Chapter 2

The words barely left my mouth when my wrist was suddenly seized.

The next second, Victor's hand clamped down hard on my jaw.

The sharp pain in my bones made me wince.

"Cassidy, I'll say it again." His eyes were menacing, his grip tightening relentlessly. "This auction house is mine now!"

"If you dare make another scene here, I won't hesitate to have you dragged out."

People around us started to gather, their whispers like needles pricking my ears.

"Is that Professor Preston's daughter? I heard she squandered all the family collections."

"She sure did. Now she's making a fuss here, acting like a total lunatic."

"Mr. Sterling was kind enough to take over the auction house and clean up her mess. And she's so ungrateful."

I wrenched my hand free from Victor's grip.

"Squandered the collections? Victor, do you dare deny that you sold my dad's priceless antique books and paintings to overseas dealers?"

Those ancient texts were my dad's life's work!

Victor scoffed, stepping back and pulling Chloe closer by the shoulder.

"Easy there, Cassidy. You can't just throw accusations around."

"You were the one desperate for cash, secretly selling off the collections. Your dad was so furious, it triggered his illness."

"Now, all of Starhaven City knows that Cassidy Preston is an unfilial daughter."

His tone was calm, but every word he uttered was a dagger straight to my heart.

At the same time, Chloe pulled a blue-bound notebook from her bag and waved it in front of me.

It was my dad's Personal Appraisal Log, the culmination of thirty years of his painstaking work!

"Your dad treated this log like gold. He never let anyone outside the family even glance at it."

"And what did it get him? He raised an ungrateful daughter like you, who couldn't even protect the family fortune."

"Give it back!"

My eyes blazing, I struggled to snatch it.

But Victor suddenly stepped forward and kicked me hard in the knee.

My balance instantly gave out, and I fell heavily to the floor.

My back slammed into a nearby display stand, making a jarring crash.

Bang!

A delicate antique vase on the stand wobbled, then crashed straight to the ground.

Shards flew everywhere, and a sharp piece of porcelain sliced my arm. Blood instantly welled up.

Ignoring the pain, I tried to push myself up.

But Victor crouched down, pulled a document from his suit pocket, and tossed it in front of me.

"This is the collection custody agreement you signed and fingerprinted."

The signature and fingerprint on it were undeniably mine.

But I had never signed anything like this!

"This is fake!"

I crumpled the paper in my hand, my voice filled with despair.

Victor raised an eyebrow, looking at the people around us. "Everyone, take a look. Aren't these Ms. Preston's signature and fingerprint?"

"Looks like it, I've seen Ms. Preston's signature before."

"Maybe she willingly gave them up and now wants to back out?"

"How can Professor Preston's daughter be so shameless?"

Accusations rose in a chorus, like a net, trapping me tightly.

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.

The bitter taste of being utterly speechless, with no way to defend myself, stung more than the cut on my arm.

"Cassidy, what do you have to say for yourself now?"