Chapter 2You Can’t Escape

The farce ended with the expulsion of Liam and his cronies.

This was the one advantage of being the heroine of a dark romance—she had the backing of the immensely powerful and wealthy Sterling family.

Sure, in the original story, all that wealth just ended up being a stepping stone for the male lead, but for now, the Sterlings were untouchable in this city.

Dealing with a few spoiled brats was laughably simple. A single, quiet word from me was all it took for the dean’s office to issue the expulsion notices at lightning speed.

“Mom… thank you for helping me.”

Vivian gently tugged on my hand.

The sweet, fragile girl tilted her pale face up at me, teardrops still clinging to her lashes. Her eyes were filled with a hesitant, hopeful curiosity.

That look sent a tremor through my heart, and my voice softened instinctively.

“Silly girl. It’s a mother’s duty to protect her daughter, isn’t it?”

Truthfully, when I first woke up in this world, I felt no connection to this ready-made daughter. I only intervened because of the original plot.

After Vivian was brutalized by the various male leads, her father blamed me, his stepwife, for being negligent. Ignoring the law entirely, he had me dismembered and fed to the dogs.

So, until I could find a way back to my own world, my first priority was staying alive.

Which meant taking care of Vivian.

But after spending these past few days with her, seeing this girl who was so heartbreakingly gentle and good, I couldn't remain a detached observer any longer.

And so, a new item was added to my daily agenda:

Keep an eye on the hormone-addled little monsters whose every waking thought revolved around forcing themselves on my daughter. And if necessary, confiscate their ‘tools of the trade.’