Chapter 1

I am a national-level artifact restorer. To save a one-of-a-kind treasure, the government granted me a top-tier, climate-controlled laboratory.

It was for my eyes only.

The security system was linked directly to the National Bureau of Cultural Relics. Any breach would trigger a maximum-level alert.

After the handover, I left a spare key at my fiancé Hunter Sterling's villa. I wanted him to check the security regularly while I was away.

Then, I received an emergency call. The newly unearthed "Ethereal Silk Armor" was cracking due to oxidation. It needed immediate repair.

I rushed to the studio. As I went to open the door, a loud blast of electronic music hit me from inside.

A woman I didn't recognize was leaning against my workbench in a skimpy slip dress. She was shouting to her friends, "See? This is the studio Hunter gave me. Go wild!"

She looked at me with pure disdain. "Are you the new cleaning lady? Go pick up the Birkin I ordered at Hermès. If there's even a scratch on the leather, I'll make you regret it!"

"This is my studio," I said, trying to be patient. I assumed she was drunk. "I have an emergency mission. Please leave immediately."

She let out a shrill laugh. "What a joke! A lowly servant pretending to be the owner? Open your eyes and look at this equipment, you idiot!"

A woman in designer clothes nearby sneered at me. "Everyone in the city knows Mr. Sterling gave this place to Sia. You're clearly blind."

I froze. My fiancé dared to give my government-assigned lab to his mistress for a party?

This was a massive disaster.

Entering this studio without my permission was an illegal seizure of state property. That was worth ten years in prison, minimum.

Even worse, he'd turned my high-stakes workplace into a den for his affairs. The crime was mounting.

If the Sterling family had any sense, they'd make Hunter get on his knees and beg for my forgiveness. Since he was still my fiancé, I might have eased the blow with the authorities.

But looking at these women messing with high-precision instruments, I knew Sia Reed was a lost cause.

They weren't leaving, and I didn't have time to argue. I pulled out my master card to swipe the lock and reset the security.

Saving the relic was the priority. I'd deal with Hunter's mess once I was done.

The keypad let out a warning beep. "What is wrong with you!" Sia screamed.

She grabbed a glass of red wine and hurled it at my face. "I didn't say you could touch that!"

I ducked, but the wine splashed directly onto the sensor. It hissed and began to smoke.

"Are you insane?!" I was fuming. That Swiss-made keypad was the only one of its kind in the country!

"Don't touch things that aren't yours!" Sia Reed rolled her eyes. "Touch it again, and I'll chop your hands off and feed them to the dogs. You shameless brat!"

I ignored her and checked the keypad. It was fried. The spare key was inside, and I was locked out.

Suddenly, Sterling family bodyguards rounded the corner and shoved me aside. They blocked the door under Sia's smug gaze.

"You think you can offend Miss Reed and just walk away?" Their smiles were terrifying. "We should skin you alive right here."

I couldn't believe Hunter's guards were taking orders from her. "Who is she?" I asked the lead guard.

He looked at me like I was a fool. "You don't know Miss Reed? She's Mr. Sterling's sweetheart. She's the lead Art Consultant!"

I almost laughed in anger. An art consultant? The Sterlings really had no concept of rules.

"I'll ask Hunter myself," I said coldly, pulling out my phone.

Sia's eyes widened with tension. If she was this spoiled by him, I wanted to see how he intended to handle this.

The phone rang for a long time before he picked up. "Hunter, you turned my lab into a party house. That's a felony," I said.

"Tell your consultant and your guards to get out. Now. Don't let them ruin the relic. If you fix this now, I might keep you out of prison."

There was a long silence on the other end. "Avery Vance," he finally sneered.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You think I'd let Sia be uncomfortable just for you? You want to steal her studio? Look in a mirror and see if you're even worthy."

I was stunned. The Sterlings had begged me to marry Hunter after I fixed their family heirloom.

They claimed he was a gentle man who would cherish me. I was so focused on work back then that I just agreed after seeing a decent photo.

I never expected him to humiliate me for a woman like Sia. Doesn't he realize that without me, their family's auction house would lose its top-tier license?

If it wasn't for me, the Federal Bureau wouldn't let their auction house handle national treasures.