Chapter 3

A hundred eyes stared at us in stunned silence. Marcus’s lips trembled, but he was too guilty to utter a single word.

I turned to the crowd of wealthy guests, raising my voice:

"Listen up, everyone! I am Marcus’s actual fiancée! This villa belongs to me!"

"Now, if you have nothing to do with this trash, get out! I have some family garbage to clean up!"

The atmosphere turned freezing cold.

Suddenly, Marcus let out a mocking laugh and violently shook off my grip.

His eyes filled with disgust and pity.

"Where did this crazy bitch come from? How did security let a psycho in?"

"Today is my son's celebration! You came here to cause a scene? Which of my business competitors paid you to do this?!"

"Security! Get this lunatic out of here!"

Seeing this, Chloe’s eyes welled with tears instantly.

She pulled a thick stack of cash from her designer purse and handed it to me timidly:

"Miss, if you did this because you're desperate for money, please take this. Just don't ruin our special day, okay?"

The moment she said that, the crowd erupted in murmurs of disgust directed at me.

"So she's just a gold-digging psycho? Trying to extort a rich family at a baby party!"

"Throw her out! Don't let her dirty the young heir's celebration!"

Just then, the floating comments flashed before my eyes again:

[Vile bastards! Don't back down! Slap him with the truth! You have the digital deed of this villa on your phone!]

Yes!

I pulled out my phone and brought up the official, legally stamped digital deed of the property.

"Look closely, all of you! The sole owner of this villa is Natalie Sterling!"

"Who does Marcus think he is? He couldn't afford a single square foot of this place on his own!"

Whispers broke out across the room. Marcus’s face flushed red, then turned a ghostly pale.

"Oh, please. Where did you photoshop that fake deed? You dare flaunt it in front of the real owner?"

A mocking male voice cut through the room.

It was Zach Cole, Marcus’s wealthy best friend. He walked in, flanked by several beefy security guards.

He glared at the guards, annoyed:

"Are you guys blind? Why is this crazy woman still standing here?"

The security captain sweated profusely:

"Mr. Cole, she... she had the master key card to Villa 8..."

Hearing this, a dark, vicious glint flashed in Marcus’s eyes.

He suddenly raised his foot and kicked me hard right in the shin!

The sudden pain knocked me off balance, and I crashed onto the hard floor. The master key card slipped from my pocket.

Zach bent down, picked up the card, inspected it, and sneered.

"The counterfeiting technology these days is impressive. Nice replica."

With a sharp snap, he broke the master card in half and threw the pieces right into my face.

"If you're really the owner, why haven't any of us seen you around during the six months Marcus has been living here?"

"You'll do anything for money, won't you? Even fabricating a pathetic lie like this!"

The crowd went wild.

"This is insane! People are actually counterfeiting security cards now!"

"I knew it! She's dressed like a beggar. There's no way she owns a mansion in The Grand Crest!"

Chloe sighed, tossing a couple of hundred-dollar bills onto my head.

"Take this money and get your head checked."

"If you get on your knees and apologize right now, we’ll be generous enough not to press charges for trespassing."

Marcus held Chloe tightly, looking down at me with cold malice:

"Did you hear her? Take the money, apologize, and get the hell out! Don't make me get physical!"

The crowd’s mob mentality was fully ignited.

"Disgusting! Beat some sense into this shameless bitch!"

"Why are we being polite to a grifter? Drag her out!"

Someone threw a heavy glass tumbler at me.

Smash!

Scalding pain bloomed on my temple as warm blood immediately rushed down, blurring my eyes.

The next second, a cup of hot coffee was poured directly onto my back.

I curled up on the freezing floor, surrounded by their vicious, mocking laughter.

Marcus turned to the security guards, his face filled with utter revulsion:

"She's clearly mentally unstable. Call the asylum and have them drag her away!"