One Broken Engagement, One Bankrupt Family

Traffic rushed past me from both directions. I screamed and dodged vehicles, nearly scraping my leg.

A truck suddenly swerved around the corner. The driver shouted in alarm when he saw me and jerked the wheel, crashing into the landscaped median.

My heart pounded. I couldn't hold back anymore.

"Kylo Winston! Do you have no regard for human life? With all these people around, if someone gets hurt, are you prepared to deal with the consequences?"

He raised an eyebrow and casually pulled out a stack of hundred-dollar bills, tossing them into the street. The crowd that had been watching the spectacle forgot all about the danger. They dove into traffic, scrambling for the cash.

"See that? You're just like them to me. Worthless."

He pulled Nora close and kissed her provocatively right in front of me, a vicious glint in his eyes. "Nora, anyone who provokes you will pay the price. Now, anyone who slaps her gets a reward."

No.

Greed lit up their eyes. They all turned toward me at once, cracking their knuckles as they advanced toward me.

Slaps rained down on me one after another. My vision blurred, and blood filled my mouth.

"You'll regret this, Kylo! You're going to destroy the Winston family yourself!"

I turned my head and spat out blood, then grabbed Nora's raised wrist and twisted it hard in the opposite direction.

A sharp crack echoed. She screamed in pain.

Her dislocated wrist hung limp in the air. Kylo strode over to her side, his eyes red with disbelief that I'd actually fought back.

My watch buzzed with a call from Mom. I answered on speaker, and her voice sounded urgent. "Eleanor, you said you had a surprise for me today. Why aren't you here yet?"

Tears stung my eyes. My voice came out choked as I gave her the bakery's address.

"Mom, please come quickly. Kylo and his mistress are hurting me."

Mom went silent on the other end, then asked in disbelief. "Kylo Winston? He's your fiance. Why would he hurt you with someone else?"

Before I could explain, Kylo snatched my watch and smashed it on the ground. "I don't care what tricks you used. Your daughter will never set foot in our family."

He shouted for his security guards and ordered them to bring over two large buckets of cream. They smeared it all over my face until I could barely breathe.

Survival instinct kicked in. I fought back, grabbing one of the buckets and dumping it over Kylo's head. Before I could run, the guards shoved me hard. I hit the ground, nearly losing consciousness.

"Wait!"

The crowd parted. An elderly figure appeared, leaning on a cane.

It was James Winston, Kylo's grandfather.

Diane stood beside him. "I got a call from Eleanor's mother saying you were hurting her. Where is she? What have you done with her?"

Diane's sharp gaze swept across the crowd. When she saw me, her eyes widened in shock.

All the color drained from her face. Her voice trembled.

"Who... who did this to her?"

Nora thought she was about to be praised. She eagerly stepped forward.

Then a slap rang out.

"Do you have any idea who she is? Even if our two families joined forces, we couldn't match a fraction of her family's power."

Kylo couldn't bear seeing his beloved get hit. His gaze turned murderous.

"Just look at her cheap outfit. She's probably some streetwalker. Mom, don't let her fool you."

Mr. Winston Senior's fury erupted. He raised his cane and brought it down hard on Kylo's back.

"That is the eldest daughter of the Lane family, the most powerful family in Silverlake!"