Chapter 1

Cecilia Lane shook uncontrollably as her manager, Camila Grant, helped her into the car.

Cecilia's husband, Damian Lane, had promised her he'd taken care of every single photo.

How could this have happened?

She rushed home. Just as she reached for the study door, the conversation inside stopped her in her tracks.

"Mr. Lane, don't you think doing this is too cruel to Cecilia? She has worked so hard for so many years. This one scandal could destroy everything she has built. She might never get another acting job."

Damian replied in a calm, detached voice, as if they were discussing something that didn't matter. "The Best Actress award belongs to Yvette. What's the harm in sacrificing Cecilia this once for Yvette's future?"

Cecilia pressed her back against the wall as a chill ran down her spine.

"Mr. Lane, you really thought this through. With just three moves, you had Cecilia completely under your control."

One of Damian's men flattered him.

"First, when she was new to the industry, you had her agency trick her into signing two versions of the same contract, one with false terms.

"Second, you used the 50-million-dollar penalty to force her to take off her clothes and pose for nude photos.

"And third, all you had to do was swoop in and rescue her, and she fell right into your arms. Cecilia became loyal and obedient, working herself to the bone to become the highest-earning star in your company.

"She does whatever you tell her, and you don't even have to share her earnings with her!"

Laughter filled the room, while Cecilia fell apart outside the door.

She could still remember how safe and warm she had felt the day Damian covered her naked body with his suit jacket.

He covered her eyes, too, shielding her from the horrible scene around her.

"Don't look. None of this is your fault," he had said. "Go ahead and cry. I'm here with you. I'll destroy every single photo, and I promise no one will dare breathe a word about what happened today."

Ever since then, Damian had never brought up the incident again.

He had been careful with her feelings, and he'd shown her through his actions that he didn't care about her past.

Countless times, she had thought of that incident as a lifelong shame. Yet part of her had always been glad it happened.

Without it, how would she and Damian have ever met and fallen in love?

But the memories and love she had treasured so deeply turned out to be part of a carefully planned lie!

And there was even more to the truth.

Damian's next words cut her even deeper.

"The entertainment industry is a mess. With Cecilia taking the fall first, Yvette will have a much easier time making her way through it."

Damian's subordinate noticed the warmth that came into his eyes whenever he mentioned Yvette Shaw. The man asked in confusion, "Then why did you marry Cecilia, Mr. Lane? Did you end up falling for her?"

Cecilia bit down hard on the base of her thumb. Deep down, she still hoped Damian had loved her at least a little.

Then she wouldn't have been such a fool for trusting him!

But Damian looked at the red wine in his glass and let out a quiet scoff, as if he'd had no other choice.

"Three years ago, Yvette had just gotten her driver's license when she accidentally hit Cecilia and her mother. Cecilia was three months pregnant, and she lost her baby. They couldn't save her mother, either.

"It wasn't Yvette's fault. She was terrified, too. Cecilia and her mother just didn't get out of the way in time."

Cecilia's legs trembled. She bit into her hand until it bled, barely managing to hold back her rage and her screams.

Every night, the memory of that day still haunted her.

Three years ago, she had finally saved enough money to buy a small house. At last, she could bring her mother, Marika Parker, to live with her after a lifetime of hardship back home.

They had gone out for a walk. Cecilia had held Marika's hand tightly and rested her other hand on her belly. She had been carrying Damian's child.

Cecilia had thought happiness was finally within reach. She felt so lucky, and everything seemed to be getting better.

Suddenly, headlights shone toward her. All she felt was Marika shoving her away with all her strength.

When Cecilia opened her eyes again, all she saw was Marika's lifeless body.

She had sobbed uncontrollably as Damian held her and tried to comfort her.

"Cecilia, I'll search every corner of Harborcrest City if I have to. I'll find the hit-and-run driver, and I'll get justice for Marika and our baby!"

But a month later, Damian had returned with nothing but bad news.

"The police said all the nearby security cameras were out that night."

Then he'd said, "It's okay, Cecilia. From now on, you have me. I'll always be by your side, and I'll love you forever. Will you marry me?"

Cecilia looked down at the wedding ring on her left hand. The marriage, which she had believed would bring her happiness, had been built on the blood of her baby and her mother!

Inside the study, Damian went on. "I was afraid Cecilia wouldn't let it go and would drag Yvette into it. So I offered to marry her. Making her my wife was a way to make it up to her. I can't give Yvette a place at my side, so I'll do whatever it takes to support her career."

Suddenly, a loud thud came from outside the door. Damian looked up sharply.

When the door was pulled open, Cecilia was nowhere to be seen.

"It was probably the wind knocking over a vase," he muttered.

Damian glanced at his phone. Cecilia should still be stuck at the airport. For a moment, he'd thought she was standing outside the door.

Cecilia ran until she was far from the villa. Only then did she break down and cry.

But how could the memory of Damian's tearful, sincere eyes have been a lie?

After the accident, the doctors had told her she would never be able to have another child.

She had looked at Damian helplessly, only to watch him sign a consent form for a vasectomy without hesitation.

"Then we'll be child-free. You'll have all my love for the rest of our lives. How does that sound?"

At that moment, Cecilia had almost believed her life was finally moving in the right direction.

She had lost so much, but she still had Damian.

That was enough. She had been happy with that.

So even when Yvette took over all of Cecilia's movie roles and endorsements while she was in the hospital, she never complained.

Yvette was technically Damian's niece, and Cecilia had never once gotten upset about how well he treated Yvette or how much he did to advance her career.

But behind that lie was a relationship so disgusting that she could hardly bear to think about it!

Cecilia had almost forgotten that Yvette was only Damian's so-called niece, with no blood ties to him at all. After Yvette lost her family, she'd been sent to live with him, and he'd raised her.

Damian had fallen in love with the child he had brought up himself. How pathetic!

Cecilia cried until she felt sick. She squeezed her wedding ring so tightly in her palm that it left a bloody mark.

When her phone rang, she saw the word "Darling" on the screen and felt a chill run through her.

She answered, and Damian's familiar, gentle voice came through the phone.

"Honey, are you at the airport? I've already sent security to pick you up. Don't be scared. I've had people take the photos down. I don't care about what happened in the past. No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you."

If she hadn't just heard the whole truth earlier, she would've been so moved that she'd have cried. She would've wanted to give him everything in return for his love.

Cecilia bit down on her tongue until it bled, fighting back her nausea. After a long pause, she finally managed a reply.

"Okay."

She hung up. With trembling hands, she finally found the name she dreaded seeing in her contacts.

The call connected after just one ring.

Cecilia's voice was calm again. "Does your sister still need my kidney? I'm willing to donate it, but I have one condition."

There was a brief silence on the other end.

"What are your terms?"