I ignored Summer's smirk and locked onto the assistant. "Assistant Walker. I don't know what instructions Mr. Gilbert gave you—but I suggest you ask one simple question."
A beat.
"What is Miss Simmons's *full name*?"
Paul paused. The request struck him as odd.
He didn't know Miss Simmons's first name—only that the Simmons family had publicly acknowledged one son and one daughter. Mr. Gilbert's long-time partner had always been the eldest Miss Simmons.
He stepped aside and pulled out his phone.
Seeing that I still had fight left, Summer grabbed a cup of scalding coffee from the desk.
And threw it over my hand.
I *screamed.*
Liquid fire blistered my skin. Before I could make another sound, a hand clamped over my mouth from behind, muffling my cries into desperate, animal whimpers.
"You won't stop until you're completely broken, will you?" Summer hissed against my ear. "Fine. Don't blame me for what happens next."
She pulled out her phone. Initiated a video call.
The image on the screen turned my blood to ice.
Duoduo.
My three-legged calico kitten. The only keepsake I had left from my biological father.
I hadn't dared bring him to the Simmons estate. I'd rented a small apartment, hired a pet sitter—thought he would be *safe.*
I never imagined she would hunt him down.
"Duoduo!" I screamed at the screen.
Hearing my voice, the kitten thrashed violently. His claws raked the handler's arm. The man yelped—and flung the small body to the ground.
A shrill meow of pain ripped through the speaker.
"Summer!" My throat tore. "*What do you want?!*"
She tilted the phone toward me, a cruel smile curling her lips.
"You tell me. Should I smash this beast's legs... or roast him alive?"
Paul returned.
"Miss Simmons, Mr. Gilbert says he will handle everything that occurred today. He hopes this incident won't affect your mood."
Summer beamed. Her delusion cemented into fact: *Mr. Gilbert has fallen in love with me at first sight.*
She looked at the screen.
And issued a command that stopped my heart.
"Burn it."
I watched in horror as Duoduo was kicked into a room. The door slammed shut behind him.
A lit lighter arced through the air.
Disappeared into the darkness.
The fire roared to life. Shrill meows became agonizing screams—
Then silence.
Something inside me *snapped.*