I got up to one knee, stamping my other foot on the floor with a low thud. My head hung low, and I allowed my bangs to hide my blood-stained eyes. But the second I caught a clear glimpse of the scar-faced man, a dark chuckle escaped the depths of my throat. He whirled around, his boots grinding on shattered glass. “What the fuck do you think you’re laughing at?” I slowly lifted my head. The blood on my face gleamed ominously under the light. As soon as the man’s eyes landed on me, his pupils shrank to pinpricks. His face turned as white as a sheet, like he’d seen a ghost. “M-Ms. Stanford? Why are you here?” he squeaked, his voice trembling. His knees buckled, and he collapsed onto the ground. The hall fell into yet another deathly silence. Irena’s smug smile froze at once. Meanwhile, Jasper and Leonard stared at me in sheer disbelief, stunned. I shook off the bodyguards’ grip and wiped the blood from my face. My gaze was as cold as steel as I looked the scarred man in the eyes. “Oh, Spence. It’s been quite a few years, hasn’t it? You seem to have grown some balls now, eh?” Cold sweat poured down Spencer Crawford’s face. He stammered, “Ms. Stanford, I-I didn’t know it was you! If I’d known, I wouldn’t have dared—not in a million years!” “Is that so?” I snickered, shifting my gaze to Irena. “What about her? Who gave her the guts to even lay a finger on my sister?” Spencer’s head whipped around. His eyes blazed with fury as he roared, “You’ve doomed me, Irena Channing!” Before Irena could react, he exploded and slapped her across the face! The crisp smack echoed throughout the casino. Irena staggered backward, bringing her hand over her cheek in a mix of shock and rage. “Spencer Crawford! Are you out of your mind?” “You’re the one who’s out of your mind!” he bellowed, grabbing her hair and slamming her to the ground. “Do you even know who she is? She is the firstborn daughter of the Stanford family! How dare you scheme against her sister!” Jasper’s expression twisted in horror as he retreated backward. “The Stanford family? Which Stanford family?” I slowly rose to my feet, a forbidding smile curling at my lips. “What’s wrong, Mr. Lowell? Weren’t you full of fire just a minute ago? Why the sudden change?” His legs nearly gave out beneath him. In a voice equally as shaky, he said, “Ms. S-Stanford… This is all a misunderstanding…” “A misunderstanding?” I scoffed before turning back to Spencer. “Tell me, Spencer, how should we resolve this misunderstanding?” Drenched in sweat, Spencer spun to the bodyguards and barked, “What the hell are you standing around for? Beat Irena Channing and these two bastards within an inch of their lives!” The men swarmed forward, and fists and boots started raining down on the trio like a storm. Screams tore through the air. Irena shrieked, “Spencer Crawford! How dare you call these men on me! Wait till my father finds out. He will ruin you!” Spencer sniggered, “Your father? Even your father has to bow down before the Stanford family!” I watched, expressionless, as the three of them were beaten into crumpled, whimpering piles. I turned to Isabel and gently patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry. It’s all over now. I’m here.” Her eyes brimmed with tears as she clung to my sleeve. Choking on her sobs, she managed, “Sis, I’ve finally found you.” I ruffled her hair, then turned a deadly gaze toward the cruise manager. “Nobody will be walking away scot-free after what happened today.” The manager dropped to his knees right away, frantically pleading, “Ms. Stanford, I beg you! Please spare us! We knew nothing of this! We saw nothing!” I snorted coldly, then took Isabel’s hand and strode toward the exit.