Chapter 1

Thea's POV

"Jonathan," I pleaded, my voice trembling. "But you promised me."

I caught him by the sleeve of his tuxedo before the ball began.

Jonathan stopped in his tracks and flashed me a careless smile.

"I'm sorry. Raine came to me yesterday too," he said. "So, I had to say yes to her."

My throat felt tight.

"Had to?" I couldn't help but snap at him. "You promised me long before she ever asked. What am I supposed to do now?

"Don't you know that if I show up to my debutante ball without a partner, I'll—"

"You'll be forced into an arranged marriage?"

Raine Sanders' bright voice cut me off.

She arrived fashionably late and, right in front of me, slipped her arm through Jonathan's. It felt so deliberate, almost like a declaration of victory.

"Thea, why do you always use that as a threat?

"It's not like we're living in the old days. No one's going to force you into a marriage you don't want. You're the eldest daughter of the Sanders family, after all.

"Even if…"

She paused, the corners of her lips curling into a knowing smile.

"Even if you're not their biological daughter.

"Well, they've raised you all these years. Do you really think Mom and Dad would force you to marry someone you don't love?"

Jonathan nodded along, trying to placate me.

"Raine has a point, Thea," he said, sounding helpless. "Don't make this into something bigger than it is. Tonight is just a dance. How did you jump from that to an arranged marriage?

He raised a hand, seemingly about to ruffle my hair like he always did. But before he could touch me, I quickly turned my head away.

Jonathan's expression darkened for a moment. His hand froze in midair before he lowered it.

I didn't look at him. All I could think about was the marriage my family was about to force me into.

"The party hasn't started yet," I said, turning to leave. "I'll find someone else to dance with."

A debutante ball was more than just a celebration of coming of age. It was practically a public announcement of one's eligibility, and couples who attended together were often encouraged toward marriage by their families.

I knew people in our circle looked down on me. But surely, after knowing some of them for so many years, there had to be someone willing to help.

To Jonathan, however, what I had just said sounded like I was choosing someone else over him.

He abruptly pulled his arm free from Raine's and stepped in front of me.

"Thea, what exactly are you up to?"

"Nothing. I just don't want to be the only one without a partner," I replied evenly. "Since you've already chosen Raine, I'll find someone else.

"The party's about to start. Will you let go? I'm running out of time."

My words only seemed to make him angrier.

"Who are you going to ask? Don't you dare!" he growled. "Come back!"

I spun around, glaring at him. I couldn't understand what had gotten into him.

"Jonathan, what do you want from me?" I fumed. "You chose her, yet now you're stopping me from finding someone else?"

Jonathan looked as though he were hiding something from me. He flushed, but he couldn't seem to find the words.

"I've already made arrangements," he finally said, looking away. "You're not going to find another partner tonight. Not anyone but me."

The last thing I wanted was to waste another second arguing with him.

I yanked my arm free and strode straight to the balcony, where I started calling everyone I could think of.

But the friends I'd always been on good terms with gave me almost identical answers.

"Sorry, Thea. I already have a date tonight."

"It's not that I don't want to help. It's just… My family has something going on."

"Thea, it's not that I don't want to help you. It's just…" My friend hesitated. "This is Jonathan's doing. Don't put me in a difficult position."

…

By the time Dad sent someone to look for me yet again, I still hadn't found anyone. I had no choice but to return to the ballroom alone.

The debutante ball had already begun. Jonathan was dancing with Raine in the middle of the floor, the two of them looking every bit the perfect couple.

It wasn't until the song ended that he finally noticed me standing at the edge of the dance floor.

As if he'd known all along that I'd have nowhere else to turn, he raised an eyebrow and walked toward me with Raine on his arm.

"Thea, you've gotten over yourself, haven't you?" he asked in a soft voice, as though he were trying to coax me. "Raine and I had something important to take care of, which is why we came together tonight.

"I promise I'll make it up to you. I'll give you a celebration ten times—no, a hundred times more lavish than this."

I frowned, not interested in Jonathan's promises about the future.

The damage was already done. I had attended the ball alone, and there was nothing I could do about it now.

The only thing I could do now was beg Dad to spare me from the arranged marriage, if only for the sake of all the years I'd spent as his daughter.

"Whatever," I said coldly.

I tried to walk past them toward the stairs, but after being met with one cold response after another, Jonathan finally lost his temper.

"Thea, what's your problem?" he blurted out, unable to hold back his frustration anymore. "Stop making such a big deal out of this. If you're that worried, I can just marry you tomorrow!"

The words were barely out of his mouth before Jonathan himself seemed to realize what he'd said.

Every guest turned to look at us.

Raine gently tugged on his arm, and only then did he seem to snap back to reality.

"Don't worry. You're just a fake heiress," he hastily added. "Besides me, no one else is going to want you."

For a moment, it felt as though time itself had stopped.

Then, a quiet snort of laughter came from somewhere in the crowd. Another followed.

Soon, whispers spread throughout the ballroom.

"Wow. He really said that to her face."

"He's harsh, but he's not exactly wrong. Isn't her mother supposed to have been a maid? I've even heard she was her father's mistress. Either way, she's not a real Sanders."

"Let's be honest. She's just some girl the Sanders family took in. How could she ever hope to marry into the Bale family?"

I'd heard cruel remarks like these for years, so I should've been used to them by now. But when it came from Jonathan, the man I'd loved for ten years, something inside me broke.

For the first time, the man standing in front of me felt like a complete stranger.

Jonathan regretted the words the moment they left his mouth. He shot an angry glare around the room, and the whispers immediately died.

He frowned and took a step toward me, his voice hurried as he tried to take it back.

"Thea, that's not what I meant—"

"Ms. Sanders!"

The voice of the old butler, Boris Manson, came from the staircase above us.

He gave me a respectful nod and said, "Mr. Sanders would like to see you in his study."