Chapter 3

Scarlett's POV

Five years. This was the first time I was seeing Julian Vance again.

The moment our eyes met, my fingers clenched tightly inside my sleeves.

The old scar on my forearm, the one he had burned into my skin with a cigarette, began to throb with phantom pain.

That happened in the second year of our marriage.

Julian only married me to get back at my mother. He treated me like a punching bag he could abuse at will.

And all because I refused to act like a maid and serve water to Chloe during a family dinner.

Julian had grabbed my arm like an iron vice. In front of all the Vance relatives, who watched coldly, he slowly crushed a burning, glowing cigarette butt right into my delicate skin.

At the time, he snarled in my ear, "You don't have the right to say no."

The deep-seated terror from back then transformed into a towering wave of hatred in this very second.

I didn't run. Instead, I stood tall, my spine straight, and locked my dead, icy gaze onto Julian's face.

However, Julian only spared me a cold, passing glance. His expression was filled with disgust, as if he were looking at a pile of garbage.

He pulled his eyes away, not even bothering to waste another half-second on me, and walked straight into the inner VIP lounge surrounded by his entourage.

I pulled the corner of my mouth into a silent, bitter smile, forcing down the rage bubbling in my chest.

I turned back to Chloe.

Seeing that Julian didn't even bother to look at me, she became even more convinced that I was still the same helpless stray she could step on.

Chloe tilted her head, spinning her empty glass in her hand. She leaned close to my ear and whispered with a nasty smirk, "A toast to that dead mutt of yours."

The wealthy women around us covered their mouths, whispering snarkily.

I stood there, letting the red wine drip down my cheek.

I didn't wipe it off. I just stared coldly at Chloe's smug face.

The very next second, without a single shred of hesitation, I grabbed the heavy ice bucket from the buffet table and smashed it right over Chloe's head.

Crash!

Ice cubes and blood exploded across Chloe's face instantly.

She was knocked to the floor, clutching her forehead and screaming in agony.

The entire ballroom fell dead silent.

"Scarlett! You're dead!"

Julian rushed over, his face pale with rage. He scooped Chloe into his arms and glared at me, his teeth gnashing. "You psycho! You think I won't kill you right here?"

I looked at him, completely expressionless. "I just gave her some ice water back. Does your heart hurt already?"

The veins on Julian's forehead bulged. He waved his hand aggressively, giving his bodyguards a lethal command. "Grab her! Break her legs and throw her out!"

Two burly bodyguards immediately closed in on me.

Calmly, I pulled a gold-embossed invitation card from my clutch and flashed it right in front of Julian's face.

"I am here representing Dominic Pierce of the Pierce Group."

The moment he saw Dominic's name on that card, Julian froze.

I knew exactly what the Vance family was facing right now. A massive cash flow crisis. They were desperately praying for the Pierce Group to inject a $3 billion lifeline.

Without it, the Vance family would go completely bankrupt.

I smiled at Julian, watching his jaw clench so hard it looked like it would shatter.

His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at me. Finally, he spat out through his teeth, "Stop."

The bodyguards silently backed away.

I tucked the invitation back into my bag and walked toward the restroom under the shocked stares of the guests.

The moment I locked myself in the stall, I leaned against the wall, and my tears finally burst out like a broken dam.

I wasn't afraid of Julian. I was just hurting so damn much.

Chloe's words cut deep. "A toast to that dead mutt of yours." It was like a rusty knife ripping open the wound I had hidden for five years.

"Lucky... I'm back," I whispered.

I wiped my tears away brutally. My gaze turned dead and cold again. "I will make them pay in blood."