Chapter 1 - The Broken Fingers
A sickening crack echoed off the floor-to-ceiling glass windows of the penthouse suite, freezing fifty high-society guests in dead silence.
Luca Vance collapsed onto his knees against the white marble floor, clutching his right hand as a blood-curdling shriek escaped his throat. Three of his fingers dangled at unnatural angles, swelling rapidly beneath the glaring lights of the crystal chandeliers.
"Know your place, you useless outsider! Aaagghh!" Luca screamed in agony, sweat pouring down his pale, handsome face.
Standing directly over him in a white lace sleeveless wedding dress was his bride, Jessi. A bright red bruise flared across her cheek where Luca had struck her moments earlier, but her face remained terrifyingly calm. Her dark eyes held zero tears.
Jessi locked eyes with Luca's father, Arthur Vance, holding Luca's shattered hand in an iron grip without flinching.
"Touch me, Arthur..." Jessi said, her steady, controlled voice cutting clean through the room. "...and you’ll explain thirty-two years of fraud to the police before sunrise."
Arthur Vance, wearing a sharp black tuxedo with a black bowtie, took an involuntary step back. His face drained of all color as he stared at his daughter-in-law in pure horror.
"Luca..." Arthur whispered in a trembling, panicked voice. "...who on earth did you bring into this family?!"
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In the corner of the suite, Luca's mother, Patricia, stood frozen in a sparkling silver evening gown, holding a fresh bruise on her own cheek as she watched her abusive son writhe on the marble floor.
👉 Read Part 2 to discover why Jessi Vance was never the meek bride they assumed she was.
