I barely made it out of the jetway before two uniformed officers stepped into my path.

"Are you Christine Simmons? You'll need to come with us."

"Why?"

The one with the thick mustache answered. "A Miss Sullivan filed a police report. She says you assaulted her and her son."

My fists clenched at my sides, fury coiling tight.

"That woman hit me too. Why aren't you arresting her?"

### Chapter 5

The contempt in his eyes was naked, unhidden. "You think you can compare to her?"

The sharp click of high heels approached. Eve walked over with her son in tow.

She pointed at me, her voice pitched high with arrogance. "This is the psycho who hit me. So what are we going to do about it?"

The tall, thin one in the wide-brimmed cap turned to me in a conciliatory tone. "Here's what we'll do, Ms. Simmons. If you offer Miss Sullivan a sincere apology, we'll consider the matter settled between you two."

Eve's eyebrows rose in smug triumph.

"You heard him. Get on your knees and apologize."

I clenched my teeth so hard my jaw ached, my fists balled at my sides.

"You're a homewrecker. What right do you have to demand an apology from me?"

"Ms. Simmons, watch your language!" the bearded one barked.

Then a middle-aged man in a crisp suit stepped out from behind them. His voice was level, utterly devoid of emotion.

"Ms. Simmons. I'm Mr. Ashford's butler."

"Mr. Ashford asked me to convey that Miss Sullivan is the person closest to his heart."

"As long as it resolves Miss Sullivan's grievance, Mr. Ashford is willing to personally compensate you one hundred thousand dollars for your knee injury, covering medical expenses and emotional damages."

Eve's smile dripped with scorn. "Tell you what. Kneel down and knock your head on the floor ten times, and I'll have my man give you half a million. Fifty grand per knock."

"A broke nobody like you has probably never seen that kind of money in your life, have you?"

She was right. Back then, I'd knelt before strangers, begged anyone who would listen, worked myself half to death, thrown away every shred of dignity I had, and still couldn't scrape together enough to save my son.

I'd thought Dominic was the same. That he was just as powerless.

But it turned out that ten knocks of the head, a laugh from his mistress, and he could toss that money away without blinking.

None of it mattered now. My son was already gone. Even five million wouldn't mean a thing.