Chapter 1

Seven years ago, on a freezing New York night, I stood outside Ethan Lester' s apartment for five hours, begging him not to leave me. He looked down at me, his face cold, and said the words that broke me.

"Don't be naive, Jocelyn. We're from different worlds."

He took the money my father offered and disappeared from my life, leaving me to shatter. I tried to die twice after that.

Now, seven years later, the roles are reversed.

I am Jocelyn Fuller, CEO of Fuller Properties, a name that makes men twice my age tremble in the New York real estate world.

And Ethan Lester is standing outside my skyscraper, in the same freezing wind, looking up at my office with a desperate hope in his eyes.

My assistant, Caleb Wright, walks in, his expression carefully neutral.

"Ms. Fuller, Mr. Lester is still waiting downstairs. It's been five hours. The wind chill is making it dangerous."

I don't look up from the report on my desk.

"Let him wait."

I know exactly how cold it is. I remember the way the wind cut through my thin coat that night, the way my tears froze on my cheeks. He needs to feel every second of it.

After exactly five hours, I pick up the intercom.

"Caleb, send him up."

When Ethan walks into my office, he looks nothing like the proud, rebellious boy I once loved. The years have been hard on him. He's thinner, his shoulders are slumped, and his eyes carry the heavy weight of failure. He's clutching a worn proposal folder for his indie game studio, Odyssey Games.

He looks at me, a flicker of the old Ethan in his eyes, a mix of shame and longing.

"Jocelyn, I just need five minutes. Please, just look at our proposal."

I lean back in my leather chair, the picture of untouchable power. I let the silence stretch, watching him squirm. Finally, I speak, my voice devoid of any warmth.

"Don't be naive, Ethan."

His face pales. He recognizes the words.

"I'm not giving you another chance."

I see the hope drain from his face, replaced by a raw, familiar pain. It gives me a bitter, hollow satisfaction. This is what I wanted. This is the beginning of his payment.