Chapter 5

The penthouse was dead silent. Krista stared at the ceiling for ten full minutes before she forced her trembling legs to move.

She dragged the blanket with her and stumbled into the massive bathroom. She turned the shower handle all the way to cold. The freezing water hit her skin like needles, washing away the sweat, the smell of alcohol, and the lingering heat of Jasper Stone.

She stepped out, shivering violently. On the marble vanity sat a row of unopened, top-tier La Mer skincare products. She stared at them, a bitter smile twisting her lips.

She wrapped herself in a thick, oversized bathrobe and walked out into the living room. The space was massive, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a breathtaking, unobstructed view of Central Park.

A sharp cramp twisted her stomach. She hadn't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon, and the whiskey was eating away at her stomach lining.

She walked over to the open kitchen. Sitting on the marble island was a sleek thermal food container. She popped the lid open.

Steam rose, carrying the rich scent of buttery French croissants and black truffle scrambled eggs. Her absolute favorites.

Krista froze for a second, but then shook her head. She convinced herself it was just the standard, high-end service of a billionaire's penthouse. But as she stared at the perfectly cooked eggs, a deep, unsettling suspicion clawed at her chest. This was too coincidental. Even the black truffle was shaved to her exact, specific preference, the croissants baked to the precise golden hue she demanded at the estate. Had he investigated her already? How deep did his surveillance go in just a few hours? The thought sent a simultaneous shiver of fear and strange validation down her spine.

She sat on a barstool and took a bite of the flaky croissant. The taste was perfect. Without warning, a hot tear slipped down her cheek and splashed onto the back of her hand.

She thought of Warren Cain's cold eyes. Twenty years of calling him "Father," erased in a single second by a DNA test. She thought of Dannie's mocking laugh. A lifetime of promises, traded for a better business deal.

Suddenly, her phone, which she had tossed onto the sofa, began to vibrate violently.

Krista walked over and picked it up. Three text messages from Chase Bank lit up the screen.

The words were clinical and brutal. Her black card, her debit cards, and all her linked accounts had been frozen as of 8:00 AM.

Immediately after, another notification popped up. A failed payment for her monthly car rental.

Krista's fingers started to shake. The heavy hammer of reality smashed into her chest. She didn't even have enough money to call an Uber.

Worse, the small apartment she lived in was under the Cain family trust. They could lock her out today.

She slowly turned her head. Her eyes locked onto the bedroom door, where the Temporary Prenuptial Agreement still lay on the bed.

Jasper's voice echoed in her ears. Walk out that door, and you face the entire Cain family alone.

She took a deep, shaky breath. She walked back into the bedroom, picked up the document, and forced herself to read it like a business contract.

The terms were staggering. An astronomical monthly allowance. Absolute physical protection. A massive payout in the event of a divorce.

Just as her internal scale tipped, a polite, rhythmic knock echoed from the front door.

Krista pulled her bathrobe tighter and walked to the door. She checked the video monitor. A middle-aged man in a strict, three-piece suit stood outside.

She opened the door. The man immediately bowed, his posture radiating absolute respect. "Good morning, Ms. Cain."

"I am Mr. Stone's executive assistant, Mr. Shepherd." He handed her a thick, gold-embossed business card.

Behind him, three assistants rolled in two racks of clothing.

"Mr. Stone instructed us to bring these. Since your clothes were damaged, these are your replacements. We prepared these based on a careful visual estimation of your silhouette and standard haute couture measurements. If the fit is in any way incorrect, we have a master tailor on standby downstairs to make immediate alterations to ensure your absolute comfort."

Krista stared at the rows of current-season haute couture gowns, the tags still attached. She looked back at Mr. Shepherd. There was no pity in his eyes, no mockery. Only pure respect.

She gripped the business card. The last wall of her pride crumbled into dust.