Chapter 1

Blaire forced her heavy eyelids open.

The harsh morning light pouring through the floor to ceiling windows of the Manhattan penthouse suite pierced her vision. She let out a muffled groan. Her throat felt like it was lined with sandpaper.

She placed her palms flat against the mattress, attempting to push her upper body up. The moment she shifted, a tearing pain ripped through her lower half. Her breath hitched. Her heart slammed against her ribs in a sudden, violent rhythm.

She looked down. Her skin was bare, covered in blossoming red marks. Her brain flatlined. A cold, suffocating terror gripped her lungs.

She grabbed the thick duvet and yanked it up to her chin. The sudden movement pulled at her sore muscles. Cold sweat instantly broke out across her forehead, dampening her hairline.

A low, mocking scoff echoed from the corner of the room.

The sound sliced through her panic. Blaire froze, then slowly turned her stiff neck toward the shadows.

Kamryn Lane sat in a single leather armchair. The sheer physical presence of the man sucked the oxygen out of the room.

He took his time, methodically buttoning the cuff of his custom tailored shirt. His dark eyes swept over her. It was the look a man gave a cheap, defective product on a store shelf. The humiliation burned the back of her throat.

Blaire opened her mouth. She tried to ask him what happened, but her vocal cords refused to work. Only a weak, raspy breath escaped her lips.

Kamryn stood up. His long legs closed the distance to the bed in three strides. His massive shadow swallowed her completely. Blaire instinctively pressed her back against the headboard, pulling her knees to her chest.

He reached into the inner pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a checkbook. He uncapped a fountain pen and scribbled a string of numbers. His movements were sharp, radiating impatient disgust.

He flicked his wrist. The signed check fluttered through the air and hit Blaire perfectly in the face. The crisp edge of the paper sliced a tiny, stinging papercut across her cheek.

The check fell to her lap. Blaire looked down. One million dollars. The sheer absurdity of the number hit her like a physical blow. Hot tears of absolute degradation welled in her eyes.

Kamryn warned her to take the money, keep her mouth shut, and get out. His voice was ice. He called her a calculating gold digger who schemed her way into his bed. Every word crushed another piece of her dignity.

Blaire grabbed the check. Her hands shook violently as she ripped the thick paper in half. She threw the torn pieces at his chest. Her voice cracked as she denied his accusations, the raw sound tearing from her throat.

Kamryn easily dodged the falling paper. His eyes darkened, the hostility deepening at her defiance. He leaned over the bed and pinched her chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing her to look up at him.

He mocked her acting skills. The pressure of his fingers felt like it was going to crush her jawbone. The pain forced a tear to spill over her lashes and track down her cheek.

Blaire grabbed his wrist, digging her nails into his skin, trying to pry his hand away. The difference in their physical strength was laughable. She could not move him an inch. She resorted to glaring at him, pouring all her hatred into her eyes.

The sound of frantic, clicking heels echoed from the hallway outside. The noise broke the suffocating standoff. Both of them turned their heads toward the door.

The heavy suite door burst open. Danita Terrell rushed into the room, her face a mask of exaggerated panic.

Danita slapped a hand over her mouth and let out a loud, theatrical gasp. Her eyes darted from the messy bed to Blaire, then to Kamryn. A fleeting, dark gleam of satisfaction flashed in Danita's eyes before she hid it.

Blaire saw her adoptive sister and opened her mouth to scream for help. But the coldness in Danita's brief glance paralyzed her. The plea for help died in her throat.

Danita immediately rushed toward Kamryn, her voice trembling with manufactured concern as she asked if he was alright and what had happened. When Kamryn shot her a look of pure disgust and stepped away, she masterfully shifted her gaze back to the bed. She let out a choked, devastated gasp, acting as if the puzzle pieces had just horrifyingly clicked together in her innocent mind. She twisted her expression into one of heartbroken disappointment. She pointed a trembling finger at Blaire, accusing her of shamelessly seducing Kamryn. She poured the dirty water directly over Blaire's head.

Blaire shook her head frantically. She tried to explain that she had been drugged, that she did not know how she got here. Her weak, raspy voice was completely drowned out by Danita's loud accusations.

Kamryn released Blaire's chin. He turned to the nightstand, pulled a wet wipe from a packet, and wiped his fingers. He did it with extreme prejudice, as if he had just touched something diseased.

He looked at Danita and stated coldly that this was a disgusting accident. His words nailed Blaire to a pillar of shame.

He picked up his suit jacket from the back of the chair. He did not spare Blaire a single glance. He turned and walked toward the door, his strides long and purposeful.

Danita quickly spun around and chased after him. Her voice turned sickeningly sweet as she tried to soothe his anger. The two of them walked out of the suite, one after the other.

The heavy door slammed shut with a loud thud. The sound snapped the last string holding Blaire together. Her body went completely limp against the ruined sheets.

She grabbed the duvet and pulled it over her head, desperate for a dark place to hide. As she shifted, her eyes caught a glaring patch of dark red blood on the pristine white mattress.

Staring at the physical proof of her stolen innocence, Blaire curled into a tight ball. The tears finally broke free, soaking the pillow in silent, agonizing sobs.