Chapter 2

“Yep, Mr. Mercer dropped him off two days ago.” The owner sounded perfectly normal.

“Please don’t let anyone take him. I’m on my way right now.” He agreed without hesitation.

I took a shortcut and floored it to the boarding place. I ran inside. The kennel door was open and there was no sign of the owner.

“You haven’t changed a bit, have you? Still the same gullible little girl.”

Ashley’s voice made my whole body go rigid.

My face was different, my name was different, and yet she’d still found me.

“Does this dog remind you of the one you lost when you were ten?”

“I had Lucas find him for you. As a gift.”

She had Buddy in a death grip and he was trembling all over. I spotted the macadamia nuts in her hand and lunged.

When Buddy was two months old, he’d almost died after eating nuts.

The second I had him, she leaned in close and whispered, “The dog you lost when you were ten, the way it screamed when it died? That sound was something else.” While I was still reeling, she kicked me into the grooming tub.

Lucas came out from the back at the sound and frowned when he saw me.

“Lucas, she’s crazy!” Ashley looked panicked. “She was trying to drown Buddy and pin it on me.” He stepped forward, scooped up Buddy, and shoved me back down into the water. “Pathetic.”

I came up choking. “She was feeding him macadamia nuts. Get him to a vet, now!”

“Know your place, Sofia.” Lucas’s voice was ice. “Everything you have is because of Ashley. That includes Buddy.”

I climbed out, water soaking through my clothes. That helpless feeling was one I knew. Being homeless for that one year had taught me the exact same sensation.

Three days without food. I’d collapsed against the steps of a 7-Eleven, barely conscious, when a bucket of cold water hit me from above.

The store manager had yanked me by the hair and called me a thief. A crowd had closed in and I didn’t have the strength to say a word in my own defense.

Then Lucas had appeared and put his jacket around my shoulders. He said he believed me. He said as long as he was around, no one would ever wrongly accuse me again.

I wrung the water out of my pants and looked up at Buddy in his arms. He hadn’t moved.

“Lucas, Buddy’s not doing well. Please, just let me take him to the vet.” My voice cracked. I was practically begging.

Lucas hesitated. Ashley stepped up and curled her lip. “Give it to her. The dog’s been tainted anyway.”

Then his phone rang. Buddy was dropped as Lucas answered, his voice going cold. “What? They’re pulling their investment?”

His eyes turned hard. He hung up and backed me into the wall. “You went after our client, didn’t you?” he said through his teeth. “You think you’re the CEO’s wife now?”

I pushed back. “I didn’t do anything.”

Before I could say more, Ashley touched his shoulder, her voice going soft. “Hey. Leave it. I’ll deal with the client. Nobody’s going to mess with you.”

Lucas visibly relaxed.

“Ashley, thank you.” He let go of my shoulders. “Don’t let me see your face again, Sofia.”

I shoved past him and made a run for my car with Buddy in my arms. Both hands on the wheel, heart hammering. Buddy had to be okay. I kept pinching my thigh to stay alert.

Two blocks out, a pickup truck blew through an intersection straight into my path. I screamed and hit the brakes. Then nothing.

When I came to, Lucas was standing at the foot of the hospital bed, looking down at me. “How are you still alive?”

I tried to push myself upright. “Where’s Buddy?”

“You drove into that truck on purpose,” he said. “You wanted to force my hand. To make Ashley feel guilty.” He narrowed his eyes and dropped his voice. “Sofia, when did you get so desperate? If Ashley walks because of this, I’ll make sure you go down with her.”

He turned at the door and stopped. “Oh, and five years ago? That manager who threw water on you? I paid him to do it.”

My legs gave out trying to get out of bed. I grabbed the edge of the mattress as the door slammed. The whole thing. Even that. A setup.

I checked my injuries quietly. Just a little blood, already clotting. A few minutes later, my assistant arrived. She was the only person who knew my real identity, my connection to Grandpa, and my status as heir.

“Ms. Harlow. The recording from the arsonist, Ashley Calloway’s audio, and the surveillance screenshots.” She handed me a USB drive and a folder. “Your grandfather has selected five fiancé candidates. Will you see them?”

I flipped through the file. East Coast families, all with ties the Harlow Group could use. “Yes. Tonight. All five at once.”

I closed the folder, voice hoarse. “Also, get someone to pull the dashcam from the car and check the parking garage footage. And find Buddy.”