Chapter 2

The morning after the wedding, I woke up early.

The vast estate was still wrapped in a thin morning fog, quiet as an oil painting.

Wearing a silk robe, I walked barefoot across the cold marble floor and stopped in front of the massive floor-to-ceiling windows.

Maya, the housekeeper, respectfully brought me a steaming cup of black coffee.

“Donna, breakfast is ready.”

I took a sip of coffee and asked, “Where are Ethan and Chloe?”

“Ethan and Chloe did not come back last night,” Maya replied.

I let out a cold laugh.

Running away?

How naive.

“Send someone to bring them back.” I set down my coffee cup, my tone calm. “Tell them if I don’t see them in the dining room within half an hour, they never need to come back again.”

Something flickered in Maya’s eyes, but she lowered her head respectfully. “Yes, Donna.”

Half an hour later, I sat at the head of the long dining table, slowly cutting into the fried egg on my plate.

Victor sat to my right, reading the day’s newspaper as if nothing happening in this house had anything to do with him.

At last, Ethan and Chloe appeared at the entrance of the dining room.

They looked as if they had not slept all night. Their faces were haggard, with heavy dark circles beneath their eyes.

Ethan stared at me like a trapped beast.

Chloe kept her head lowered, not daring to look at me, and certainly not daring to look at Victor.

“Come here.” I pointed with my knife at the two empty seats beside me.

They walked over stiffly and sat down beside me.

“Do you know why I called you back?” I asked.

No one answered.

“Starting today, you’ll both move back into the estate,” I announced. “Chloe, since you are Ethan’s woman, you are half a member of the Kolya family. From now on, you will learn the rules of this house too.”

Chloe’s body trembled.

“Maya,” I called to the housekeeper. “Starting today, teach Miss Chloe how to be a proper maid.”

“What?” Ethan shot to his feet, his chair scraping sharply against the floor. “How dare you?”

“Why wouldn’t I dare?” I looked up at him and smiled, innocent and harmless. “I am the Donna of this family. I am also your mother. What’s wrong with teaching the clueless woman at your side some manners?”

“You!” Ethan’s chest heaved with rage.

“Sit down.”

Victor, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke.

He did not even raise his head. He only said those two words flatly.

Ethan’s anger was doused as if by a bucket of ice water. He glared at me with hatred, then sat back down unwillingly.

“Chloe.” I turned to the woman who looked like she was about to cry. “Do you understand?”

Chloe bit her lower lip. Tears gathered in her eyes, but in the end, she nodded.

“Good.” I picked up my napkin and dabbed the corner of my mouth. “Now go pour me a glass of milk. Warm, but not hot.”

Chloe rose in humiliation and walked to the sideboard, clumsily beginning to pour the milk.

Her hands were shaking badly, and quite a bit spilled over the edge.

I watched her pathetic state with deep satisfaction.

This was what I wanted.

I would return everything they had once done to me a hundredfold. A thousandfold.

Chloe brought the milk to me and offered it with both hands.

I took it, glanced down, then poured the entire glass straight over her carefully made-up face.

“Too hot,” I said lightly.

The scalding milk ran down her cheeks, and her skin reddened almost instantly.

“Ah!” Chloe let out a short scream.

“You’ve gone too far!” Ethan exploded again, reaching out to grab me.

A cold pistol pressed against his forehead before he could touch me.

Victor.

He had finally put down his newspaper. There was no emotion at all in those gray eyes.

“Ethan, apologize to your mother.”

The air in the entire dining room froze.

Ethan stared at his father, the expression on his face changing from anger to disbelief.

“Father…”

“Apologize.” Victor’s voice did not rise or fall, but the trigger clicked softly beneath his finger.

Cold sweat broke out across Ethan’s forehead.

He knew his father was serious.

He would pull the trigger without hesitation.

At last, Ethan slowly turned his head toward me and said through gritted teeth, one word at a time,

“I’m sorry… Mother.”

Watching him submit sent a rush of pleasure through me.

“It’s all right, son.” I smiled gently. “Just be more careful next time.”

Then I turned to Chloe, who was still trembling, and continued, “Go pour another glass. This time, I don’t want any mistakes.”

With tears in her eyes, Chloe covered her burned face and walked back toward the sideboard.

I knew this was only the beginning.

In the days to come, I would make her understand what it meant to wish she were dead.