“Don't you dare lay a hand on me!”
I stared at Marie and forced the words out as fast as I could.
She barely glanced at me, contempt dripping from every syllable. ：“Excuse me? You throw yourself at my boyfriend, steal my things, and now you have the nerve to say I'm the one being unfair?”
Before I could answer, she turned to the men pinning me down and barked：“Strip her!”
“Let's see where this little tramp is hiding my property once there's nothing left to hide behind!”
The bodyguards moved the instant she finished, their hands reaching for my clothes.
I twisted against their grip, shouting：“Marie, you wouldn't dare!”
“Kerry Rowe invited me here to discuss a partnership with your father!”
“Are you really going to humiliate your family's business partner in front of everyone?”
I locked eyes with her, my voice ringing across the hall.
Her father was wealthy, sure, but Kerry and I both moved in Capital City's elite circles. I wasn't about to cower before a man like Felix Gilbert.
Marie looked at me for a long moment, then burst out laughing.
“You? A business partner?”
“What, you think batting your lashes at Kerry Rowe makes you his partner?”
“Take a good look at yourself!”
She swept her gaze over me, lip curling.
Then she folded her arms and went on：“I've met plenty of women like you.”
“Any man with money, and you're already scheming how to sink your claws in.”
“Delusional enough to think they'd actually want you back.”
Marie let out a cold laugh, then slapped me across the face.
“Now hand over the necklace.”
My head snapped to the side. I lifted it slowly, tasting copper, and fixed my eyes on hers.
：“Marie, I have never even met your boyfriend.”
“If you don't believe me, call the police and let them sort it out!”
“I'm telling you the truth. Kerry Rowe and I have a real business deal!”
“Keep this up, and you're the one who won't be able to walk it back!”
The second the words left my mouth, Marie threw her head back and laughed.
“You? A deal with Kerry Rowe?”
“Do you even know who he is? The Rowe heir. Top of the Capital City elite circle. And he'd partner with a scheming little tramp like you?”
“Oh, I bet the only 'partnership' you had in mind was between the sheets.”
She sneered down at me and raised her voice so the entire room could hear：“Strip her. Every last stitch. I want to see for myself whether she's got my boyfriend's necklace on her.”
Panic seized me. I wrenched around to face the crowd, screaming：“Please, someone call the police!”
“I didn't steal her necklace!”
“She's doing this on purpose!”
My voice cracked through the hall, but the instant I got the words out, Marie struck me again.
This time the blow split my lip. Blood pooled warm against my teeth.
Still not satisfied, she drove her stiletto heel down onto my hand.
The thin spike pierced my palm and the pain ripped through me, white-hot, so sharp I couldn't even scream.
“Marie, I swear I don't have it. What do I have to do to make you believe me?”
I turned to look up at her, my voice raw.
“Easy. You say you don't have it? Then strip. Right here, in front of every guest in this room.”
“A shameless little tramp like you should enjoy putting on a show, shouldn't she?”
I stared at Marie, panic clawing its way into my eyes, and my words tumbled out before I could stop them：“Marie, I never touched your boyfriend!”
“And I definitely don't have your necklace!”
