Chapter 3

The second I stepped out of the nightclub, I couldn't keep it together anymore.

The alcohol churned in my stomach, wave after wave, leaving a bitter-sweet taste in my throat.

I dug out a couple of hangover pills, swallowed them dry, and crouched against the wall.

I stayed there for who knew how long.

Just as I got to my feet, a cold laugh came from behind me.

"You've got some nerve."

I turned around.

Matt stood there.

His face was dark, anger written all over it.

"Who told you to come here tonight?"

I flashed him a sweet smile. "What? Didn't like it?"

I rose onto my toes, looped my arms around his neck, and breathed the words into his ear.

"I thought you'd enjoy it."

Matt went still for a second before pulling me off him.

His voice turned cold. "I told you not to cross the line."

I looked at him and almost laughed.

Cross the line?

What he really meant was that I wasn't allowed anywhere near Vanessa.

I could take his money.

Live in the apartment he bought for me.

Whenever he called, I had to be there.

And most importantly, I had to remember my place.

A woman who could never stand in the light.

A woman who wasn't allowed to hope for anything more.

For years, I'd followed every rule.

But tonight, for the first time, I'd crossed the line he drew.

I brushed my hair back and laughed.

"Of course I remember. Tonight was an accident. Maybe if you paid me a little more, I wouldn't still be working part-time at that nightclub. Then none of this would've happened—"

Before I could finish, his face darkened.

The next second, he grabbed me and shoved me into the car.

The door slammed shut, cutting off the noise outside.

The driver hit the gas and wisely raised the privacy screen.

Matt pinned me against the back seat.

His face was inches from mine. His voice was ice-cold.

"Have I spoiled you too much? So much that you've forgotten who you are?"

I leaned back obediently.

Forgotten who I was?

How could I?

Three years ago, my family lost everything.

My parents jumped from the roof of the company building, one after the other.

I ended up trapped in an alley by creditors.

They'd already ripped open my collar.

Maybe my screams finally caught someone's attention.

A black Bentley pulled up at the mouth of the alley.

The window rolled down.

Inside was a face I'd seen before.

Matt.

He sat there, coldly watching as those men shoved me around, put their hands on me, and laughed at me.

Then I used the last of my strength to shove them away and collapsed in front of his car.

Tears splashed onto the pavement under the headlights.

I lowered my head and begged again and again.

"Please... Please help me..."

The car door opened.

That night, Matt took care of the creditors.

And after that, this became us.

I tilted my head and smiled. "Mr. Martinez, you're joking."

I lifted a hand and lightly brushed my fingertips along his jaw, teasing.

"I'm just a toy you paid for. How could I forget who I am? Or who I belong to?"

Matt's eyes darkened. He caught my wrist.

"Good."

The second the word left his mouth, he kissed me.

Hard.

Like a warning.

I didn't pull away. I slid my arms around his neck and kissed him back.

The car sped through the empty city streets.

The air inside grew heavier by the second.

Our breaths deepened.

The zipper of my dress slid down, and his hand settled against my bare skin.

Hot and cold.

Then a ringtone shattered the silence.

Matt froze.

He pulled out his phone, glanced at the screen, and answered.

Vanessa's voice came through immediately.

"Matt, where did you go? Why've you been gone so long?"

"Mm." His tone gave nothing away. "Something came up at the company. Had to deal with it."

Vanessa went on for a bit before suddenly changing the subject.

"Oh, right. Remember the girl that club manager brought in tonight?"

Matt glanced at me.

I was still sitting on his lap.

"Who?"

Vanessa paused, sounding careful. "Elle. Back at the nightclub, I went over to talk to you, and she insisted on butting in. Then you turned her down, and she..."

Matt's hand stayed at my waist, his palm burning through the fabric.

His eyes stayed on me as the corner of his mouth slowly curved up.

"And then she slapped me?"

The car went dead silent.

So did the other end of the line.

Matt didn't seem bothered.

"I remember." His voice was lazy. "Why?"

Vanessa laughed, something probing hidden beneath it.

"Nothing. I just think it's funny. Back then, she was so full of herself. Always looking down on everyone. And now? Look at her."

She clicked her tongue.

"Matt, what do you think of her?"

His breath brushed my skin.

His gaze dropped to the mark on my collarbone.

Then he smiled.

Casual.

Mocking.

"She's nothing special. Just a nightclub girl. Same as any other hostess."

Vanessa sounded pleased.

"That's what I thought. You weren't interested in her when she was an heiress. Now that she's serving drinks, there's no way you'd think twice about her."

The call ended.

Matt watched me for several seconds, like he was waiting for a reaction.

When none came, he kissed me again.

"You really don't care."

I said nothing.

Vanessa only cared about what Matt thought.

She remembered the slap I'd given him.

But she'd forgotten to ask if I remembered why my family went bankrupt.

Or why my parents died.

That was okay.

There'd be plenty of time to remind her.

I smiled, wrapped my arms around Matt, and closed my eyes.