Chapter 1

Five years ago, on the day I was supposed to marry my high school sweetheart, Ryan Morris, he left me standing alone in my simple white dress.

He called me from the road, his voice rushed.

"Jocelyn, I can't. I'm sorry."

"What do you mean, you can't? I'm waiting for you at the courthouse."

"It's Sabrina. Her family is in a huge crisis. She needs me. I have to go to her."

I stood there, the phone pressed to my ear, feeling nothing and everything all at once. Ten years of my life, ten years of supporting his dreams, cooking his meals, paying his bills while he chased status, all ended with a phone call about another woman.

Heartbroken didn't even begin to cover it. That same week, I packed my bags. My godparents had a long-standing offer for me to study in Paris, a world away from New Orleans and the ghost of Ryan Morris. I took it.

In Paris, I threw myself into my passion, pastry. I healed. And I met Andrew Blakely. His family, the Blakelys, were titans in New Orleans, owners of a hotel and real estate empire. I knew of them through my godparents, who had connections to the family. Andrew was nothing like Ryan. He was quiet, steady, and saw me for who I was, not what I could do for him. He loved me.

We married. Now, five years after being abandoned, I was back in New Orleans. I was Jocelyn Blakely, three months pregnant with our first child, here for Andrew' s grandfather' s 80th birthday gala. Andrew was stuck in Europe on business, so I had to travel alone.

The private jet landed smoothly. I walked out into the humid New Orleans air, a familiar sting in my nose. A driver was supposed to be waiting for me, holding a sign for "Mrs. Blakely."

I saw the sign. And I saw the man holding it.

Ryan Morris.

His face, once the center of my world, was now just a collection of features I used to know. He was with another valet, a younger guy who practically vibrated with arrogance. That must be Brian.

Ryan' s eyes widened when he saw me. A flicker of disbelief, then a slow, mocking smirk spread across his face.

"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in. Jocelyn Fuller."

Brian snickered beside him. "This is the famous ex you told me about, Ry? The one who couldn't keep you?"

Ryan ignored him, his eyes raking over me, from my simple dress to my flat shoes. He clearly didn't recognize the quality of the fabric or the quiet luxury of my handbag. He just saw the same girl he'd left behind.

"What, you heard I made it big as head valet and came crawling back?" he asked, his voice dripping with condescension. "Tough luck, sweetheart. I'm with Sabrina now. In fact, she's pregnant."

He leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "But I'll tell you what. Sabrina needs a personal cook. The pay's not great, but for you? It's a step up, right?"

I just looked at him, a cold calm settling over me. The years of pain had burned away, leaving behind something hard and unbreakable.

"No, thank you, Ryan."

My voice was even, devoid of the emotion he expected. It seemed to throw him off.

Just then, a woman with a saccharine-sweet smile and cold eyes walked up and looped her arm through Ryan's. Sabrina.

"Ryan, honey, who's this?" she asked, her eyes flicking over me with disdain.

"Just an old friend from the neighborhood," Ryan said, puffing out his chest. "Down on her luck. I was just offering her a job."

Sabrina' s eyes landed on the locket around my neck. It was a bespoke piece, a delicate, handcrafted gold locket Andrew had commissioned from a famous Parisian jeweler. He' d even featured it on the Blakely Corporation's social media, a teaser for their new luxury line. It was a one-of-a-kind piece, instantly recognizable to anyone who followed high society or luxury brands.

Sabrina, a hotel receptionist obsessed with status, clearly recognized it. But she couldn't reconcile the locket with the woman she thought I was.

"Oh, how cute," she cooed, her voice laced with poison. "Trying to impress someone with a cheap knock-off? I saw the real one on the Blakelys' Instagram. You think wearing a fake will get you noticed by the rich folks in this town? Pathetic."

She reached out to grab it. I stepped back.

"Don't touch me."

Brian, the sycophant, saw his chance to score points. "She's trying to pass herself off as Mrs. Blakely! Let me see that piece of junk!"

He lunged forward, his fingers grabbing for the locket. I twisted away, but not before Ryan gave me a hard shove.

"Stop making a scene, Jocelyn!"

The push sent me stumbling backward. I lost my footing and fell hard onto the polished airport floor. A sharp pain shot through my abdomen, and a wave of fear washed over me. I instinctively curled my body, my hands flying to my stomach to protect my baby.

For a split second, I saw a flicker of something in Ryan' s eyes-shock, maybe even concern. But then Sabrina let out a fake gasp.

"Oh, my goodness! Ryan, are you okay? She tried to attack you!"

His attention snapped back to her immediately. He helped her up, fussing over her as if she were the one who had fallen.

Disgust churned in my stomach, stronger than the pain. I pushed myself up, my body trembling with a mixture of rage and fear. I looked at the three of them-Ryan, the narcissist; Sabrina, the manipulator; and Brian, the bully. They were a perfect, miserable trio.

Without another word, I turned my back on them, walked away, and hailed the first cab I saw.

"The Blakely Estate," I told the driver, my voice shaking slightly.

As the car pulled away, I glanced back. I saw them huddled together, laughing. They thought they had won. They had no idea the war was just beginning.