Chapter 1

Just as I reached the entrance of the villa, I heard Damian Grant’s voice behind me. It was deep and commanding, as always.

“Claire, leave the obsidian necklace behind.”

I froze.

That necklace was a keepsake from my grandmother.

It was a raw piece of volcanic stone, forged from fire, and had been brought all the way here from Arendale.

I had never taken it off before, not even on the day we got married, or on the night Damian held me tightly and whispered that he loved me for the first time.

He stepped closer. His tone was disturbingly casual.

“Serena’s pregnancy has been rough. Maybe the necklace will help lift her mood.”

For a moment, I thought he was joking.

However, the seriousness in his eyes told me he was not.

I clenched the obsidian in my fist. Its jagged edges dug into my palm, but the pain could not compare to what I felt inside.

When he saw the redness in my eyes, he looked away and let out a sigh.

“All right, Claire. Name your price. I’ll compensate you however I can.”

How much was a nine-year marriage full of humiliating and degradation worth?

I did not bother to do the math.

I remembered what happened the last time I refused to give my knee pads to Serena Lane at the ski resort.

Damian’s men had stripped off my coat and left me outside in subzero temperatures while Serena sipped hot cocoa by the fire.

In front of everyone in the room, I walked over to Serena and fastened the necklace around her delicate neck.

I said in a low voice, “I wish you and your baby the best.”

Damian finally gave me a faint smile when he heard my blessing. It was as though I had finally done something right.

“Claire, as long as you behave, my child will be your child. No one will ever threaten your position.”

The moment he spoke, the necklace around Serena’s neck snapped. It was as though fate itself was listening.

The obsidian hit the floor and shattered into jagged fragments.

A sharp piece slashed her ankle.

She screamed.

Damian lunged forward and scooped her up like she was made of glass.

“Call the doctor!” he barked at the butler.

He glanced at me accusingly.

This man, who had once stayed up three nights in a row just to hold my hand and hum lullabies when I had a cold, was now looking at me like I was a criminal.

The others?

Those wealthy snobs in designer clothes—the people I used to think were my friends—stared at me with smug, mocking eyes.

They saw what I had become. A woman who was once the Don's most precious treasure was now reduced to the dust beneath his feet.

At that moment, I did not need their mockery. Even I found it absurd.

I gripped the handle of my suitcase and turned to leave.

Damian grabbed my wrist, squeezing so hard that it felt like my bones might snap.

“Apologize for what you did.”

Ignoring my protests and struggles, he flung me down in front of the now-seated Serena.

My knee landed on a shard of obsidian. Blood bloomed across the marble floor.

Seeing the blood and the pain in my eyes, Damian finally let go of me.

“You broke the necklace and hurt Serena. Shouldn’t you apologize?”

I had apologized more in the past year than I had before in my entire life.

“I’m sorry the food was not to your liking.

“I’m sorry I texted you when you were drunk. I didn’t mean to bother you.

“I’m sorry I saw Serena’s message inviting you to a hotel. I wasn’t trying to invade your privacy…”

I straightened my back and bit my lip so hard that it bled just to stop myself from crying.

Then, I bowed to Serena.

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

I gave Damian an indifferent look and asked in a soft voice, “Is that enough?”

His chest visibly heaved as he stared at the blood on my lips.

He reached out and roughly wiped it away, gripping my chin.

“Claire, your backing isn’t here now. Who are you trying to fool with that pitiful act?!”

Before I could answer, the family doctor arrived with a full emergency kit.

Damian did not look at me again.

He led the doctor over to Serena, stepping right over the trail of my blood like it meant nothing.

Serena was the only thing Damian could see. I slowly stood up and wiped the blood from my legs with a handkerchief.

As I walked out the front door, I tossed the bloodied handkerchief into the trash. It felt as though I was discarding something else along with it.

Yes, Damian. Whatever place you once held in my heart was gone now.