"The first sound I heard after my parents fell into the swimming pool was laughter.

The annual Metropolitan Heritage Gala was the crown jewel of high society. Despite the ongoing legal troubles and financial rumors, Olivia Sterling insisted on hosting it, desperate to prove that the Sterlings were still untouchable.

I arrived on Marcus Vance's arm.

I wore a floor-length dark green velvet dress, tailored to perfection, adorned with simple diamond earrings I bought with my own hard-earned money. My hair was styled elegantly, and I walked into the grand ballroom with my head held high.

Silence washed over the room as Marcus and I walked in.

Ethan was standing near the bar. When he saw me, his glass nearly slipped from his fingers. He looked broken, thin, and drained.

Then came Olivia. She was wearing gold again, but her makeup couldn't hide the lines of stress on her face. She marched toward us, her eyes burning with fury.

"How dare you bring this traitor into my event, Marcus!" Olivia hissed, ignoring the surrounding eyes. "Clara, you are an ungrateful pest. You took everything my son gave you!"

"Your son gave me nothing," I replied calmly, taking a slow sip of my sparkling water. "And you took away your own dignity the moment you pushed my parents."

"You think you've won because you took a few clients?" Olivia sneered softly so only we could hear. "I own this city's judges. I own the board. You are nothing but an insect, Clara."