice shrill with fake pain. "Julian, she cut me!"

Julian was there in an instant. He saw Katia' s bleeding hand and his face contorted with rage.

He looked at Esther, his eyes burning with a murderous light.

"ESTHER!" he roared, his voice echoing through the grand lobby.