Chapter 1

Three years together, and my boyfriend, Julian Thorne, still acted like a Puritan in bed.

Even in the heat of the moment, he never let me kiss him. He always made me turn my back to him, like looking at my face was some kind of sin.

Today was supposed to be the day I funded the newly established "Vance Charity Foundation." But when I logged into the company account, I was locked out. A notification popped up on the screen: [Vance Industries Acquisition Complete. New Owner: Thorne Group].

I went straight to the top floor of the Thorne Group to get answers.

Maybe it was fate, but the secretary wasn't at her desk. The heavy mahogany doors to the CEO's office were slightly ajar.

I was about to push the door open when I heard a low voice from inside. I froze, my hand hovering in mid-air.

Through the crack, I stared into the office that symbolized the peak of Manhattan's power.

The man who was usually so polite and distant with me—who barely even held my hand—was half-kneeling on the floor. Sitting on his expensive mahogany desk was a woman: Seraphina.

She was wearing a white lace dress, her legs dangling limply in the air, looking completely paralyzed.

Julian was holding her "disabled" feet, carefully massaging her calf muscles. He looked like he was polishing a priceless gem, his eyes full of a pain I had never seen directed at me.

"Seraphina... my angel. It's raining today. Do your legs hurt again?"

Seraphina leaned back weakly, her eyes rimmed with red. Her voice was fragile enough to break a heart.

"A little bit... but it's okay, Julian. As long as I see you succeed, it's worth it even if I never stand up again."

"It's just... I'm so sad I'll never be able to dance ballet again..."

Julian flinched. He lowered his head and kissed those "numb" knees with a sick kind of devotion. His voice dripped with a hatred that chilled me to the bone.

"Don't be afraid. That poisonous woman who ruined your dreams... I'll make her pay."

"Five years ago, Elara was jealous of your talent. She locked you in the bottom of that yacht and set it on fire on purpose. She condemned you to a wheelchair for life. I haven't forgotten that debt of blood for a single second."

I stood outside, digging my nails into my palms until they bled. I didn't feel a thing.

Arson? Jealousy?

Five years ago at that yacht party, Seraphina was the one playing with fire in the hold to frame me! It got out of control. I risked my life rushing in to save her, but I got blocked by a falling beam. Afterward, she bribed the crew and accused me of starting the fire!

And now, she was using those perfectly fine legs to soak up Julian's pity?

"Julian," Seraphina wiped a tear, asking timidly, "You bought Elara's company... will she hate me? After all, she begged old Mr. Vance to fund you back then..."

"Fund me?" Julian sneered. He stood up and pulled Seraphina into his arms, his tone full of disgust. "That was just the interest the Vance family owed you."

"I endured three years of humiliation, acting alongside that hypocritical woman, just to drain the last bit of value from the Vance family. I'm taking back what belongs to you."

"You know, every time I touch her, I feel like I'm touching a venomous snake. If I didn't have to keep her calm, I wouldn't even look at her. It makes me sick."

He stroked Seraphina's long hair gently, but his voice turned icy.

"Don't worry, baby. The engagement party in seven days... that's her execution."

"I'm going to release the 'evidence' of the yacht fire in front of the entire New York media. I'll expose her as the sister-burning arsonist she is. I'll ruin her reputation. I'll force her to kneel before your wheelchair and spend the rest of her life in prison to pay for your legs!"

So that was it.

The three years of mutual support, the struggle we shared... in his eyes, it was just a long con for revenge.

He was blind, falling for a lying fraud. And I was the idiot who lost my entire family legacy for a pair of scumbags.

I clamped my hand over my mouth to keep from making a sound.

Logic told me charging in now was pointless. Julian was brainwashed. He believed Seraphina was the victim and I was the monster. I had no leverage. Going in there would only humiliate me further.

Trembling, I took off my heels. I walked barefoot, like a ghost, back to the elevator.

I didn't feel alive again until I stepped out onto the bustling Fifth Avenue, the cold wind cutting through my clothes.

My phone buzzed. An iMessage.

The name dancing on the screen was the same man who had just called me a "venomous snake."

"Elara, I closed a big deal tonight. Bought some prime steak. Come home early, I'll cook for you. Love you."

Seeing that glaring "Love you," my stomach turned. I leaned over a trash can and dry heaved.

What an actor. One second he's mourning his "disabled" first love, the next he's playing the devoted fiancé.

In the past, I would have replied with joy.

Now, my fingers shook as I typed a numb reply:

"Busy at the gallery. Be back later."

When I got back to our old apartment building in Brooklyn, the black Bentley was already parked on the corner.

Julian was standing in the cold wind, wearing a cozy turtleneck and an apron. When he saw me, his handsome face lit up with that familiar, doting smile.

"Why are you so late? Your hands are freezing."

He reached out naturally to hold my hand and pull me into a hug.

In that instant, the smell of his cologne mixed with Seraphina's cloying perfume made my skin crawl.

I sidestepped his hug, pretending to dig for my keys. "Sorry, I was dealing with cold water at the gallery."

Julian's hand froze in mid-air. A flash of darkness crossed his eyes, but he quickly recovered his perfect boyfriend mask.

"Rough day. Let's go up. The steak is medium-rare, just how you like it."

Candlelight flickered on the dining table.

Julian cut the steak into small pieces and pushed the plate toward me. His eyes were so gentle they practically dripped affection.

"Elara, you've suffered with me these past three years. The merger with Vance Industries is a bit complicated, but I promise, I'll give you a good life from now on."

He mentioned the company without skipping a beat.

I looked at the bloody beef on the plate. It looked like my shattered heart.

"Is that so?" I swallowed the nausea and forced a piece of meat into my mouth. It tasted like wax. "Congratulations then, Mr. Thorne."

"It's more than congratulations." Julian put down his wine glass. He pulled a velvet box from his pocket and slid it across the table. "Seven days from now, at Oheka Castle, I've prepared a grand engagement party for you."

"I'm going to give you a 'surprise' you'll never forget. It's the fate you deserve."

His eyes gleamed with the excitement of a hunter watching a trap snap shut.

I knew what that "surprise" was. It was my ruin. It was me kneeling in disgrace before him and his fake-cripple sister.

I gripped my knife and fork until my knuckles turned white.

Julian, you think you're an avenging angel, but you're just a knife in Seraphina's hand.

You want to play games in seven days?

I'll play.

I looked up and gave him the most submissive, yet coldest smile of the last three years.

"Okay, Julian. I'm looking forward to it."