Chapter 2

The day after I called Ryder, he brought me to his luxurious estate.

He was tall and powerfully built, with the collar of his custom black shirt slightly open. He radiated sex appeal.

"I thought it would take you a while longer to see how stupid my nephew is," he said, handing me a glass of wine.

I took the glass and looked at the man everyone said really ran the Novak family.

He stood there at ease, yet his presence was suffocating. Nobody dared meet his eyes.

Two years ago, at a family dinner, Silas had left me alone in the ballroom to keep people from pressuring Isabella to drink.

That night, someone spiked my champagne.

When the drug kicked in, I was burning up and couldn't think straight. I stumbled out into the back garden and ran right into Ryder.

He could tell something was wrong. He took off his suit jacket, wrapped me in it, and carried me to his car to take me to the hospital.

On the way, the drug overwhelmed me. I lost control and kissed him.

It was a messy kiss.

I still remember how this powerful man went rigid for a second. He didn't push me away. His big, warm hand rested at the small of my back, his touch careful and restrained. His Adam's apple bobbed.

When I came to my senses, I was a little annoyed with myself. I hadn't expected that kiss to spark Ryder's interest in me.

He sent someone over with a ring and a note. It said, "Wear this and be my one and only wife."

Back then, I still foolishly hoped things would work out with Silas, so I turned down the absurd proposal.

But now, looking at the man across from me, I thought maybe marrying him wouldn't be so bad.

"Mr. Novak, I'm not an idiot." I pulled myself back to the present, my voice a little husky from the wine.

He checked again to make sure I meant it. "Think it through. Once you marry me, I won't let you walk away so easily."

I met Ryder's possessive gaze and nodded without the slightest hesitation.

The next second, Ryder leaned in and bit down hard on my lip. His voice was rough. "Nina Bernard, you came to me of your own free will. Don't think I'll ever let you go."

The heat of his kiss overwhelmed my senses. I kissed him back without thinking, and it only made him wilder.

He picked me up and pinned me beneath him, pouring two years of pent-up desire and obsession into every lingering touch.

I lost myself in it completely, and he pulled me under again and again.

The next day, when I woke up, Ryder had already gone to take care of business.

I picked up my phone from the nightstand and saw a taunting message from Isabella.

It was a photo of her in a sexy bikini, sitting on Silas's lap, the two of them kissing like no one else existed.

"Nina, you don't mind Silas being a little extra affectionate with me in my final days, do you?"

Before, a photo like that would have destroyed me.

But now I didn't care.

Once, I would have given Silas everything. Now he was just trash I'd already thrown out. Whoever wanted to dig him out of the garbage was welcome to him. I was done with him.

That afternoon, Ryder canceled two important meetings on international mergers and acquisitions so he could come to my dress fitting himself.

On the way there, he suddenly handed me a box. Inside was a dazzling necklace.

The huge ruby at its center was the exquisite pigeon's-blood stone that had sold for an astronomical price at auction not long ago.

I hadn't expected Ryder to have it.

He fastened the necklace around my neck, his eyes dark. "The last time I saw it, I thought it would suit you. I was right."

Before I could react, Ryder leaned in and kissed me...

By the time we got out of the car, my face was burning. Flustered, I hurried into the store.

A salesclerk quickly wheeled my gown into the fitting room, but the moment the garment bag was unzipped, I froze.

The dress in front of me was as plain as they came. It wasn't mine at all.

Just as I was about to ask the manager, my phone lit up. It was another message from Isabella.

I opened it and saw Isabella wearing the gown I'd waited so long for. The lace at the hem was a ragged mess where it had snagged on bushes.

"Silas says only a one-of-a-kind gown like this is good enough for me. Nina, what do you think? Does it look good?"

My blood ran cold. My mother, Eleanor Bernard, had crocheted that lace herself.

All her love for me was in it. I'd wanted to wear it when I married the man I loved most, so she could share in my happiness.

Silas knew how much this gown meant to me, but he'd given it to his first love anyway. How could he be such a disgusting bastard?!

Rage and disgust surged through me until I couldn't stop shaking.

"What's wrong?"

Ryder noticed at once that something was wrong. A glance at my phone and the plain dress told him everything, and he turned to confront the store manager. "What made you think you could hand my wife's gown to someone else?"

The manager's voice shook with fear. "Mr. Novak, Silas came by before he left and took the gown. He said he'd already talked to Ms. Bernard, that he was just lending it to Ms. Grey to try on... And that once he got back..."

"I never agreed to that!" I shouted hoarsely, my eyes red.

Ryder gave a cold laugh and called his assistant. "Freeze every bank card, trust fund, and offshore account in Silas's name, and strip him of all management authority in the Novak family business. Let's see how long he can live it up out there without the Novak name to fall back on!"

After he hung up, Ryder came over and tenderly wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes. "Don't worry. I'll handle this. I've already had someone contact designers who dress royalty. They're on their way with a gown right now.

"My wife is going to be the most beautiful bride. I promise."