Chapter 1

Cassidy opened her eyes in the dim light of the master bedroom. Her body ached. A deep, heavy soreness settled in her thighs and lower back from the intense physical demand of what had just happened between them. She reached out with a trembling hand, trying to pull the silk sheet up over her exposed shoulder.

The man beside her moved. Cristian shifted his weight, his long, heavy arm instinctively wrapping around her waist. He pulled her flush against his warm, bare chest. His grip was absolute. It was a possessive, subconscious action that left no room for negotiation.

Cassidy stopped breathing. She froze, terrified that any sudden movement would wake him. She lay perfectly still, greedily soaking in the heat radiating from his skin. This was the man she had loved in secret for ten years. This physical closeness was the only real thing she had, even if she believed it was just a transaction for him.

A harsh vibration shattered the quiet. The cell phone on the nightstand buzzed violently against the wood.

Cristian frowned in his sleep. A low, annoyed groan vibrated in his throat. He buried his face into the crook of her neck, his breath hot against her skin.

Cassidy felt her heart slam against her ribs. She panicked. She did not want him to wake up and end this moment. She quickly reached out, her arm covered in faint red marks from his mouth, and snatched the phone off the table.

The screen lit up. The caller ID showed Joy Mcfadden. Cassidy frowned. Joy never called this late unless it was an emergency.

She carefully pried Cristian's heavy arm off her waist. She slid out of the bed, her bare feet hitting the thick, cold wool rug. She walked as fast as she could toward the floor-to-ceiling windows on the far side of the massive room.

She pressed the answer button and held the phone to her ear. She kept her voice to a bare whisper. "Joy, what is it? It is two in the morning."

Joy's voice came through loud and frantic. The background noise was filled with the wail of New York City police sirens and heavy bass. "Cassidy, listen to me. I am at a club in SoHo. I just saw someone."

Cassidy gripped the phone tighter. Her knuckles turned white. She bit down hard on her lower lip, waiting for the name. A cold dread started to pool in her stomach.

"It is Hayden Blevins," Joy said, her voice dripping with anger. "She is back from Europe. Her divorce is final."

Cassidy felt like a basin of ice water had been dumped over her head. The chill seeped into her scalp and rushed down her spine. Her fingers went completely numb.

"The whole circle is already talking about it," Joy warned, not giving her a second to process. "Everyone knows she came back for Cristian. You need to watch your husband, Cass. Do not let that woman find a way back in."

Cassidy forced her throat to open. She swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice steady. "I know. Thank you for telling me." She tried to hide the raw panic choking her words.

"Do not just say you know. Fight for your place," Joy snapped, frustrated by her passive tone. The line went dead.

The phone screen went black. Cassidy stood by the window, letting the moonlight wash over her. She looked at her own reflection in the glass. Her face was pale, her eyes wide and terrified.

She turned her head to look at the massive bed. Cristian was sleeping soundly. He was the most ruthless man in the New York business world, and he was her husband on paper.

The memory of the day they signed the prenuptial agreement three years ago hit her like a physical blow. The boardroom had been freezing. He had slid the thick stack of papers across the table, looking at her as if she were a quarterly earnings report. He had told her he needed a wife who would not cause trouble to secure his family trust. He said she was suitable.

She had thought that as long as she played the role of the quiet, obedient wife, she could keep this spot beside him forever.

But Hayden was back. The woman everyone called his first love. The golden girl. Cassidy's deep-rooted inferiority complex clawed at her chest, making it hard to pull air into her lungs.

A blast of cold air blew from the AC vent above her. Cassidy shivered violently. She crossed her arms, hugging her own thin shoulders.

The man on the bed shifted. Cristian's voice, thick and raspy with sleep, cut through the dark. "What are you doing standing over there?"

Cassidy's spine snapped straight. She instantly forced her facial muscles to relax, putting on the mild, agreeable mask she always wore for him.

She turned around and walked slowly back toward the bed. "I was just thirsty. I got up to get some water."

Cristian did not question her. He patted the empty space beside him on the mattress. "Come back to bed," he ordered. It was not a request.

Cassidy climbed back under the covers. She let him pull her back into his chest, his arms locking her in place like a steel trap.

Cristian closed his eyes. His breathing evened out almost immediately. He had no idea that her entire world had just collapsed.

Cassidy stared blankly at the ceiling. Her fingers dug into the expensive sheets. Her stomach twisted into a tight knot. She knew she would not sleep a single second tonight.