My Family Wanted a Sacrificial Bride, They Got a Boxing Queen Chapter 03

My Family Wanted a Sacrificial Bride, They Got a Boxing Queen Chapter 03

The Thorne family’s luxury mega-yacht glowed against the riverbank as night fell.

I stepped into the banquet hall in my tailored black suit and three-inch stilettos, and the noisy room stuttered into silence before the whispers surged like a tidal wave from every direction.

“That’s the Hayes girl? The one they dragged back from the sticks? Why is she dressed like a bodyguard?”

“Look at those shoulders. I’m genuinely scared she’d take my head off if I got too close.”

“A suit can’t hide that whole masculine vibe. No wonder the Hayes family’s rushing to hand her over to Magnus. She probably looks durable enough to take a beating.”

I didn’t even blink at the society ladies hiding their sneers behind manicured hands. Reginald and Emmeline, however, looked mortified and deliberately put distance between us.

A grating voice cut through the chatter.

“Well, well. The Hayes family’s fake daughter, right? Cute little thing. Come on, let’s go have a drink on the deck.”

A young man in a garish floral shirt reeking of alcohol shoved his way over, and his greasy gaze crawled up and down Cleo’s body as he grabbed her wrist.

Cleo’s face went white as she tried to yank free.

“Let go of me! Dad! Mom! Help!”

She looked desperately toward Reginald and Emmeline, but Reginald didn’t step forward. He physically held Corbin back and nodded obsequiously at the man.

“Jett, it’s an honor that you’ve taken an interest in her. Cleo, don’t be difficult. Go have a drink with him.”

My brow furrowed. So this foul-mouthed creep was some distant cousin from a Thorne branch family—Jett, the type who rode the Thorne name to terrorize Stillwater.

Tears spilled down Cleo’s face as she sobbed, her helpless gaze searching the crowd before landing on me.

I’d already started forward when Jett released Cleo and staggered toward me instead.

He looked me up and down with a lewd smirk.

“I know who you are. The sacrificial lamb the Hayes family dug up to take the fall. Damn, you’re built tough, and Magnus is gonna have one hell of a time breaking you in tonight.”

He reached out, drunk and emboldened, to pat my cheek.

“Word is you can take a hit. Since you’re gonna be the Thorne family punching bag anyway, how about letting me get a few practice rounds in first? Test the merchandise?”

Laughter exploded around us, and no one moved to intervene.

“Vesper! Stand still!”

Reginald’s voice was a venomous whisper right by my ear.

“Do not offend the Thornes. If he slaps you, you smile and take it. Think about Knox’s gym.”