Chapter 2

"Mom, don't scare her." Finn put on a fake show of stopping Connie, then turned back to me, softening his tone. "Rosaline, I really have no other choice. That money… They'll make sure I'll never get back on my feet."

The drug was slowly wearing off. Feeling returned to my limbs; my tongue finally started to move. I drew in a deep breath and forced out a hoarse but clear sentence. "Get the hell away from me!"

"What did you just say?" Finn's expression instantly darkened.

He abruptly grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked my head up. "I'm warning you, Rosaline—think carefully before you open your mouth."

My scalp burned with pain, but I stood my ground. "I said, I'm not agreeing to this. What you're doing is a serious crime, and I'll call the cops on you."

His palm cracked across my face. My vision went white. A roar filled my ears, and the metallic taste of blood spread across my tongue.

"Give you an inch and you really think you're something, huh?" He gritted his teeth and glared at me viciously. "Who do you think you are? You're just a dancer! The fact that you can pay off my debt for me is the only reason you're useful!"

Connie stepped forward and kicked me. "Quit acting so high and mighty. Finn taking a liking to you is the best thing that'll ever happen to you!"

"Don't touch her face," Peter reminded. "If that gets ruined, she won't be worth anything."

Only then did Finn let go.

I slumped against the icy floor, my breathing ragged. My fingertips trembled.

"Rosaline, I'll ask you one last time." Finn crouched and grabbed my chin. "Are you going to behave or not?"

I stared straight at him and said firmly, "Absolutely not."

"Fine, then." He let out a cold snort and stood up. "You're a dancer, right? Haven't you always said that you wanted to fulfill your mother's dream?"

He lifted his foot and stomped down on my calf, hard.

A searing pain shot through my leg, ripping a scream from my throat.

"How exactly will you dance if your leg is useless?" He ground his heel into my leg, his tone icy. "Your mother died still hoping you'd make it onto a global stage. What a shame."

Tears blurred my vision. Mom had once been an internationally renowned dancer, but she'd died young. All these years of training and every bit of pain I'd endured had been for one thing—to finish the dance career she never got to complete.

"Don't…" My voice began to shake. "Don't touch my legs…"

"Oh, now you're scared?" Connie let out a mocking laugh. "Where'd all that tough talk from just now go?"

Finn withdrew his foot and crouched down again. "Then be good. Don't cause trouble later. As long as this debt is settled, I'll still marry you. Everything will go back to the way it was."

I squeezed my eyes shut as tears slipped down uncontrollably.

"That's more like it." Connie nodded. "Take her to clean up. She can't meet anyone looking like this."

Finn roughly yanked me off the floor and dragged me toward the bathroom off the sitting room.

"I can do it myself…" I was too weak to fight back.

"Shut up." He shoved me inside. "Your makeup's a mess. You look like a crazy woman."

He fisted a hand in my hair and shoved my face down into the sink. Ice-cold water crashed over my skin. My whole body started to shake, and my makeup washed away in ugly streaks.

Finn grabbed a bottle of cleanser and smeared it straight onto my face.

"Stop—" I choked and coughed as the soap burned my nose and mouth.

"Wash it off." His voice was flat and cold. "Your face is what Mr. Olson wants to see. You really look just like her. That's why I went after you in the first place—you look like the woman he can't let go of."

My heart hit rock bottom. So that was it. Right from the start, these three years had all been one big setup.

Finn rinsed the foam off my face and wiped me down roughly with a towel. Then, his hands went to my clothes, yanking at the fabric.

"What are you doing?" Panic surged through me. I instinctively tried to cover myself.

"This outfit's way too stiff." He pulled a low-cut black dress out of a bag. "You're changing into this."

"I'm not wearing that!"

"Are you sure?" His eyes went cold. "Then I'll do it for you."

He tore open the buttons of my coat in one rough motion. I screamed and fought back, earning myself another slap. He snarled, "Hold still!"

Just then, someone pounded on the bathroom door. Connie called out impatiently, "Finn, hurry up. Mr. Olson's people are here!"

Finn faltered, then shot me a venomous glare. "You got lucky."

He dragged me out of the bathroom and shoved me hard, sending me sprawling back onto the carpet in the sitting room.