Chapter 2

Vincent gave a cold sneer and locked the front door from the inside. Helen rushed forward and snatched my purse.

She pulled out my wallet and car keys, stuffing them into her coat pocket.

I took a step toward her. "Give those back. That's robbery."

She sneered. "Give them back so you can run? Let me tell you right now, you're not taking a single step out of this apartment tonight."

I lunged to grab my bag, but Vincent stepped in between us, shoving me back hard.

My knees gave out, and the small of my back slammed violently against the sharp edge of the coffee table.

A sharp gasp tore from my throat. Vincent didn't show a shred of remorse; he merely frowned down at me.

"It's done. Stop throwing a tantrum."

On the couch, Mia put on her usual delicate act, looking at me with feigned concern.

"Summer, stop acting like the victim. It's not like this is your first time. Why make such a big deal out of it? Don't make things harder for Vincent. Just accept it and move on."

She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice so only I could hear. "Honestly, if you weren't taking the fall, I'd be the one in danger right now. So thanks a million, big sister."

Her words stabbed like needles.

Vincent stood right beside her, not uttering a single word to stop her.

Instead, he turned back to me with an irritated sigh. "Summer, just stay home tonight and don't escalate this. If you're upset, we can talk about it privately after the dust settles."

His words sounded reasonable, but he hadn't given me a choice.

My phone was gone, my ID was confiscated, and the door was locked.

A dull, throbbing ache pulsed in my lower back, leaving me trapped in my own home.

Fury burned in my chest, but I bit down hard, forcing the anger back down.

"I need to wash my face."

Vincent and Helen exchanged a quick glance. Seeing that I had stopped fighting back, they agreed.

Still, Vincent followed me and stood guard right outside the bathroom door.

I slipped inside and clicked the lock shut.

Thank god. In the hidden inner lining of my coat, my old backup phone was still there.

I dialed the brightness down to minimum and kept the sound muted.

Opening the cloud storage connected to the hidden camera in my living room, I pulled up the footage of them breaking in, taking my documents, and forcing my thumbprint onto the paper.

I packaged the evidence into a file and sent it straight to my most trusted best friend.

Once the upload finished, I tucked the phone back into the hidden pocket.

I splashed freezing water onto my face, staring at my pale reflection and nursing the dull pain in my back.

Smoothing out my expression, I unlocked the door and stepped back into the living room.

Helen immediately glared at me.

Mia was lounging comfortably on the sofa, sipping water from my mug as if she owned the place.

Vincent was murmuring quietly with his mother, discussing their next move.

Keeping up my defeated demeanor, I tested the waters. "The thumbprint is already on the paper. Arguing won't change that. But didn't the police say the victim is still in the hospital? We shouldn't rush."

"We can't just hand this paper over right away. If the victim takes a turn for the worse, nobody can handle the fallout."

Hearing me talk like that, Vincent assumed I had completely given in, and his guard dropped significantly.

"I knew you'd come around," he said. "We won't submit it yet. We'll wait for news from the hospital and see how the victim is doing before deciding what to do. If she pulls through, everything is easy. If it gets critical, we use this to wrap up the case and protect Mia."

I didn't answer. My fingernails dug deep into my palms as my mind raced, calculating a way out.

That mob boss was only quiet because he was busy dealing with his sister's condition. The second he turned his attention to this, none of them would survive the fallout.

Just then, Vincent's eyes locked onto the inner flap of my coat, his gaze suddenly darkening.

My prolonged stay in the bathroom had made him suspicious.

"What took you so long in there?"

Before the words fully left his mouth, he took a long stride forward, reaching straight for my pockets to search me.

A surge of panic hit me, and I instinctively twisted away.