Chapter 3The Serpent's Smile

I pulled out my phone and dialed Julian’s number. He answered on the second ring, his voice giddy with surprise.

“Clara? You’re calling me? Did you miss me? Just hold on, once I close this deal, I’ll fly out to see you.”

I cut him off, my voice like ice. “Don’t bother. You can see me right now at Havenmoor. You have ten minutes to get your ass over here and tell everyone in this house who its owner really is.”

The room erupted in laughter. Lila and her entourage were practically bent over, clutching their stomachs.

“Are you trying to tell us you just called the Julian Vance? You’re really committing to the role, aren’t you?”

“Your best friend is a B-movie starlet who sells her body for parts. Do you really think you’re any better?”

“God, I hate posers. Can you just stop?”

“If Mr. Vance isn’t here in ten minutes, you can get on your knees and service us right next to Anya.”

Anya was shaking, her hand clutching my sleeve. “Clara, let’s just go,” she begged. “We can’t win against them.”

I let out a cold, sharp laugh. “There’s no one in this entire city I can’t afford to piss off.”

Ten minutes later, the aggressive roar of a supercar engine announced an arrival. Julian Vance, dressed in an impeccable black suit, strode into the villa. He saw me, and a smile started to form on his lips, but then his eyes landed on Lila, standing behind me with a look of pure victimhood.

His expression soured instantly. He frowned at me. “Clara? What’s going on? Did you hit Lila?”

I had been waiting for an explanation, for him to clear this whole mess up. Instead, he questioned me.

My hand moved on its own. I slapped him, hard.

“I didn’t just hit her. I hit you, too,” I said, my voice dangerously low. “Is that how you speak to me? I suggest you think very carefully before you open your mouth again.”

Lila shrieked and threw herself at Julian, clutching him protectively, tears streaming down her face. “Miss, even if you’re jealous that Julian gave this mansion to me, you can’t resort to violence!”

I crossed my arms, my gaze fixed on Julian. My expression was thunderous. “The deed is in my name. The purchase contract is in my safe. Since when did you have the authority to give my property away to someone else?”

Lila’s head snapped toward Julian. “Julian, is what she’s saying true?”

The anger on Julian’s face froze, replaced by a flash of panicked embarrassment. He lowered his voice, hissing at me, “Clara, can you stop being so unreasonable? I’ve made a decision. You’ll bring the deed over later and sign it over to Lila. This was supposed to be our marital home anyway, which makes me half an owner!”

His words were so absurd, so utterly delusional, that I actually did laugh. Then I slapped him again.

“You’re a glorified gigolo who begged my family for this engagement, and you have the audacity to act powerful in front of me?”

Julian’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Clara, you—!”

But I wasn’t done. For Anya, I grabbed her hand and, with her beside me, I began to slap Lila, one strike after another.

“This one,” I said as my palm met her cheek, “is for slandering her career.”

“This one is for squatting in the home I lent her.”

“And this one is for every tear you made her cry, for every ounce of dignity you stole from her, for turning her into this.”

Anyone who tried to intervene was instantly restrained by my security team. A moment ago, when Lila was leading the charge against Anya, the livestream comments were silent. Now, they were a torrent of outrage—all directed at me.

[What kind of security is this? Letting some psycho barge in and assault people!]

[This is live! She’s committing a crime in front of thousands of people!]

[I’m calling the cops! If the show won’t do anything, the police will!]

The once-pristine goddess and her powerful CEO protector now stood with faces swollen and red, utterly speechless. I stopped, rubbing my wrist, and turned my cold gaze back to Julian.

“It seems you’ve had it too easy for too long,” I said. “You’ve forgotten whose money your family was built on. I’m giving you one last chance. Get these people, and yourself, out of my house. And tell them who is the master of this estate.”

Before Julian could answer, a furious voice boomed from the doorway.

“Who else could it be? It’s Lila, of course!”