Chapter 251
Chapter 251:
Alistair grinned. It was the grin of a wolf.
“I’ll drive p>
The venue for the “Welcome Home” party was a private club in Manhattan—the kind that didn’t have a sign, just a heavy brass door and a list of names that controlled half the world’s GDP.
I arrived with Harper. Alistair had gone in through the back to secure the perimeter. I needed to walk in the front door. I needed to be the target.
“You sure about this?” Harper whispered, adjusting my dress.
I wasn’t wearing red or black today. I was wearing white.
Innocent. Pure. Psychological warfare.
“I’m sure,” I said.
We walked up to the VIP room. Two massive Thorne guards blocked the way.
“Search her,” one grunted.
“Excuse me?” Harper stepped forward. “She’s Skye Sterling. You don’t touch her p>
“Let them in,” a voice called from inside.
The doors opened.
Seraphina sat on a velvet sofa like she was Catherine the Great. Dominic Thorne sat next to her, swirling a glass of scotch.
Seraphina looked at me. She wore the Thorne family jewels—diamonds worth more than my entire liquidated company.
“Skye,” she said with a smile. “So glad you could come. You should bow, you know. It’s tradition when addressing a Thorne p>
I didn’t bow. I walked straight to the table and poured myself a drink.
“Hello, Seraphina,” I said. “Or is it Eleanor today? I lose track of your aliases. Is Inmate 8940 still active p>
Dominic slammed his glass down. “Watch your mouth. That is my cousin p>
“Your cousin?” I looked at Dominic. “Dominic, I knew you were desperate to stop Alistair, but really? Picking up a baby trafficker from federal custody? That’s low, even for you p>
Seraphina stood up. Her face flushed. “I am Eleanor! I have the DNA test p>
“A test conducted by Dominic’s private doctor,” I noted. “Let’s do one right now. I have a swab in my purse p>
𝗔l𝗹 n𝘰𝗏e𝘭ѕ 𝗳𝘳eе 𝗈𝗻 𝗯e.𝘤о𝗆
Seraphina’s eyes darted to Dominic. Panic.
Dominic rose. He was imposing, almost as big as Alistair, but without the grace. He was a thug in a suit.
“You are disrespectful,” Dominic said. “Teach her a lesson p>
He nodded to the guard behind me.
I saw the movement in the reflection of the window. I could have ducked. I knew self-defense.
But I didn’t move.
Smack.
The back of the guard’s hand connected with my cheek. It was a heavy blow. My head snapped to the side. I tasted copper.
Blood.
Harper screamed. “Oh my God! Skye p>
She rushed toward me, but the guards shoved her back.
I touched my cheek. It stung like fire. My lip was split.
Slowly, I turned to look at them.
Seraphina was grinning—pure, unadulterated joy. She’d waited years to see me hit.
“That,” Seraphina sneered, “is for the prison cell p>