Chapter 1

The button would instantly send my location and live audio of the scene to my brother.

The moment I pressed it, the car's alarm screamed—and the two who had already started to walk away, Nick Camden and Maisie Lennox, turned back as if pulled on a string.

Nick sprinted to my window and hammered the glass with his fists. "Katie, what the hell are you doing? Are you serious right now?

"It's just a little smoke. Why are you hitting an emergency button? Do you think the whole city's rescue teams exist just for you? Stop overreacting!" Maisie covered her mouth and snickered.

"Nick, don't be mad at Katie. This is all my fault," she cooed, fishing out a small black gadget the size of a matchbox and waving it triumphantly. "Last time you drove to pick me up, I bought a smoke simulator and put it in her car as a prank. See? One press and it puffs smoke. It's harmless, no smell. So fun!"

Hearing this, Nick's face darkened with even more fury.

"Did you hear her? Katie, it's fake. Maisie was playing a joke. Are you out of your mind? Or do you think everybody's supposed to orbit you twenty-four-seven, catering to you like some pampered heiress?" he snapped.

I trembled with rage. It was they who had been flirting in their car; Maisie had deliberately jerked the wheel into me.

But there was no time to argue. The smoke pouring from under the hood grew thicker by the second.

"Nick, the engine is really smoking!" I shouted, pointing at the fissure along the hood where a black cloud was already billowing out. "The door's jammed. Get it open and pull me out!"

Nick snorted coldly. "Katie, you're just jealous of Maisie. Do you really think I'd believe you now?"

I couldn't waste words. Every second of this bickering robbed me of the oxygen I had left.

Then I remembered—for emergencies, my brother had put a large spare wrench in the roadside toolbox in my trunk. I lunged for the kit.

The impact had warped the latches. I scraped and pried with my nails, bit at the seam, and finally it gave. A rush of hope shot through me as I reached in, fingers closing around the wrench—only to find it was a wrench-shaped piece of chocolate.

"Chocolate?" I whispered, stunned. My mind went blank.

Outside, Maisie clapped, thrilled.

"Wow! Katie, you found it!

"I told you—those hard, black metal things are dangerous in a girl's car. What if you bruise yourself? It's better to keep something tasty. I had someone bring this hand-crafted chocolate back from Germany specially. It's expensive, so consider yourself lucky!"

Anger blistered through me. I crushed the chocolate in my fist and screamed at her, "Who told you to touch my stuff? Are you out of your mind?!"

At once Maisie's laughter vanished; tears flooded her face. "Katie, why are you so mean? I was only trying to be nice. Boohoo…"

Nick's protector instinct snapped on. He wrapped her in his arms, soothing her in a soft voice, then turned to me and spat a string of obscenities.

"Have you no decency? Maisie gave you imported, high-end chocolate she wouldn't even let herself eat. How ungrateful can you be?"

By then, the black smoke had engulfed me completely. Heat from beneath the chassis climbed; my soles burned against the floorboard.

And then I saw flames.

"It's on fire! The car's going to explode!"

I twisted toward Nick at the window. "Nick, save me! Open the door! The car's on fire! Please! Please—"

"Are you done? Katie! For sympathy? To soften me? You even set your own car on fire?" he hissed. "You'll do anything, won't you? Look at yourself—eyes streaming, nose running from the smoke. Think that's attractive? It's disgusting!"

Breath grew razor-sharp; smoke scorched my lungs. With the last of my strength, I pounded the glass again and again, each strike a faint, desperate plea.

"Open the door… save me… please… I'm going to die…"

As the vehicle became a blackened coffin and the flames licked higher, a flicker of hesitation finally passed across Nick's face.