Chapter 1

"Where's that little punk? Bring her back to me!"

I hid in the room, shaking. The door was already locked, but people were kicking it. Each blow rattled the whole frame.

A week ago, I never would've guessed that Golden Island, the resort my fiancee, Sabrina Stone, brought me to, had an underground casino.

She and Charlie Jones had been going wild in the casino day and night. I ended up being the one paying for it.

The door burst open with a heavy crack. Several burly men in black rushed in at once.

I grabbed a desk lamp and held it in front of me like a shield. My hands were trembling. "Stay back! Sabrina went to get the money. She'll pay off the debt soon!"

The leader of the men in black, Jasper Lane, spat on the floor with open contempt. "Don't feed me that trash. I fell for your stunt last night. I thought holding you here would force them to bring the cash. However, that wench took off with her boyfriend!"

"What did you say? They ditched me and ran?"

"Drop the act! You all planned this to screw with me!"

Cold sweat ran down my forehead. The wench Jasper mentioned was my fiancee, and the man who escaped with her was Charlie, the impostor who lived as me for ten years.

Did they conspire to ditch me on this island?

"Boss, don't waste your breath on him. We need to teach this bastard a lesson," Jasper's subordinate said.

Jasper flicked his hand, and three or four burly men surrounded me.

One of them knocked the lamp out of my grip with barely any effort. Another slammed me down across the table.

"Don't touch me! Get off!" I struggled and accidentally kicked someone in the shin. A slap came at me right after.

Half my face swelled instantly. I could taste blood.

These men were brutal. Unless I came up with an idea quickly, I would surely die here.

Jasper walked up with a whip in his hand and tapped the end of it against my cheek. "Hold still. I'll show you what happens to people who don't pay their debts!"

"Sir, please let me go! I have money. I'll pay everything back!" I pleaded.

"Do you expect me to believe your crap? If you had money, why would they leave you behind?"

My mind raced for a plan. By chance, my eyes landed on his phone screen. In his contacts was someone listed as the owner of the island.

The moment I saw the number, my eyes widened.

I knew that contact number by heart. It was Helena Cook's number!