Chapter 1

The moment I opened the door, the dozen or so people standing in my living room froze, their faces registering the same shock as mine.

"A thief?"

A woman in her 50s shrieked from the crowd. "Someone's breaking into my house in broad daylight! Grab her and beat the hell out of her!"

She was actually trying to pin this on me. How shameless.

Furious, I pulled pepper spray from my bag and let it fly. "This is my house. You're trespassing and attempting assault. That's illegal. I'm calling the police!"

The first wave of people who'd rushed forward scrambled back, swearing. "Crazy bitch and her tricks. Someone get me a bat. I'll deal with her myself."

Before anyone could move, my childhood friend Maverick Kirk burst out from the kitchen. "No police, and no fighting. This is a misunderstanding."

He smiled as he tried to calm everyone down, then walked toward me with a pointed look. "Chloe, what are you doing here? Come in, come in. Perfect timing. You're just in time for our family dinner."

I frowned, utterly baffled. Before I could get a word out, his girlfriend, Bianca Bennett, leaned against the doorframe, her voice sickly sweet. "Maverick, does your little childhood friend always have such a silver tongue?"

Maverick stopped and turned back with a raised eyebrow. "Babe, she's not even half as sweet as you. Not even close."

Bianca shot him a playful glare. "Stop it. Who said anything about that?"

Their flirting drew laughter from the others.

I felt sick, like someone I trusted had used me as a stepping stone. My voice rose sharply. "Maverick, you brought strangers into my place without permission—"

Bianca cut me off, her tone sharp. "Maverick, I'm dying to know how she sweet-talked you into giving her the door code. If we weren't here today, what exactly was she planning?"

The smile dropped from Maverick's face. His expression turned cold. "Whatever she had planned, I wouldn't give her the chance. You're the only one I see."

"She didn't sweet-talk anything. She got on her knees and begged me, saying she fought with her family, got kicked out, and had nowhere to go. You know I'm soft-hearted. I didn't think twice about helping."

His words hit like a lightning strike. We had grown up together, yet I'd never seen him lie so easily, tearing someone's reputation apart in seconds like it meant nothing.

I stood there, stunned.

Bianca's face twisted with contempt. "Most girls wouldn't stoop that low. Who knows how many men she's begged to get what she wants?"

Maverick gave her a thumbs-up. "Babe, you're so sharp. Remember last time? She stripped down and begged me to buy her a designer bag. I told you about it."

Bianca covered her mouth, stifling a laugh. "Oh, that was her? How disgusting."

A woman who seemed to be Bianca's mother, along with the others, erupted in mocking laughter.

"Her figure can't be much to look at, right?"

Maverick wrinkled his nose. "I didn't look, but probably like a beached whale."

He glanced at his girlfriend like a dog waiting for praise.

Bianca smiled approvingly. "That's my man. You know not to cross the line. Looking at a woman built like that could ruin your eyesight."

Their little performance reduced me to a joke, like I was nothing. It was revolting.

I pushed down the fury building in my chest. "Maverick, for your mother's sake, I'll give you another chance. Take these people and get out right now. I can pretend this never happened. Otherwise, I'm having every single one of you arrested."