Chapter 1

Gabriel's POV

"Gabriel, I don't have all day."

Joanna Stiles shot me an irritated look, clearly annoyed that I wasn't paying attention. Yet, she hadn't taken her eyes off Ashton Barker the entire time.

Dad had hired Ashton as my body double when we were children.

He'd stayed by my side ever since, following me around like a shadow so he could help me escape if I ever found myself in danger.

Suddenly, I couldn't see the point of any of this anymore. "Then, why don't you just let Ashton do it?"

I removed the hydrangea boutonniere from my lapel and turned to leave, but Joanna called me back.

"Gabriel, take off your suit. I want Ashton to wear it."

I stared at her cold expression in disbelief. There were nearly a hundred people here, and she actually expected me to strip in front of everyone.

"Right now?"

"Yes."

Joanna threw a blank check in my face, making no effort to hide her contempt. "Name your price."

Whatever I'd still been holding on to finally died at that moment.

When I made no move to comply, she sneered, "You've been bleeding me dry for years to bail out your family's company. Don't act like you're too good to take my money."

After decades together, all that remained between us was suspicion and malice.

Meanwhile, Ashton lowered his head and waved his hands frantically. "No, no, I couldn't possibly accept something that expensive. I'm not worthy of wearing a suit like that. Besides, Mr. Fuller would be furious with me."

That was all it took for Joanna to offer him a suit from the latest haute couture collection.

"If I say you deserve it, then you do. As far as I'm concerned, you're every bit as good as Gabriel."

She continued dismissively, "Let him sulk all he wants. He's always walking around looking like I've done him some terribly wrong anyway."

She was still holding a microphone, so her words carried throughout the venue.

Although it was only our wedding rehearsal, we'd invited plenty of people from our social circle to celebrate ahead of the big day.

Everyone turned to look at me, waiting to see whether Yewton's famously proud heir would finally swallow his pride for money.

I knew exactly what refusing Joanna would cost me.

Dad's company would suffer even greater losses and sink further into debt. Worse still, I might not even be able to afford his medical care overseas anymore.

The last time we'd had a business dispute, Ashton had shielded me from a cup of coffee that someone had thrown at me.

Joanna had responded by pulling every last dollar of working capital out of Dad's company, destroying a deal I'd spent two months negotiating and was finally about to close.

The stress had sent Dad straight to the hospital.

Joanna knew I had far too much to lose to stand up to her.

But when she saw me reaching for the buttons of my jacket, then the zipper of my pants, she angrily hurled her bouquet at me.

"Enough! Gabriel, I never thought you'd stoop this low."

The rose thorns scraped against my skin, leaving scratches that immediately began to bleed.

I bent down and picked up the check anyway.

I'd consider it her long-overdue repayment for the time I'd saved her life, not a price tag on everything our relationship had once meant.

With that, whatever we owed each other was finally settled.

I was almost at the entrance when I heard Ashton speak a little louder behind me. "Ms. Stiles, I really shouldn't wear this."