"I'll only explain this once. Do you believe me or not?"

Before Marlin could answer, Vera dropped to the ground and burst into wailing sobs.

"Oh, brother! My poor, poor brother!" she howled. "You left this world too soon, and I took care of his widow and child! I never stopped helping them!"

"My own kids couldn't even get a hot meal, but I scraped together every penny to buy the best formula for little Marlin!"

"Now he's all grown up, thinks he's too good for family, and he lets his wife bully me!"

"Oh, brother! Come back and see what's become of your son!"

Marlin's face went ashen. He grabbed my arm and pulled me aside, his voice low and urgent.

"She's not well in the head. Why are you getting into it with her?"

"Just apologize so we can move on. We're going to miss the auspicious hour."

"The auspicious hour?" I let out a cold laugh.

I'd already expected this from Marlin. The disappointment barely stung anymore.

"An apology isn't going to cut it!" Vera shrieked, jabbing a finger at me. "She attacked me! I want compensation for emotional distress!"

"You hear that?" Marlin turned to me. "Your aunt-in-law wants compensation."

He let out a heavy sigh.

"Just give her whatever she wants. How long are you going to drag this out? The hotel charges overtime fees!"

I shoved Marlin away. Inside, I felt nothing. Still water. A dead calm.

"How much do you want?"

Vera held up her hand, all five fingers splayed.

"Vera, that's outrageous! I just transferred half a million to you. What do you need another fifty thousand for?"

Her eyes darted sideways, and she shook her head.

"Not fifty thousand. Five million."

"Sure."

I smiled. It didn't reach my eyes.

Vera sprang off the ground like she'd been launched by a catapult. Marlin's eyes went wide.

"Five million? Where would you get that kind of money?"

Fair enough. My father had only told him I worked at a government office. He'd never mentioned what I actually did. In Marlin's mind, I was probably just some low-level clerk with a rigid schedule.

I pushed him aside and looked at Vera, one eyebrow raised.

"Five million? I have it. But that's the price for beating you within an inch of your life."

Something flickered behind Vera's eyes. Maybe she remembered how I'd caught her hand mid-swing with one arm. Her gaze darted around, recalculating.

Then she cleared her throat and spat deliberately on the hem of my dress.

Her thick, rough hand shot out and closed around the necklace at my throat.

"Tell you what. I won't make this difficult. Take off this necklace and give it to me, and I'll let you both inside."

"Are you planning to die tomorrow? Is that why you're grabbing at everything you can get your hands on today?"

I pried her fingers off.

"Don't touch it. You couldn't afford to replace it if you broke it."

This necklace was one of a kind. My mother had flown a designer to our home to craft it for me personally. Every element was gold and diamond, and there wasn't another like it anywhere in the world.

"I already grabbed it. What are you going to do about it?"

Vera had spent her younger years doing farm labor. Her grip was iron. She ripped the necklace clean off my neck in one brutal yank.

Tiny diamonds scattered across the floor like spilled teeth. A thin red line burned across my throat where the chain had been.

"Vera, can you stop this already!"

The sharp sting of pain woke something I'd kept buried for a long time. I rolled my neck slowly, eyes narrowing to slits as I fixed them on her.

"The last person who left a mark on me? The grass on their grave is fifteen feet tall."

The biometric bracelet on my wrist detected the spike in my heart rate and let out a shrill, piercing alarm. Vera had no idea what was coming. She was still running her mouth.

"Who do you think you're scaring? Grass on their grave? You're thin as a stick. I could snap you in half with one hand."

Marlin clutched his head and let out an exasperated shout.

"Enough!"

"She wants your necklace, just give it to her! What is all this back and forth about?!"

"I told you not to wear it out. You insisted, and now look at this mess. Happy now?"

I was so furious I almost laughed.

"Happy? Oh, I'm thrilled."

"Marlin, don't forget. You just got that promotion. The seat isn't even warm yet."

"Who gave you the nerve to talk to me like that?"

Marlin's bravado deflated, but his aunt wasn't about to let it go.

"My nephew earned that promotion on his own merit. Who do you think you are, acting all high and mighty?" Vera jabbed a finger at me. "I was this close to letting you through that door. But now? No. First, you get on your knees and knock your forehead on the ground three times."

"Then you kneel to Marlin and beg his forgiveness."

I smiled. I pulled out my phone, typed a quick text, and sent it. Then I looked up at Vera, that absolute clown of a woman, with a smile still playing on my lips.

At this point, there wasn't a chance in hell Marlin didn't know exactly what was going on. On the surface, it was all his aunt making a scene, but the money and the credit would land squarely in Marlin's lap. He just hid behind her, playing the nice guy without getting his hands dirty.

"Anything else?"

I'd already decided this wedding was off. Might as well play along and let her put on a good show.

"And then you go get me another necklace just like the one you broke. A gift. To show your respect."

"Aunt Vera."

Marlin finally stepped in to rein in his greedy aunt, his voice gentle. "We're in a rush today. Cash equivalent will do."

"Fine. For your sake, cash works."

"I don't think so."

I picked up the broken diamonds from the floor, one by one. My mother's voice still echoed in my ears, her warm wishes for my wedding day.

"I'll give you the necklace right now."

Under Vera's bewildered stare, my expression didn't shift a fraction. I grabbed her arm and dragged her to the wall.

I eyeballed the right spot on her neck, then pressed the diamond shards into the fat folds of her skin, one by one.

"You love necklaces so much, this one stays on. No taking it off. Sound fair, Auntie?"

The confusion in Vera's eyes finally gave way to raw terror. Her voice came out shaking.

"You wouldn't dare! Do you have any idea who I am?"

"You're Vera Lawrence. Marlin's aunt."

I kept talking. My hands never stopped.

Marlin had been frozen in place, too shocked to move. He finally snapped out of it and grabbed his best friend to come pull me off. His relatives and guests clearly knew the score. Not a single one stepped forward, terrified they'd get caught in the crossfire.

My family had been sent to the hotel. Of course. Marlin had planned that from the start.

"Freya, have you lost your mind? Let go of her!"

"What, you want to put the necklace on her yourself?"

Vera was shaking so hard that a diamond shard popped loose, trailing thin threads of blood.

"Aunt Vera isn't like us! You treat her like this, you're not afraid she'll come after you?"

Marlin gripped my arm, his tone heavy with false concern.

"Let go first. We'll go to her place together afterward and apologize. Then we put this whole thing behind us."

"No."

"No!"

Vera and I refused at the same time.

Her neck was locked in my grip. She thrashed on the ground, arms and legs flailing.

"Freya Sullivan! Just you wait. I'm calling my brother-in-law right now!"

I paused, rubbing my ear where her shrieking had left it ringing.

"Your brother-in-law? Then call him. I'd love to see what kind of big shot he is."

"And you."

I turned to look at Marlin, who was frantically dialing for backup.

"The wedding is off."

"Absolutely not!"

Marlin lowered his phone and stormed over to me.

"The money's been spent, the guests are here. You cancel the wedding now, where does that leave me? How am I supposed to show my face?"

I was busy figuring out the best angle to embed the necklace when I heard him. A mocking laugh escaped my lips.

"You still think you have dignity?"

His phone buzzed. Marlin glanced at it, and his eyes did a quick, calculating roll. The weaselly expression was a carbon copy of his aunt's.

"Fine, we can call off the engagement. But first, you transfer me the money for the wedding, plus travel expenses, hotel, meals, and lost wages for all my relatives who came out here."

"That's two hundred and eighty thousand."

"Plus the engagement dowry. One hundred and eighty-eight thousand."

"Altogether, that's four hundred and sixty-eight thousand. And with all the miscellaneous costs on top of that, let's round it up. You give me a million dollars, and I'll agree to break it off."

"Otherwise, my uncle-in-law will be here any minute, and trust me, he'll make sure you regret this."

The well-meaning neighbors who'd been watching from the sidelines immediately chimed in.

"Sweetheart, just pay them off and save yourself the trouble."

"She's right. His eldest sister's husband is the most powerful one in the family. A while back, his aunt beat someone up, and in the end, the victim was the one who had to pay."

Ha.

I couldn't have cared less.

It had been years since anyone tried to threaten me like this. It was almost refreshing.

My phone rang. I freed a hand to answer.

Director Calloway's voice came through, sharp and serious.

"Corey Lyons says your heart rate is spiking. What's going on?"

"Ran into the in-laws from hell. They're even threatening to send someone over to teach me a lesson."

"Director, I didn't start this. You can't blame me."

The thought of finally getting to cut loose made a grin tug at the corners of my mouth.

The Director's tone turned urgent.

"Keep your cool. I'm sending people right now!"

The very next second, a convoy of vehicles rolled in from the distance.