Chapter 2

Chloe's POV

The two bodyguards lunged forward, grabbing Victoria by both arms and dragging her toward the deck railing.

"Are you CRAZY? You'll kill her!" I screamed, throwing myself at them.

Another guard seized me from behind, his thick arms clamping around mine like iron bars.

"Let me GO!" Victoria struggled, shouting, "Do you have ANY idea who owns this yacht?!"

Mia sneered. "Still threatening me, you old hag? My boyfriend's yacht—I make the rules!"

She turned to one of the guards. "Marcus, hang her over the side. Let her cool off."

"Yes, Miss Sinclair." The guard called Marcus grinned obsequiously. "Don't worry, we'll teach them a lesson they won't forget."

He moved quickly, looping a rescue line around Victoria's waist twice and tying it off.

"NO—"

I watched helplessly as they shoved her over the railing.

Victoria screamed as her body dropped, dangling in midair, swinging violently.

Below her, waves churned—barely ten feet down.

"MOTHER!" I wrenched free from the guard and threw myself at the railing.

Sprawled on the deck, I grabbed the rescue line with both hands.

On the other end, Victoria swung like a kite in the wind, waves crashing over her again and again, soaking her clothes.

"Hang on! I'll pull you up!" I gritted my teeth and pulled with everything I had.

But her weight combined with the wind's force was too much. The rope was dragging ME toward the railing instead. My body slid forward inch by inch, my chest pressed against the bars. If this kept up, I'd go over too!

Victoria's face had gone deathly pale, her breathing increasingly labored—she had a fear of heights, and the seawater was triggering her asthma.

"Chloe! Let GO!" she shouted desperately, her voice breaking. "You'll fall too! Don't—"

"I WON'T let go!" Tears blurred my vision.

"Well, well. How sweet."

Mia sauntered over, clapping slowly, a cruel smile on her face.

My heart sank. The next second, she lifted her foot and ground her stiletto heel down on my fingers.

"AHHH—"

Searing pain shot through my hand.

Mia looked down at me. "Let go. Weren't you so tough before?"

She twisted her heel against my knuckles. "Let's see how long you last!"

I clenched my jaw, refusing to release my grip, cold sweat pouring down my face.

She pressed harder, laughing. "Stop fighting it. You can't save her."

Blood seeped from between my fingers, running down my hand onto the deck.

"Chloe!" Victoria's weak cry came from below. "Let GO!"

Her breathing grew more desperate, her body swinging more violently in the wind, her lips turning blue.

Tears and blood dripped onto the deck, but I held on.

"HELP! SOMEBODY!" I screamed hoarsely. "She's Alexander Sterling's MOTHER! If you hurt her, he'll destroy you!"

Mia froze for a moment, then burst into piercing laughter. "Alexander's mother? HA!"

"That's the best lie you got?"

She pulled out her phone and dialed, deliberately putting it on speaker.

"Alex, baby~" Her voice turned sickeningly sweet again.

"Mia?" A deep male voice came through—Alexander's.

My heart seized.

"Baby, some woman's claiming to be your mother. My guards have her hanging off the deck right now~" Mia giggled. "You should come see this joke~"

A pause, then Alexander's irritated voice:

"My mother's at a board meeting in New York. No way she's on the yacht." He laughed coldly. "Some nobody's pretending to be her? Mia, do whatever the hell you want. Don't let trash like that drag my mother's name down."

"Will do, baby~ You'll reward me tonight?"

"Ha! Of course," Alexander laughed. "I'll make sure you can't walk tomorrow."

Before I could process the jealousy stabbing through me, I shouted, "Alexander! HELP—"

But he'd already hung up.

Mia smirked at me. "Hear that? Alex's mother is in New York."

DAMN IT!

Alexander had no idea we'd come to the yacht today—Victoria and I had decided on this surprise inspection last minute. We hadn't even told the butler.

So this IDIOT wouldn't believe we were here!

"You liars will say ANYTHING!" Mia mocked.

Then she switched feet, this time pressing her other heel onto my other hand.

"AHHH—" I finally screamed.

The pain was excruciating. I could feel my finger bones cracking under her heel, splintering bit by bit.

"You BITCH!" Victoria's weak but furious curse came from below. "When my son learns the truth... you're finished..."

Her voice broke off as another wave crashed over her, sending her into violent coughing.

"Mother! Don't talk!" I sobbed.

"Please—stop—" I finally broke. "Pull her up! I'm BEGGING you!"

A victorious smile spread across Mia's face. "Begging me?"

"Just 'please'? That's not good enough."

She crouched down, leaning close to my ear, her voice vicious: "You called me a homewrecker, didn't you?"

"So now you're going to say it LOUD—YOU'RE the bitch, YOU'RE the homewrecker, YOU'RE the shameless whore!"

"Say that I'M the woman Alexander Sterling really loves!"

My heart felt like it was being carved out piece by piece.

Shame crashed over me.

"Say it NOW!" Mia pressed down harder. "Or I'll have Marcus cut the rope right now!"

My fingers were almost broken. Victoria had gone silent below—she could slip and fall into the ocean any second.

"I'm..." I bit my lip hard, my voice shaking. "I'm... a bitch..."

"LOUDER! I can't HEAR you!"

"I'm a BITCH!" I squeezed my eyes shut, tears streaming down. "I'm a shameless WHORE! A homewrecker!"

"YOU'RE Alexander Sterling's true love!"