In all 26 years of my life, no one had ever dared to talk to me like that.

"Say that again. What exactly do you want me to shout?" I asked.

"Are you deaf? I said, 'I'm broke, and I know I was wrong.' Got it now?" Sofia said sharply.

The corner of my mouth curled. "Loud and clear. Since you admit you're broke, hurry up and get out of here before you drag down the Marino name."

Sofia's face flushed as she finally realized what I'd done. "You! You twisted my words? How dare you make fun of me?"

She screeched and hurled herself at me, arms flailing like a furious chicken. It would've been funny if she weren't so noisy.

I had trained with my family's bodyguards in Corvina for ten years. I wasn't about to be intimidated by a woman whose punches were nothing but a performance.

I drove a clean side kick into her ribs. Sofia went down hard, folding onto the carpet with a pained groan.

Gasps rippled through the hall.

"Oh my God, she actually hit Ms. Lopez!"

"When Mr. Marino hears about this, he'll have her chopped up and thrown into the bay!"

"She's done. Not even God can save her now."

I tuned their chatter out.

The Marino family only stood where they did today because my father had pulled them up when they were nothing. In this city, there wasn't a single person I needed to be afraid of.

I slapped my black card on the podium again. "Like I said, whatever she bids, I'll pay double. Wrap the ring and hand it over!"

The auctioneer's knees visibly buckled. Hands shaking, he hit the authorization button and personally presented the velvet box to me.

I put it into a bag and turned to leave, only for Sofia to drag herself upright and stumble back into my path. "Don't you dare leave!"

I tapped the toe of my heel against the floor and glanced down. "What is it? You want another practical demonstration?"

She instinctively took a step back.

I let out a soft, dismissive laugh and pivoted toward the exit.

But I didn't get far. A wall of men in black suits suddenly filled the doorway, blocking every way out.

Before the guests could even process what was happening, the line of bodyguards split cleanly down the middle. A man walked through the gap they made.

I looked up, and for a second, my heart actually skipped. The overhead lights fell across him, outlining every inch of his frame. He had the kind of build tailors dreamed about—broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs.

His face was all sharp planes and clean edges, so perfect it looked like someone had carved it out of stone.

Sofia immediately switched on the waterworks and ran to him, tears glistening. "Luca, she stole my ring and hit me..."

So, this was my fiancé. No wonder my father had sworn up and down that I'd like him. He knew me too well.

I was hopelessly shallow when it came to looks, and Luca fit my taste a little too perfectly. Seeing that face alone, I almost felt like forgiving his earlier attitude on the phone.

I straightened, gave him my most confident smile, and introduced myself, "Hi. I'm Isa Borgia, your fiancee."

A ripple of shock moved through the crowd.

"What did she say? She's Mr. Marino's fiancee?"

"Well, obviously, the fiancee matters more than a godsister!"

"Not really. It depends on who Mr. Marino actually favors."

Luca's cold gaze settled on me. "Don't flatter yourself. That engagement was my father's decision. I never agreed to it."

Sofia leaned into Luca with her head on his shoulder, her eyes sparkling with a challenge she wasn't bothering to hide. "Look at you in those cheap clothes! You really think you deserve to marry him? You're not even qualified to shine my shoes!"

Someone in the crowd eagerly piled on. "Exactly. If Mr. Marino ever gets married, it'll be to a real heiress. Why would he choose a nobody from the countryside?"

"She looks dirty! I feel like the air smells worse already! She's nowhere near Ms. Lopez's level!"

I'd worn something simple. There was nothing "dirty" about it. But in their mouths, I'd somehow turned into a walking trash heap.

People always did love kicking whoever they thought was at the bottom.

I lifted my eyes slowly and let my gaze sweep the entire auction hall before bringing it back to Luca's face.

"In that case, go home and tell your father to call off the wedding. And the reason? I don't want you."

My father told me that Luca's father, Antonio Marino, had pulled every string he could to make this engagement happen. If he ever learned it all blew up because of Luca, I'd pay to see the look on his face.

That thought eased my irritation. I couldn't be bothered arguing with this pack of idiots anymore, so I turned to leave.

But Sofia wasn't done. She came stomping toward me in her stilettos like a hyena that had caught the scent of blood, with two bodyguards following closely behind her. The black pistols peeking from their holsters were enough to freeze the room.

"You bitch! You think you can just walk away? You snatched my ring and laid hands on me! We're not done!"

I gave her a cold look. "So what exactly do you want to do?"

She mistook my patience for fear. Her hand snapped up toward my face. "I'll hit you until I feel better!"

Before her palm could land, I caught her wrist, twisted, and slapped her across the face with my other hand.

Sofia clutched her cheek, staring at me in disbelief. "You lowlife! How dare you—"

"Why wouldn't I?" I cut her off, slapping her other cheek just as hard. "Is this enough for you?"

The two slaps knocked the arrogance right off her face. Tears sprang to her eyes as she stumbled back and threw herself behind Luca, using him like a shield. "Luca, she hit me! You have to stand up for me!"

Luca pulled her behind him and looked at me with a gaze so dark, it could've dripped ink. "How dare you slap her? You must really have a death wish."

He gave his bodyguards a subtle hand signal.

Several of the bodyguards lunged at me at the same time.

I took down the first one who charged at me, but the rest came too fast. Hits rained on me from all directions. Pain tore through my ribs and back until my legs gave out. Two bodyguards grabbed me under the arms and hauled me over to Luca and Sofia.

Luca stroked Sofia's swollen cheek and said softly, "Do whatever you want with her. If anything happens, I'll take care of it."

His words sent a spark through Sofia. She spat at me, her face contorting with cruel satisfaction.

"Bitch! Weren't you so bold just now? Come on, keep acting tough! You want to fight me over a ring? Fine! I'll break your fingers! Let's see what you'll wear on them after that!"

At her nod, the two bodyguards pinned my shoulders before forcing my arm out in front of me, stretching my fingers over the polished floor.

I lifted my head and stared straight at Luca and Sofia. "If you go through with this, I swear I'll make you both pay for it!"

Sofia let out a sharp laugh. "The Marino family is one of the five ruling houses in Norham City. And you? You're a nameless little stray from nowhere. You think you get to threaten us? Today, I'll make sure you never forget what happens when you cross me!"

Her stiletto drove down on my fingers, and pain ripped through my hand. I bit down so hard, I tasted blood. I was pretty sure I heard something crack.

Everyone around us looked away from the violence, but no one had the courage to step in.

"She shouldn't have picked a fight with a Marino."

"Her hands are done for. She'll be lucky if she can even feed herself after this."

"We're just civilians. People like us swallow our pride or end up dead."

I had loved the piano since I was a child. I would be performing on stages all around the world. I couldn't lose my hands.

The thought of losing them sent a cold, strangling fear through me.

When Sofia lifted her heel again, my resolve collapsed. "I was wrong! You can have the ring! Take it! Just don't hurt my hands!"

Revenge could wait, but fingers didn't grow back.

However, Sofia didn't pause. Her heel pressed down again, harder this time. A metallic smell rose from my bleeding hand.

"You bitch! Oh, now you're scared? Too late for that. You're not leaving this place until I say so!"

A scream tore out of my throat. I turned my head to Luca. "Luca, aren't you afraid of who I am? If you let her do this, you'll regret it!"

Luca sneered, "Who are you? You're nothing. Just a woman who tricked my father."

Sofia saw his reaction, and her smile grew even more vicious. "You're still trying to seduce Luca while I'm right here? If I don't break your hands, you'll never learn!"

"No! Don't!"

Just then, my phone rang from inside my bag.

I struggled against the men holding me, trying to reach for it, but Sofia moved faster. She grabbed the phone, glanced at the screen, and answered it with a cold laugh.

My father's voice came through at once, tight with worry. "Isa, why aren't you home yet? Is the auction still going?"

I dragged in a breath and shouted as loudly as I could, "Papa, help me! They're going to destroy my hands!"

My father's voice went cold in an instant. "What? Who is this?"

Sofia shouted into the phone, "I'm Sofia Lopez! Your daughter's been acting like a slut with men, so I'm teaching her a lesson!"

"I don't care who you are! Let my daughter go! Touch her again, and you'll wish you'd never been born—"

"If you've got the guts, come over here!" Sofia cut him off with a mocking laugh. Her heel slammed into my hand once more, and I couldn't hold back a cry.

"I'm right here waiting. I'll break her hands first and let you hear it! And when you get here, I'll break yours too!"

She hung up and slammed my phone to the floor. It shattered into pieces. Then, she ordered the men around us to beat me.

Five minutes passed. It wasn't long on a clock, but it felt like half a lifetime.

At last, a familiar armored black sedan rolled to a stop outside the auction hall. The air itself seemed to tighten.

My father stepped out of the car, his black coat still carrying the faint scent of gunpowder and blood.

His eyes were cold with fury as he pushed the main doors open. His voice cut through the hall like a blade. "Who dares to threaten to break my hands and my daughter's?"