Chapter 1 The Woman Who Was Never Chosen

Out on the ocean bridge, two cars raced neck and neck across the slick asphalt, locked in a heart-pounding chase that felt straight out of an action movie.

Gripping the steering wheel with all the strength she had left, Dayna Murray pushed through the stabbing pain that burned deep in her abdomen. Her foot slammed down on the gas pedal again, urging the car forward with everything it had.

But in the rearview mirror, the kidnappers' vehicle loomed closer and closer.

They were gaining on her fast. Another few seconds, and they'd ram her off the road.

Only three hours earlier, she and Madison Reid had been abducted. Breaking free had pushed Dayna past every limit, but somehow, she'd pulled it off.

But what she didn't expect was the sheer persistence. The men were glued to their tail, refusing to let them escape for good.

In the passenger seat, Madison was visibly shaking, her complexion paper-white. Her voice cracked with fear. "Dayna, if I die out here, Declan will never forgive you!"

Dayna's grip on the wheel tightened and she threw a freezing glare her way. "Shut up."

Calculating the distance and speed in her head, she made a snap decision.

"Open the door," she ordered sharply. "We're jumping."

Even as the words left her mouth, she was already reaching for the handle of her own door.

"I-I can't!" Madison's voice rose in panic, her breath coming in shallow bursts. "I'm scared. I can't do it!"

"Then stay here and die," Dayna hissed, her gaze sharp and unflinching.

Up ahead, the bridge curved into a sharp bend right as they neared the tunnel exit.

"Jump now!" Dayna shouted.

She didn't wait. She let off the gas and threw herself from the speeding car. Madison, shaking, leapt after her.

The turn was sharp and sudden, and their jump had caught the kidnappers completely off guard.

A thunderous crash followed as the two vehicles smashed together, metal on metal.

Dayna's body hit the road hard, tumbling over and over until she skidded to a breathless stop.

The pain was blinding, like her bones had all been shattered under a massive weight.

And then came the blast. One of the cars burst into flames behind her, the blast wave tossing her like a rag doll.

Coughing, she clutched her chest and swallowed hard, pushing the rising blood back down.

Then she heard the low roar of a car coming closer.

Dayna lifted her head, hope sparking faintly in her exhausted eyes.

It was her husband, Declan Foster.

Dressed sharply in black, he came rushing toward them, his expression tight with a wild desperation she had never seen from him before.

Bracing herself on trembling arms, she called out softly, "Declan..." and stumbled toward him.

However, he didn't even glance her way. Without hesitation, he moved right past her and pulled Madison into his arms.

Dayna's eyes went wide. Of course, it was always her. Always Madison.

Her heart twisted, and she suddenly felt cold all over, like the wind had been knocked out of her.

Declan was her husband, but time and again, no matter what, Madison always came first.

Even now, after barely making it out alive, he didn't check on her-he ran straight to Madison's side.

A wave of relief crossed Declan's face as he held Madison close and began fussing over her.

"Maddie, are you hurt?" he asked, concern filling his voice.

Madison leaned on his shoulder, sobbing softly. "You got here just in time. If you hadn't shown up, Dayna would've gotten me killed."

Declan's expression darkened as he turned to Dayna. "You set all this up, didn't you?" His voice was sharp with fury.

Dayna looked stunned. "We were both taken! I nearly got myself killed trying to save her!"

Madison had only slowed things down. If Dayna hadn't been stuck helping her, she wouldn't be hurt this badly.

And now, instead of being thankful, Madison was blaming her?

With fake tears in her eyes, Madison hissed, "This was your plan all along. You worked with the kidnappers-one of them told me everything!"

Dayna's jaw clenched as she stared at her, stunned. She always knew Madison had no shame, but this? This was beyond anything she'd imagined.

Honestly, at this point, she wouldn't be surprised if Madison had staged the entire kidnapping herself.

After all, it was Dayna who'd been beaten by those kidnappers, not Madison.

Holding back her fury, Dayna met Madison's gaze with cold steel in her eyes. "You'll pay for every filthy lie that just left your mouth."

"Dayna!" Declan jumped in front of Madison like a guard dog, his voice filled with nothing but contempt. "How could you be this cruel? I can't believe I married someone like you! We'll settle this when I return!"

And just like that, he turned his back on her and walked off with Madison.

Dayna didn't move. The bruises on her body were nothing compared to the agony in her chest.

It was as if something inside her had cracked wide open.

What was the point of defending herself when Declan never believed her anyway?

Just a whimper or one tearful look from Madison, and Declan would take her side-without question, every time.

Dayna's arms hung stiff at her sides as she watched him lift Madison effortlessly and hurry toward the car.

Madison leaned against him gently, her movements soft and graceful, but even then, she managed to throw Dayna a smug, mocking glance.

It was the middle of June, yet Dayna had never felt such a chill run through her before.

Her mind drifted back to that night years ago when Declan crashed his car and she had risked her own life to drag him out of the wreckage with her own hands.

After that, she blacked out from the effort.

When she came to, the story was already twisted-Madison had claimed she was the hero. And no matter how hard Dayna tried to tell the truth, Declan never listened. In his eyes, Madison had saved him, and Dayna was just a bitter liar desperate for attention.

From day one, Dayna had understood that this marriage wasn't about love. It was a cold transaction between two powerful families. And as for Declan's affection? That had always been reserved for Madison.

In three long years of their marriage, Declan hadn't given Dayna a single ounce of warmth. Even the basic courtesy owed to a spouse had been too much to expect.

The very night before they were to wed, Madison had set Dayna up to look like she'd cheated on Declan. Nothing had really happened, but Declan had seen Dayna as dirty ever since.

And from that moment forward, Dayna's world turned into a nightmare.

Her father was suddenly accused of drug abuse and locked away in rehab. With no one left to run Murray Group, Declan stepped in-seizing control without hesitation.

Dayna's mother had passed years ago, the poor woman's heart broken by her own husband's betrayal. Dayna had grown up resenting her father, believing he had earned his fall from grace.

So at the time, when Declan offered to step in and save the company, she had been grateful, blindly so.

But it wasn't until much later that the truth dawned on her-none of it was coincidence. It had all been a trap.

Her father's downfall had been carefully staged by Declan. The company hadn't been rescued-it had been swallowed whole. Every part of it was part of Declan's scheme.

And once he'd gotten everything he wanted, all that remained was loathing. He stopped coming home. And on the rare occasions they crossed paths, it always ended with her dignity in pieces.

The memories came flooding back, crashing over Dayna like a storm she couldn't escape.

Dayna stumbled forward before her strength gave out completely. Blood spilled from her lips, and then everything faded into darkness.