Chapter 1My husband burned our daughter's face off—all because she touched his mistress' dress ONCE.
"Mess with my woman? You had it coming."
I lost it.
Slammed that bitch's head into the wall. Blood everywhere.
Everyone thought he'd throw me in jail.
Instead? He grabbed my throat.
"You raised a brat. This is on YOU."
"Juniper already gave you the wife title! Still THIS greedy?"
"Then leave with nothing. Or Aurelia won't just have burns."
No choice. We ran.
Three years later, I clawed my way to the top of Manhattan.
Ran into Juniper at some fancy gala.
She smirked down at me like I was dirt.
"Oh wow—Cassidy Monroe, the broke ex. Here for free champagne?"
I smiled.
Slammed her face-down on the table.
"Forgot how it feels to bleed? Let me refresh your memory."
...
Juniper screamed.
The crowd around her lost it. All pointing fingers at me.
"What the hell are you doing!"
"You know who she is?!"
Some guy lunged at me, trying to pull me off her.
I kicked him down.
Juniper's face went white. Blood dripping from her forehead.
Still had the nerve to point at me.
"Cassidy! You're fucking INSANE! How dare—"
"How dare I?"
I cut her off and let go.
She stumbled back, clutching her head.
"Three years, and Sterling only taught you how to talk shit?"
Dead silence.
Sterling's name shut everyone up real quick.
Juniper flinched, voice cracking. Almost sobbing.
"Sterling won't let this slide! You're DONE!"
I pulled out a tissue. Wiped my hands like I'd touched garbage.
"Good. Tell him to come."
"I wanna ask how she turned a pathetic little bitch into something that can't even remember pain."
Gasps everywhere.
Everyone knew—Juniper was Sterling's precious little pet.
Even back when she was just the side piece.
Three years later? Sterling spoiled her rotten. Made her untouchable.
And I just beat her bloody.
Juniper shook. Tears and blood smeared across her face.
"Cassidy Monroe—you're just a broke loser who got thrown out!"
"HOW DARE YOU!"
I stepped closer.
She backed up. Terrified.
"Need me to remind you what a cracked skull feels like?"
Her face went ghostly white. She screamed.
"STOP HER! Somebody STOP this psycho!"
People shifted. No one moved.
Then the crowd split open.
A cold, familiar figure walked through. Bodyguards on both sides.
Sterling Brooks.
Juniper's eyes lit up. She stumbled toward Sterling, sobbing.
"Sterling! She—she broke my head! It hurts so bad!"
Chapter 2
Sterling's gaze landed on me for one second. His jaw clenched.
Then he looked down at Juniper and reached out.
But not to hold her.
Just pressed hard on Juniper's bleeding forehead.
Juniper hissed. Pain flashing across her face.
CRACK.
She screamed and collapsed.
Sterling caught her. "I got you."
Sterling's voice was cold.
But his eyes? Locked on me like a predator.
"Cassidy Monroe."
He said my name slow. Steady. But dripping with threat.
"Gone three years. Come back just to pull this shit?"
I stared right back.
Remembered him burning Aurelia's face off.
Remembered him using my daughter's life to force me out with nothing.
I smiled. No warmth in it.
"Just a warm-up. Want the main event? I can start right now."
Juniper whimpered against Sterling's chest.
"Sterling... hurts so bad... She's PSYCHO! Kill her!"
Sterling patted her back to comfort her.
Then looked back at me.
"Guess three years didn't teach you to stay in your lane."
"Just made you dumber."
I tossed my tissue in the trash. Didn't break eye contact.
"Dumb? Says the man who burns our daughter's face. Real genius move."
"You—"
Sterling's jaw clenched. His arm squeezed Juniper tighter.
Juniper whimpered, but kept quiet.
"Cassidy. Take it back. Apologize to Juniper."
His voice dropped low. Ice-cold command.
"Then break your own hand. Maybe I'll let you crawl out of here."
I laughed. Hard.
"Sterling Brooks. Still pretending you run this city?"
I stepped closer. Ignored the bodyguards closing in.
"Want an apology? Give Aurelia her face back first!"
I pointed straight at Juniper. Disgust all over my face.
Juniper shrank behind Sterling.
Sterling's expression went dark.
"Aurelia had it coming! Shouldn't have touched Juniper's stuff!"
That tone. Like burning a child's face was NOTHING.
My blood ran cold.
"You scarred your own daughter over some made-up bullshit?"
"Sterling Brooks—animals protect their kids. You're worse than an animal."
That night. Aurelia held down on the table. Little hands pinned.
Sterling holding that pot of boiling coffee. Face blank.
Then poured it right over Aurelia's face.
Blood. Everywhere.
Aurelia screamed herself hoarse. Passed out. Body shaking.
And Sterling? Just stood there and looked down at me collapsed on the floor.
Said coldly:
"Now she won't touch Juniper's things again."
That moment. I knew.
One of us wasn't making it out alive.
"SHUT UP!"
Sterling snapped. Like I'd hit a nerve.
"You really testing me right now?"
He raised his hand. Signaled the guards.
"Hold her down! She won't break her own hand? You'll do it for her!"
Guards closed in.
Juniper grinned. Already picturing me bleeding out.
I didn't move. Just stared Sterling down.
"Think I'm still that pathetic nobody from three years ago?"
"The one who couldn't even save her own kid?"
Chapter 3
Sterling lunged, grabbed my throat and squeezed.
His eyes were bloodshot. Pure rage.
"Think I won't kill you, Cassidy?"
My vision went dark.
But I smiled. Choked out the words.
"Do it. Kill me."
"Just like you burned Aurelia's face."
Aurelia's name hit him like a punch.
His grip loosened. Just a second.
I drove my knee into his stomach.
He let go. I stumbled back. Gasping. Throat raw.
Guards swarmed me, twisted my arms back and slammed me down on the cold marble.
Juniper peeked from behind Sterling. Eyes full of poison.
"Sterling—you okay? Make her KNEEL!"
Sterling straightened his collar. Looked down at me like trash.
"Hear that? Juniper wants you on your knees."
He crouched down. Voice low and dangerous.
"Kneel. Apologize to Juniper."
"Then break the hand that touched her."
"Or I'll toss what's left of Aurelia's face to the dogs."
Aurelia.
My blood went cold. Pinned. Couldn't move. I could only stare up at him.
My baby—the little girl who called me "Mommy." Face scarred forever.
And now he was using HER as a weapon against me.
"Sterling Brooks—you don't deserve to be her father!"
"You don't deserve to be HUMAN."
He laughed. Cold and empty.
"Human? Monster? YOU made me this, Cassidy."
Yeah. I did.
Back then I fell for him, some broke college kid. Pretty face. Big dreams.
Ignored my family's warnings, I gave up everything to marry him.
I poured my savings, my connections, my LIFE into building him up.
And what did I get?
A burned daughter. And a divorce where I left with nothing.
"Guess you're not taking the easy way out."
Sterling stood up and nodded to the guards.
One grabbed my right hand hard.
Sterling stared down at me. Face blank.
I glared back. Voice hoarse.
"You really think you can touch me, Sterling Brooks?"
