Chapter 1

Tags: Villainous Couple, Underworld, Twisted Obsession, Betrayal and Infidelity

Everyone in the city knew that Julian Vance and I were a match made in hell.

I was ruthless and cunning; he was cold-blooded and lethal. We had each other’s backs, clawing our way over piles of bodies to rule this city together.

Julian once told me he would love me until the day he died.

Until he took a bullet for me.

That was when he met a sweet, innocent nurse named Natalie Frost. She bandaged his wounds, brought him homemade soup, and promised him the ordinary, peaceful home he had never known.

Julian lost his heart to her. Eventually, he held the hand of that pregnant nurse and laid his cards on the table.

"Scarlett, you will always be my only wife. But let Natalie stay. Please?"

I stared at him for a long, silent moment. In the end, I simply nodded.

"Why...?"

Julian dropped his gaze. "I'm sorry. I'm just tired."

He thought I was asking why he had stopped loving me.

He was wrong.

I was just disappointed.

After keeping him by my side for all these years, Julian had been the one who looked the most like *him*.

In the end, he was useless after all.

I turned and stepped back into the shadows, my voice dropping dead cold.

"Kill her. Clean up the mess."

The second the words left my mouth, the guards lingering in the shadows pulled their blades and moved straight toward Natalie.

The air turned razor-sharp with intent.

"No! Julian—!"

Natalie screamed, shrinking behind Julian in absolute terror.

Julian instantly threw an arm out to shield her, glaring up at me in disbelief.

"Scarlett Stone, what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Scarlett Stone..."

I leaned back into the plush leather sofa, murmuring my full name on my tongue, and let out a soft laugh.

"Julian, how long has it been since you called me by my full name?"

"The last time... was five years ago, wasn't it? When you got down on one knee. How nostalgic."

A flicker of daze crossed Julian's eyes.

I took the chance to light a cigarette. My gaze drifted past him, landing squarely on the trembling figure cowering behind his back.

"Miss Frost, if I remember correctly, your name was on the charity list of students I funded years ago."

"You ate from my bowl, spent my money, and now you come back to steal my man. Isn't that... a little tasteless?"

Natalie was scared out of her wits.

Hearing my words, her knees buckled completely, and she dropped to the floor with a heavy thud.

"Mrs. Vance, I'm sorry!"

"I know what I did was wrong, but Julian and I really love each other! Please, I'm begging you, let us be together!"

Sobbing, she bent down, looking ready to beg on her knees.

Julian quickly caught her, pulling her up and whispering gentle comforts before turning back to face me, his jaw set.

"Scarlett, did you really have to take it this far?"

"If you can't stand having Natalie around, I'll take her and move out. You can take the three shipping terminals down at the docks. Consider it my way of paying back what she owes you."

Dead silence fell over the grand hall.

Everyone in the room could hear what he meant. He was drawing a line between us.

I studied that familiar face through the haze of smoke, watching two pale rings drift into the air.

I gave him one final chance.

"Julian, are you certain you want to keep her?"

Julian lowered his head, gently wiping the tears from Natalie's cheeks with his thumb.

When he looked back up, his mind was made up.

"Scarlett, let Natalie stay. She’s gentle. She’ll never threaten your position."

"I'm just... tired of all this blood."

The cigarette burned down to the filter, the heat biting sharply into my skin.

Useless.

I crushed the butt out in the crystal ashtray, turned slightly, and spoke to my butler.

"Have the sunroom on the second floor prepared for Miss Frost. And call Dr. Miller over. After all, she’s carrying a child. It wouldn't do to stress the baby."

The tension in Julian’s face instantly melted away.

He thought I was giving in.

He took a step forward, looking as though he wanted to offer some comforting words.

"Scarlett, I..."

I held up a hand, silencing him without a sound.

"It's late. Go keep Miss Frost company."

Seeing the coldness in my eyes, Julian merely nodded, wrapped his arm around Natalie, and walked away.

It wasn't until their silhouettes vanished down the hall that I let out a faint, quiet sigh.

"Uncle Joe," I murmured. "All of a sudden, he doesn't look like Colin anymore."