At my birthday party, my husband tied me to a ceiling beam and wh*pped me thirty times because I had stained his mistress’s dress. “Maybe now you’ll learn your place,” he laughed while everyone watched. I didn’t cry. When they finally cut me down, I picked up my phone and called my five brothers. “Make his entire family beg for mercy,” I whispered. Then the front gates suddenly slammed shut.
Clover — the woman he had been sleeping with for eight months.
I had discovered their affair three weeks earlier.
Isaac didn’t know that.
Neither did Clover.
“Apologize,” Isaac ordered, stepping closer with a leather riding crop in his hand.
I stared at him.
He expected tears.
He had always mistaken my quiet nature for complete surrender.
“I’m sorry,” I said softly.
Clover smiled, taking a slow sip of her champagne.
Then I finished.
“I’m sorry you think this ends here.”
The entire room went dead silent.
Isaac grabbed my chin roughly.
“Still pretending you’re important, Flora?”
His mother, Wendy, laughed from beside the champagne tower.
“She came from nothing.
She should be grateful we allowed her into this family at all.”
That was the convenient story the Vance family told everyone.
Poor Flora Sterling.
Quiet Flora.
Lucky Flora.
They knew I had five older brothers, but they didn’t know much else.
Years ago, my brothers had reputations powerful enough that people still lowered their voices when speaking the Sterling name.
The Sterling family had since channeled that influence into legitimate power.
Noah ran an international private security firm.
Leo owned global logistics companies.
Julian was a top-tier criminal defense attorney.
Marcus specialized in high-stakes forensic accounting.
Caleb handled high-level intelligence and private investigations.
Isaac called them “gangsters” behind their back because it made him feel superior.
I had never bothered to correct him.
Eventually, one terrified catering employee hurried over and cut the ropes, letting me down.
