BOOK ONE: Chapter 0001

•ANEIRA•

I opened the closet and took my jacket before slamming it closed.

“I don’t want to marry Rafael Sterling, Mother. Chris asked me to marry him, and I agreed. I’ve been with him for two years, and I won’t throw that away.”

"I am not asking you to throw anything away, but this is the only way for us to survive, Aneira," my mother answered as she closed the door behind her. "Your father's medical bills are increasing every day, and he needs to go for surgery."

I shook my head. She knew we had money in the family savings account to pay for my father’s medical bills.

"We've been surviving just fine," I scoffed. "If I marry Rafael, I'll have to forget about all the dreams I have for my life."

"Your sister's marriage to him was supposed to clear all our debts, but with her gone and your father in the hospital, we won't be able to pay off what we owe him. You know we've been struggling ever since your father was laid off from his job. Rafael is the only person who will pay your college fees, and you will study whatever you want. Isn't that what you want?"

"It doesn’t matter what I want, but I won't marry Rafael!" I sneered, putting on my jacket.

My mother leaned forward. “You will marry him in honor of your late sister, Aneira. Or do I need to remind you that her death was your fault?”

I froze. Even in death, she favored Narra. I had always been the shadow twin, the one dismissed as ordinary while Narra shone.

“The accident wasn’t my fault! Narra missed the stop sign because—”

“Because of you,” my mother snapped. “Your carelessness killed her. If you weren’t my daughter, I would have had you arrested for taking my only daughter from me.”

The words crushed me. My own mother, my supposed protector, had labeled me a killer.

“You’ve made it clear my whole life,” I replied, my hands trembling as I gripped my phone. “Narra was always your favorite. But I won’t marry Rafael—not for her, not for anyone.”

A predator’s smile tugged at her lips. “If you refuse, I will tell the police you killed Narra. You were jealous, plotting, and then you took her life.”

Tears burned my eyes. “I loved her. She was my sister. You know I would never harm her.”

Her voice dropped, cold and deliberate. “You will be arrested, Aneira. Only Rafael can save your father. Only Rafael can pay for his surgery. If you care about your father, you will do what is necessary.”

"Don't bring my father into this, Mom," I sneered. "You know we have money to pay for his medical bills. And besides, I have a job and will buy us groceries and electricity."

"Your father has liver cancer, and we've been managing the symptoms with the little money we had in our savings," she answered. "Do you think we could've managed everything in the house and the medical bills with fifty thousand dollars? The surgery will cost us half a million. Will your job be able to pay the bills?"

The air pressed in around me.

My chest tightened. "He has liver cancer?" Tears blurred my vision. "Why didn’t you tell me?"

"Your sister knew, and that's why she was marrying Rafael," she answered. "She wanted to do everything she could to save him. But if you don't want to marry Rafael in her place, your father will die, and his death will be on your hands as well."

I swallowed hard, and before the tears in my eyes could fall, I turned to the door and left.

***

I wiped my tears as I drove to the bar.

Chris had always been my anchor, the one person who truly saw me. Our plan to leave California and start over had been my only hope.

“Hey, Cobra. Is Chris in today?” I asked when I entered the bar.

“Yeah, he’s in his office. Looking fine for your papa, mamacita,” the bartender teased.

I forced a laugh, trying to ignore the lump in my throat.

I reached his office door and paused. Laughter and a woman’s giggle spilled into the hallway. My stomach twisted.

I opened the door and froze. Chris was on top of her, pulling away only to smirk at me.

“What is going on?” My voice shook.

He straightened casually. “You should have joined us instead of ruining the fun. Anyway, what do you want?”

I could barely breathe. “We've been together for two years, and you asked me to marry you a week ago. How could you do this to me?" My voice broke. "We had plans, Chris!"

He cut me off, his smile cruel. “Plans? Sweetheart, I planned nothing with you. You were convenient. And her? She’s worth every penny.”

My chest tightened, my heart hammering. Betrayal and heartbreak collided, leaving me hollow.

Every promise, every dream, every hope I had placed in him vanished in an instant.

Without thinking, I yanked off my engagement ring and hurled it at him. It clinked against the desk.

"You should've kept it and traded it for a few bucks, love!" Chris chuckled.

I turned and fled. Tears streaked my face, but I refused to look back.

Cobra called after me, but I couldn’t stop. My chest ached. I didn't expect that Chris, the man who had professed his love for me for two years, would turn on me when I needed him the most.

***

When I got home, my mother was on the phone, her expression unreadable. I wiped my tears, took a deep breath, and faced her.

“I’ll marry Rafael Sterling,” I said, my voice steady and cold. “On one condition.”

Her brow arched, curiosity flickering in her eyes. “And what is that?”

“It’s a contract. Five years. After that, I am free of him.”