Chapter 4

Scarlett POV:

The day the cast came off, Jax was waiting by the infirmary door, the keys to his truck dangling from his fingers. "I'll take you back to the main house," he said, his voice neutral.

I looked right through him, my eyes landing on Wyatt, who was leaning against his dusty Ford pickup a few feet away. Without a word, I walked past Jax and pulled open the passenger door of Wyatt's truck.

Wyatt's lips quirked into a smile. He shot a triumphant look at Jax before sliding into the driver's seat. "Where to, princess?"

"Anywhere but here," I muttered.

"I have an idea," he said, his eyes gleaming. "The Dallas livestock auction is today. We can go watch some rich old men spend obscene amounts of money on a bull. My treat. I've got some overseas investments that just paid out." He winked. "And I know how much you enjoy seeing someone else's money get spent."

The thought of inflicting some financial pain was the first appealing thing I'd heard in weeks. "Fine. But I hope you're ready to spend, because I plan on being very expensive."

The auction house was a chaotic symphony of booming voices, the smell of hay, and the glint of diamonds on wrinkled fingers. It was the heart of Texas high society.

In a glass case near the entrance, a piece of jewelry caught my eye. It was a stunning set of raw, brilliant turquoise stones set in heavy silver, designed to look like a cascade of tears. A small placard read: "The Lone Star's Tear." It was perfect.

Just as I was about to signal my interest to Wyatt, a familiar, sickly-sweet perfume filled the air. My stomach clenched. Jax and Daisy-Mae were walking towards us.

Daisy-Mae's eyes landed on the necklace, then on me. A cunning little smile played on her lips. "Oh, that's beautiful," she said, just loud enough for everyone to hear. She raised her bidding paddle slightly, then, catching my eye, she lowered it with a sigh. "But Scarlett wants it. I couldn't possibly bid against her."

She made it sound like I was a bully, stealing candy from a baby.

Jax's jaw tightened. He looked from Daisy-Mae's fake-pouty face to me, his eyes cold with contempt. He then turned to the auctioneer, his voice ringing out clear and strong across the hall.

"One hundred million dollars."

A collective gasp swept through the room. All heads turned to me. The daughter of Cormac O'Connell, being publicly outbid and humiliated by one of her own ranch hands. Whispers erupted like wildfire, mocking me, pitying me.

Rage, pure and undiluted, burned through my veins. It scorched away the hurt and left behind something hard and sharp. I met Jax's icy gaze.

Slowly, deliberately, I raised my hand and made a gesture known to every high-roller in Texas. I pointed my finger to the ceiling.

I was lighting the sky lantern.

It meant there was no limit. No budget. I would have that necklace, no matter the cost.