Chapter 1

Zoe Carter felt her blood run cold. Fighting through the suffocating pain and overwhelming terror, she managed to ask in a trembling voice, "Why? You know I spent three whole years working on that research..."

Yale Tanner let out a faint, mocking chuckle and stroked her head as though soothing a pet.

"Be a good girl, Zoe. Natalie needs that paper to continue her studies and get into the research institute. It's one of the gifts I promised her for saving my life."

Natalie Rhodes was a senior Zoe had been supervising. Three months earlier, when Natalie had come to submit a paper, she'd happened upon Yale during a flare-up of his stomach condition.

All she'd done was give him a piece of milk candy, yet Yale had been talking about how she'd saved his life ever since. He had even promised to grant her one hundred wishes.

And now, to fulfill one of those wishes, he was threatening Zoe with her mother's life, forcing her to surrender the paper she'd spent more than a thousand days painstakingly collecting data and conducting research to write.

The familiar warmth of Yale's hand against her head gradually eased the panic and resentment gripping her heart. She remembered how openly and passionately he'd once loved her, and that memory stirred the last fragile hope she still held.

Turning toward him, she clutched his sleeve and begged through her tears, "Yale, please. Let my mother go first. She's the only family I have left."

A smile curved his lips. He carefully wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with his thumb, then looked straight into her suddenly hopeful eyes.

"Whether your mother lives or dies is entirely up to you, Zoe. You'll be a good girl and make the smart choice. You wouldn't want to disappoint me, would you?"

For the first time, Zoe saw the full, terrifying darkness in the eyes of the man everyone called the devil. Her heart ached as though a thousand needles were piercing it, and she squeezed her eyes shut.

"The password to the hard drive with the data is our wedding anniversary. Now let my mother go."

Yale paused briefly before signaling to his subordinate. As though rewarding her obedience, he untied the ropes around her wrists and ankles, even blowing gently on her wounds.

"Zoe, you're my wife. It's only right that you help me repay a debt of gratitude. Besides, Natalie needs that paper more than you do."

Zoe turned her head sharply away and shut her eyes. Her eyes burned, her throat tightened, and even her fingertips trembled.

Just then, Yale's phone rang with the exclusive ringtone.

The moment he answered, his relaxed expression vanished, replaced by a frightening look of menace.

"Turn around. Immediately. Get to Gerton Hospital as fast as possible."

One of his men hesitated before speaking. "Mr. Tanner, if we fly too fast, I'm afraid Mrs. Carter might not survive..."

Yale shot him such a chilling look that the man went pale before he could finish. Without another word, he hurried toward the cockpit.

On the screen, Zoe watched helplessly as the sudden jolting of the helicopter sent her mother, Eleanor, swinging violently from the rope. Her arms and legs slammed against the underside of the aircraft.

The sight snapped Zoe out of her daze. She lunged for Yale, clutching his sleeve as she repeated desperately, "You promised me. You promised you'd let my mother go..."

He shook her off. Before she could reach for him again, his men seized her, bound her wrists and ankles, and gagged her.

Zoe collapsed onto the floor, struggling and sobbing helplessly as she stared at the screen. Eleanor's face had gone deathly pale, and her limbs were covered in blood.

When the helicopter finally landed, Yale hurried away without sparing her so much as a glance.

The moment her restraints were removed, Zoe staggered to her feet and ran toward Eleanor. Gathering her into her arms, she stumbled into the hospital, desperate to get her help.

Instead, she learned that Yale had ordered every doctor in the hospital to remain on standby, forbidden to leave their posts, all so they could treat Natalie's injured hand.

He had even reserved every piece of medical equipment in the hospital exclusively for Natalie.

Desperate to save Eleanor's life, Zoe dragged herself up forty floors to the luxury hospital suite, her injured ankles still bleeding.

She was ready to abandon every shred of pride and reason, to get on her knees and beg Yale to show mercy.

Before she could, her phone rang.

Eleanor's voice came through the receiver.

"Sweetheart, it's all right. It's time for me to go be with your father now... You have to live freely, sweetheart. Live your life to the fullest!"

A sudden rush of wind filled the receiver, followed by the dull, heavy thud of something hitting the ground.

Zoe froze. Her legs nearly gave out beneath her, but she forced herself toward Eleanor's hospital room, stumbling and falling as she went.

Through the glass window, she caught sight of the television playing inside.

Yale was kneeling beside Natalie's hospital bed.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, pulling away almost immediately. Even that fleeting kiss carried a restraint that seemed almost painful.

Zoe could clearly see the desire in his eyes.

Her mind went completely blank.

Then a doctor's panicked voice broke through the silence.

"Ms. Carter, I'm sorry. Your mother fell from the building. She didn't survive."

...

In the morgue, Zoe stood over Eleanor's body, unable to stop the tears streaming down her face. Eleanor had always taken such pride in her appearance, yet now her face was so badly mangled that she was almost unrecognizable.

With a trembling hand, Zoe reached for Eleanor's palm, longing to feel its familiar gentleness one last time.

Instead, her fingers brushed against a cold voice recorder.

A faint crackle of static came from the device, followed by the voices of Yale and his close friend, Xavier Jensen.

"You're seriously not going to let me save Zoe's mother?" Xavier asked teasingly. "You went to all that trouble to bankrupt the Carter family, pretended you were dying, and even made up that story about your birth charts being a perfect match, all just to trick Zoe into marrying you."

A lighter clicked, and Yale answered in a low voice.

"It's been three years. I'm getting a little tired of her. Consider this a lesson."

Xavier laughed. "I dragged my ass all the way here just to look at a few scratches? Damn, your new girl must be something if she can teach a devil like you how to be gentle with a woman!"

The recorder slipped from Zoe's fingers and hit the floor with a faint burst of static.

Tears streamed down her face as she broke into heart-wrenching sobs. Collapsing to her knees beside Eleanor's body, she clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white and struck herself in the head again and again.

"Mom, it's me. It's all my fault... I'm sorry."

Only now did Zoe understand what Eleanor had meant when she'd said it was all right.

She wiped her tears away roughly, took out her phone, and dialed an international number.

When she spoke, her voice was utterly lifeless.

"I accept your offer. I'll join your institute in seven days."