Chapter 3

Zoey’s POV

It was exactly six in the evening, which meant it was time to head to the house I didn't even remember.

According to the book, the original Zoey had set a trap for this evening. She had purposely forgotten her car keys, leaving her luxury sedan sitting uselessly in her father's estate. Her grand plan was to force Kaiser into driving her home.

I grabbed my designer handbag and stepped out toward the employee elevators. As I neared the copy room just down the hall, the sound of hushed, hurried voices made me pause.

"I'm telling you, she didn't bring her car today on purpose," a sharp voice whispered from inside the room. "I saw her getting out of a town car this morning. She's going to try and get Mr. Vance’s attention again."

"Oh, absolutely," another voice giggled, dripping with malice. "She thinks just because her dad is Adrian Ryan, she can play a working girl and force Mr. Vance to play chauffeur. It’s pathetic. Have you seen the way he looks at her? Like she’s dirt on his shoe. She's probably waiting down in the parking lot right now."

I stood in the hallway, staring at the wall, a wave of secondhand embarrassment washing over me. God, the original Zoey really was a trainwreck.

I marched past the copy room, purposely letting my heels click loudly against the tile so they knew I’d heard them, and took the private elevator straight down to the executive parking garage.

The underground lot was cool, dimly lit, and smelled of expensive rubber and exhaust. Standing right next to a pristine, midnight-black Mercedes was Kaiser. He had his charcoal suit jacket slung carelessly over one shoulder, his white shirt unbuttoned, looking like a walking luxury advertisement. He was conversing with his head of security, but the moment the elevator doors chimed, his storm-amber eyes snapped toward me.

The temperature in the garage seemed to drop ten degrees. The sheer, unadulterated hatred radiating from him was palpable. He looked at me with deep, simmering disgust.

"You're late, Zoey," Kaiser said, his deep, smooth voice cutting through the quiet garage like a razor. He didn't even wait for me to approach, stepping forward to block my path. "And if you are here to pitch whatever pathetic excuse you've manufactured to get into my car today, save your breath."

I stopped a respectable five feet away, my expression entirely blank.

“Let me make this entirely clear to you, walk on your own to whatever mansion you crawled out of. You are not getting in my car,” he sneered.

If I were the original Zoey, I would have whined, pouted, or burst into tears.

"Perfect,” I said clearly, “have a spectacular weekend, boss."

Kaiser blinked, a flicker of genuine confusion crossing his features before it was instantly masked by anger. He wasn't used to me agreeing with him.

I didn't give him a chance to recover and turned around. Walking home wasn't an option—mostly because I had absolutely no idea where Zoey actually lived. I needed someone I could trust who wouldn't question why I needed to be driven to my own doorstep. I scrolled through her contacts until I found the one name that made me smile Leo, Zoey’s fiercely loyal, unapologetically gay best friend. I dialed. He picked up on the second ring. "Zoey, darling! Tell me you're calling to rescue me from this dreadful charity gala."

"Leo, I need a massive favor," I said, keeping my voice low. "I'm stranded at the office. Can you come pick me up and drive me to the estate? And... don't ask questions, but let's take the scenic route. I need to clear my head and look at the city landmarks."

"Say less, babe. I’m already in the car. Ten minutes."

True to his word, ten minutes later, Leo's flashy red convertible pulled up to the curb right outside the glass doors of Vance Global. I walked out of the lobby just as Kaiser’s sleek, armored black sedan was pulling out of the parking garage.

Kaiser’s car slowed down significantly as he passed the curb. Through the tinted glass, I could feel the burning weight of his amber eyes.

"Hey, gorgeous!" Leo cheered, throwing his arm around my shoulder for a quick, dramatic hug before shifting into drive. "Who is the brooding statue in the batmobile staring at us? Don’t tell me it’s Kaiser Vance!"

"It’s nobody," I replied, fastening my seatbelt. "Just drive, Leo."

As we pulled away from the curb, I glanced in the side mirror. Kaiser’s car hadn't moved. He was still idling by the curb, Seeing his assistant completely ignore him and get into another man’s car clearly didn’t sit well with him. I had no idea what was going through his mind, and frankly, I didn’t care. He was a puzzle for another day.

During the drive, I subtly let Leo do all the navigating. By the time he pulled up to the long, winding driveway of my father's massive mansion, I had the entire route mapped out in my mind.

"Thanks, Leo. You're a lifesaver," I said, kissing his cheek.

"Anytime, babe. Call me tomorrow for gossip!" he said with a wave, flooring the accelerator and speeding back down the driveway.

I stood alone in the dark, looking up at the towering, gothic architecture of her father's house. It looked more like a beautiful prison than a home. Taking a deep, steadying breath, I walked up the marble steps, pulled the heavy gold key from my bag, and unlocked the massive oak front doors.

The interior of the foyer was dark and eerily silent. I stepped inside, the heavy doors clicking shut behind me, sealing out the night air. I reached out, my fingers fumbling along the wall to find the light switch.

Whoosh.

Before my fingers could touch the plastic, a sudden, violent rush of air cut through the darkness.

Crack!

A heavy, stinging hand clapped violently across my face.

The force of the blow snapped my head to the side, a blinding flash of white pain exploding behind my eyes. I stumbled backward.