Chapter 2

Adrian was so furious he actually laughed.

He looked at me as if I'd just told the most ridiculous joke in the world.

"Fifteen million dollars? Evelyn Carter, have you completely lost your mind?"

"Six years ago, you were thrown out like a stray. You should've died in that storm instead of crawling back here to embarrass yourself."

Serena covered her mouth with a soft laugh.

Then her vicious thoughts pierced my mind again.

[Wouldn't it have been better if she'd died that night? She lost so much blood in the rain.]

My chest seized.

The metallic taste of blood rose in my throat.

In an instant, the wounds from that night six years ago were ripped open all over again.

I had been eight months pregnant when Adrian threw me out of the house in the middle of a torrential storm.

My water broke.

Then the bleeding started.

The pain sent me crashing into the mud, every breath coming out ragged and wet.

Through the rain, I watched Adrian's Maybach disappear down the road without slowing.

All because Serena had called and told him she was afraid of thunder.

Blood spread beneath me, washing red across the pavement.

Then several men emerged from the rain.

They carried thick wooden bats.

"Ms. Hayes gave us orders."

One of them looked down at my stomach.

"That bastard in there doesn't get to survive."

He raised the bat high.

It came swinging down with a sharp rush of air.

I curled around my stomach and squeezed my eyes shut.

Then—

A deafening crash tore through the storm.

Tires screamed across the pavement.

A black Rolls-Royce Phantom with extremely expensive plate burst through the rain and slammed straight into the man at the front of the group.

He went flying.

The doors opened.

More than a dozen men in black suits poured out and overwhelmed the attackers within seconds.

The sickening sound of bones breaking cut through the rain.

Then the rear door of the Rolls-Royce opened.

A pair of immaculate bespoke shoes stepped down beside the bloodstained water.

Damian Hawthorne.

Heir to one of the most powerful financial dynasties in the world.

The kind of man whose family could move markets with a phone call.

He stood beneath a black umbrella and looked down at me.

"Evelyn Carter."

His voice was calm.

"Are you really willing to die in the mud like this?"

Then he bent down and pulled me out of hell.

I survived.

My unborn child didn't.

After emergency surgery, I woke in a hospital room to find Damian sitting beside the bed.

He placed a plane ticket and a check on the table in front of me.

"I happened to be there."

"Take these and start over somewhere else."

I didn't touch either of them.

Instead, I yanked the IV from the back of my hand, stumbled out of bed, and dropped to my knees in front of him.

"Mr. Hawthorne, I'm not leaving."

I stared straight into his eyes.

Every word tasted like blood.

"Adrian may have taken over the Carter family's visible assets, but he doesn't have everything."

"My family has overseas trusts worth billions."

"And I still control a private network that connects some of the most powerful people in this country."

"I'll give you access to all of it."

I drew a breath.

"In return, I want to become Mrs. Hawthorne."

Damian's fingers, which had been slowly turning the signet ring on his hand, went still.

A faint glimmer of approval crossed his dark eyes.

"Evelyn Carter."

"You're smarter than they gave you credit for."

His lips curved slightly.

"Deal."

That day, he personally fastened an heirloom emerald bangle around my wrist.

And he gave me far more than the protection I had asked for.

He gave me a wedding that dominated society headlines for weeks.

From that day forward, he kept me close and protected me from anyone who dared come near.

On our wedding night, Damian brushed the tears from the corner of my eye.

The love in his dark gaze was so intense he didn't even try to hide it.

"Evelyn, the orphan your family sponsored ten years ago?"

"That was me."

His lips brushed gently over my scars.

His touch was impossibly tender.

"Mrs. Hawthorne, I'll help you settle every debt they owe the Carter family."

His gaze darkened.

"And the Lawsons?"

"I'll put them beneath your feet."