When He Called Me A Pet, I Became His Enemy

Chapter 3 Burning It All Down

I was locked on the second floor.

The door was bolted from the outside, and even the windows had been nailed shut.

I had no idea how much time had passed when I finally heard the faint click of the lock.

I thought it was Linda bringing dinner. Instead, the door opened, and Victor slipped inside.

He carried a tray in one hand and quickly shut the door behind him. His face was tense with urgency.

"Mr. Scott is meeting his biggest rival, Blake Lawson, tonight to discuss a business deal."

He spoke so fast the words nearly ran together. "This is our only chance. We need to cause a scene. A huge one. The bigger, the better. Best case scenario, we blow up the deal completely."

Something stirred inside me. I looked up at him.

"Our chance? Why are you helping me?"

Victor nodded firmly. "You saved my life. I can't stand by and watch him torture you to death. I know every security weakness in this estate. If things get chaotic enough, you can disappear in the confusion."

The plan was reckless and dangerous, exactly what I wanted.

"What's the plan?"

*****

By evening, the lock clicked again.

One of Ethan's bodyguards stood outside my door. He handed me a black evening gown and a tube of ointment.

"Mr. Scott wants you downstairs. And he said not to let him see anything on your face that shouldn't be there."

I stared at the dress. A black backless gown.

The only one of its kind from Paris Fashion Week last month.

I'd admired it for a few seconds when it appeared at auction. I never expected him to buy it.

I took the dress and changed without protest.

Standing before the mirror, I carefully covered the fingerprint-shaped bruise on my face with concealer. Then I applied my makeup.

The woman in the mirror looked calm. There was even the hint of a smile on her lips, but it never reached her eyes. Because beneath it lurked the cold determination of someone with nothing left to lose.

When I walked downstairs, Ethan and Blake were already seated in the living room.

The atmosphere was tense. Every word they exchanged felt like a hidden battle.

Ethan looked up when he saw me. A flicker of satisfaction crossed his face.

He extended a hand. "Lena. Come here."

I crossed the room in my heels and walked toward him.

Just as I had done countless times over the past three years, I took my seat beside him with quiet obedience.

Ethan reached for my hand, his thumb brushing lightly across the back of it.

Blake's gaze swept over my face, a hint of scrutiny in his eyes.

The negotiations seemed stuck.

Ethan's patience was wearing thinner by the second.

I knew what came next. The volcano was about to erupt.

And before it did, I needed to start a fire of my own.

My eyes landed on a display cabinet nearby. Inside sat a bottle of Romanée-Conti, one of Ethan's prized possessions.

I stood and picked up the wine decanter. "I'll refill your glasses."

The moment I rose, I felt Ethan's eyes following me, already displeased.

I smiled and walked toward the cabinet slowly.

Then, just as I reached it, I pretended to stumble. My body crashed into the display case.

CRASH!

The entire cabinet collapsed. Bottles worth a fortune rained onto the marble floor and exploded into glittering shards.

The deafening noise echoed through the mansion. Ethan shot to his feet.

For the briefest second, the emotion in his eyes wasn't anger. It was unguarded fear.

"Lena!"

Then he realized I wasn't hurt. The fear vanished. Rage took its place.

In the chaos, I crouched down and grabbed a jagged shard of broken glass.

At that exact moment, Victor rushed in through the doorway.

I sprang to my feet and slashed the glass across his arm.

"Ahhh!" Victor screamed. Blood poured down his sleeve instantly.

The entire room erupted.

Blake stood up immediately. His bodyguards moved in front of him.

The estate's security system activated. Several of Ethan's guards stormed into the room.

The deal was dead.

I looked at Ethan's twisted face and felt a surge of satisfaction. For the first time in years, I wanted to laugh.

Bu two bodyguards rushed forward and seized me from both sides.

They slammed me to the floor hard, and I couldn't move.

Ethan walked toward me. His shadow swallowed me whole.

"Lena. Do you really think I wouldn't kill you?"