She sighed dramatically, as if recounting a minor inconvenience rather than a murder.
"Did you know? She barely made it through fifty men before she collapsed. Still had the nerve to clutch my leg and beg—beg—me to return the money to her 'sweet daughter.'"
She made a clicking sound with her tongue, savoring the memory like fine wine.
"Pathetic, really."
Her words struck like a blade between the ribs.
For a moment, rage consumed me—a wildfire that burned through every nerve, every thought, every shred of restraint I'd ever possessed. No sound escaped my throat. Only fury, raw and blinding, coiling in my chest like a serpent preparing to strike.
Then I snapped.
I lunged at Piper.
Fists clenched. Nails sinking into flesh like talons.
I seized her hair, wrenched her down, clawed at her face, her throat—anywhere I could reach. The silk of her gown tore beneath my fingers like the lies she'd woven around my life.
"You monster! Give me my mother back, you stronza!"