Chapter 3

Chloe' s best friend, a woman with a voice like shattering glass, cackled into a microphone.

"And now, for the moment we' ve all been waiting for! The terms of surrender!"

A massive screen flickered to life, projecting the prenuptial agreement.

The guests roared with laughter as the humiliating clauses scrolled by.

Leo Evans forfeits all claims to Vanderbilt assets, current and future.

Leo Evans will perform all duties as requested by Chloe Vanderbilt without complaint.

Leo Evans' s personal spending is not to exceed a stipend of $500 a week.

I remembered the heat of shame that had consumed me. I had felt like a servant being bought.

Now, I felt a cold, sharp clarity. This document wasn' t just an insult, it was a cage.

I walked to the table and signed it without reading.

The laughter died down, replaced by a confused murmur. My compliance was more unsettling than any protest.

"I' m feeling a bit unwell," I said, turning to leave. "I think I' ll head back early."

Chloe blocked my path, her eyes narrowed. She pushed a green smoothie into my hand.

"You look pale. My nutritionist made this for you. Drink it."

In my past life, I drank it without a second thought. I' d spent the next year feeling foggy, slow, and forgetful.

"Thank you, Chloe," I said, my fingers closing around the cold glass.

I held it tightly.

This wasn't a health drink.

It was evidence.