Chapter 2

I walked out of the clerk's office, the hum of the city already feeling alien.

My first thought was a bus ticket, something fast, something that would take me towards the mountains.

I' d only taken a few steps down the sidewalk when a black SUV pulled up sharply beside me.

Two men in dark suits got out.

"Ms. Vance?" one asked, his voice polite but firm. "Mr. Thorne asked us to escort you."

"I'm not going with you," I said, my hand instinctively going to the small, worn pouch at my hip where my token lay. The pull was stronger now, a beacon.

I tried to push past them.

One of them grabbed my arm, his grip like iron.

I fought, a desperate, wild surge of energy, but they were professionals.

A sharp prick in my neck, and the world tilted, then went dark.

I woke up in a room I didn't recognize.

Sunlight streamed through large windows, illuminating opulent furniture, silk sheets, a vase of flowers that looked too perfect.

My head throbbed.

A uniformed maid entered without knocking. "Mr. Thorne will see you shortly. Breakfast is available if you wish."

Her tone was dismissive, as if I were an inconvenient piece of luggage.

"Where am I?" I demanded.

"Mr. Thorne's coastal estate," she replied, then left.

Coastal estate. The place of so many nightmares.

I tried the door. Locked. The windows were sealed.

Panic clawed at me. I had to get out. My people were coming.

I scanned the room, looking for any weakness, any escape.

Then I heard it – music, faint at first, then swelling. Laughter.

I pressed my ear to the door.

From a window that overlooked a sprawling lawn, I saw it.

White chairs arranged in neat rows. An archway draped in flowers – my flowers, the ones I' d picked out with Liam in what felt like another lifetime.

The estate was being decorated for a wedding.

Not a wedding. His wedding.

Hours later, the door opened.

Liam walked in, looking pleased with himself. Behind him, radiant, was Chloe.

She was wearing a wedding gown.

My wedding gown. The one I had painstakingly designed, the one that was supposed to symbolize our new beginning.

"Savannah," Liam began, a touch of apology in his voice. "I'm glad you're awake."

Chloe glided forward, her smile a perfect mask of sweet concern. "Oh, Savannah, I'm so glad you're here to see this. Liam has been so honorable."

They were already married. The ceremony must have been swift, private.

"He's making things right," Chloe continued, her eyes gleaming with triumph.

Liam puffed up slightly. "Yes, well, it was the only decent thing to do."

My token burned against my skin. Three days. They were getting closer.

I had to stay calm. I had to find a way.