The Maybach's tires crunched over pristine white gravel, pulling through the heavy wrought-iron gates of the Battle estate on Long Island. The car glided to a stop in front of a massive marble fountain.

The driver hurried out and pulled Areli's door open.

Areli immediately widened her eyes. She let her jaw drop open, staring at the towering stone columns of the mansion. She let out a loud, exaggerated gasp.

She scrambled out of the car, her movements jerky and uncoordinated. Her worn-out sneakers, caked in dried Pennsylvania mud, slammed down hard onto the spotless marble steps.

Howard stepped out, his face dark with irritation. "Keep up," he snapped. "And don't touch anything."

Inside the grand living room, the air smelled of expensive vanilla diffusers. Cora sat on the center of the white velvet sofa, wearing a custom silk slip dress. She held a crystal nail file, carefully shaping her manicure. Mavis sat in the armchair opposite her, sipping Earl Grey tea from a bone china cup.

Areli burst through the double doors like a cannonball.

She sprinted straight into the center of the room. Her muddy shoes stamped a trail of dark, filthy footprints directly across the pure white Persian rug.

Cora shrieked. She dropped her nail file and sprang up from the sofa as if the cushions had caught fire. She backed away, covering her nose with her manicured hand. "What is that smell? Get that filthy beggar out of here!"

Areli stopped dead in her tracks. She tilted her head, staring at Cora. A massive, goofy grin split her face. She threw her arms wide open and lunged toward Cora. "Sister!"

Cora's eyes widened in panic. She grabbed a bright orange Hermes throw pillow from the sofa and hurled it directly at Areli's head.

Areli let out a clumsy yelp. She ducked, her movements intentionally delayed. The heavy pillow grazed her shoulder and slammed into a crystal vase on the glass coffee table.

The vase shattered. Water and white lilies exploded across the floor.

"Enough!" Howard roared from the doorway. His voice echoed off the high ceilings. He pointed a shaking finger at Cora. "Watch yourself! Don't break her before the wedding!"

Mavis set her teacup down with a sharp clink. She forced her facial muscles to relax, pasting on a sickly-sweet maternal smile. She stood up, her hips swaying as she walked toward Areli.

Mavis reached out, forcing herself to grab Areli's dirty, sticky hand. "Look how much you've grown, sweetheart," Mavis cooed, her voice dripping with fake affection.

Areli immediately yanked her hand back. She wiped her palm aggressively on her dirty dress, acting as if Mavis's touch burned. She kept her eyes glued to the massive diamond ring sparkling on Mavis's finger, her mouth hanging open in feigned awe.

Disgust flashed in Mavis's eyes. She turned, pulled open a drawer in the coffee table, and dug out a cheap, plastic-wrapped lollipop left over from Halloween.

She peeled the plastic off and held the red candy out. "If you are a good girl, you can have treats like this every single day."

Areli snatched the lollipop. She shoved it into her mouth, sucking loudly. She let the sugary saliva pool and drip down her chin.

Cora watched from the corner, her stomach heaving. She dry-heaved, pressing a hand to her chest. "Just get it over with, Mom. I can't look at her."

Mavis clapped her hands twice. Two maids in black uniforms hurried into the room. They carried a heavy, outdated wedding dress covered in cheap lace. The bodice was clearly three sizes too big for Areli's slender frame.

Mavis pointed to the dress. "Tomorrow, you are going to meet a superhero. He is going to be your husband. This is your special dress."

Areli pulled the lollipop out of her mouth with a loud pop. "Superhero?" she slurred. "Can he fly? Will he catch butterflies for me?"

Cora let out a cruel, barking laugh. "Fly? He can't even walk, you retard. He's a cripple stuck in a wheelchair."

Mavis shot Cora a lethal glare, cutting her off. She turned back to Areli, her fake smile straining.

Areli pretended not to understand the insult. She squealed, dropping the lollipop onto the floor. She ran toward the maids, spinning in circles around the ugly dress. "I'm going to be a fairy! A fairy!"

On her third spin, Areli intentionally let her right foot catch behind her left ankle.

She pitched forward, her body flying directly toward Cora.

Areli reached out to break her fall. Her hand, coated in sticky red syrup and thick saliva, clamped down hard onto the pristine silk hem of Cora's couture dress.

She left a massive, dark, sticky handprint right on the thigh.

Cora looked down. A blood-curdling scream ripped from her throat. She raised her hand, aiming a vicious slap right at Areli's face.

Mavis lunged forward, grabbing Cora's wrist mid-air. Her nails dug into Cora's skin.

"Think of the money," Mavis hissed through her teeth. "After tomorrow, this idiot is Finn Branch's problem. You will never have to see her again."

Areli cowered behind Mavis's legs. She lowered her head. Beneath the veil of her messy hair, her eyes were completely clear. A cold, mocking sneer touched her lips.

Mavis snapped her fingers at the butler. "Take her to the servant's quarters in the basement. Lock the door."