Chapter 4

The party was at Olivia' s family home, a sprawling estate that reeked of old money and hypocrisy. It was even more opulent than Chloe' s father' s house, and filled with the same kind of people-smiling sharks in expensive clothes. Chloe felt like she was suffocating the moment she stepped inside, with Liam' s hand a heavy, possessive weight on the small of her back.

Olivia was the center of attention, of course. She was holding court on a chaise lounge, looking pale and ethereal in a white lace dress. She glowed with a triumphant energy.

Liam led Chloe straight to her. "Olivia, you look beautiful," he said, his voice warmer than Chloe had heard it in days. He leaned down and squeezed Olivia' s hand. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, now that you' re here," Olivia said, her voice a delicate whisper. She gave Chloe a brief, dismissive glance. "Thank you for coming, Chloe. It means so much to me that you' re here to show your support." The words were sweet, but her eyes were daggers.

Throughout the first hour, Chloe watched as Liam fussed over Olivia. He got her a glass of water, making sure it wasn' t too cold. He adjusted the pillow behind her back. He shooed away people who he felt were crowding her. Chloe stood beside him, a silent, invisible ghost. People' s eyes slid over her, their expressions ranging from pity to contempt. She was the other woman, the temporary amusement, and everyone in this room knew it.

Later, Olivia' s stepmother announced it was time for games. "Let' s play a round of 'Two Truths and a Lie' !" she chirped, beaming at the crowd. The game was a thinly veiled excuse to put everyone on the spot.

When it was Liam' s turn, his eyes found Olivia' s. He said, "One: I once closed a billion-dollar deal on a yacht. Two: I hate the color red. Three: I would do anything for the person I care about most."

The room buzzed with speculation. Olivia smiled knowingly. "The lie is that you hate red," she said with confidence. "You wore a red tie to my high school graduation because you knew it was my favorite color."

Liam' s lips curved into a rare, genuine smile. "Correct." He looked directly at Olivia, his gaze soft and full of meaning. The message was clear to everyone, especially Chloe. The person he cared about most, the one he would do anything for, was Olivia. It was a public declaration, disguised as a silly party game. Chloe felt the humiliation burn in her cheeks. She had to get out.

She mumbled an excuse about needing fresh air and slipped out onto the crowded terrace. She found a dark corner, away from the glittering lights and fake laughter, and leaned against the cold stone railing, trying to breathe. The cold night air did little to cool the fire in her gut.

"A pretty thing like you shouldn' t be all alone."

Chloe tensed. A man she didn' t recognize, smelling of whiskey and entitlement, had cornered her against the railing. He was much older, with a leering smile.

"I' m fine," she said, trying to push past him.

He blocked her way, his smile widening. "Don' t be like that. I saw you inside. Sterling' s little plaything. He doesn' t seem to be paying you much attention tonight. Maybe you need a man who appreciates you." He reached out to touch her hair.

"Don' t touch me," Chloe said, her voice low and sharp.

Suddenly, there was a commotion from inside. A woman shrieked Olivia' s name. Chloe' s head whipped around just in time to see Liam rushing past the glass doors, his face a mask of panic. Olivia had apparently fainted. Again. The man harassing Chloe saw it too, and his leer returned.

"See? He' s busy," the man said, grabbing her arm. "He' s got his hands full with the sick girl. He won' t even notice you' re gone."

At that moment, Liam looked up from where he was kneeling beside Olivia. His eyes met Chloe' s. He saw the man holding her arm. He saw the fear and anger on her face. For a split second, their gazes locked. He hesitated. Then, he turned his full attention back to Olivia, lifting her into his arms. He chose. And he didn't choose her.

Something inside Chloe snapped. The last thread of hope, of foolish, lingering affection, broke. She was completely and utterly alone.

A surge of pure, cold rage flooded her. She stopped fighting, stopped being the victim. She drove her stiletto heel down hard on the man' s expensive leather shoe. He howled in pain, his grip on her arm loosening. In that instant, she swung her heavy purse, the one she' d bought in her fit of retail therapy, and hit him square in the face. The sound of the metal clasp connecting with his nose was sickeningly loud.

He staggered back, blood pouring from his nostrils, his eyes wide with shock.

Chloe didn' t wait for his reaction. She pushed past him and ran, not back into the party, but down the terrace steps and into the darkness of the manicured gardens.

She heard Liam calling her name from a distance, but she didn' t stop. She kept running, thorns from rose bushes tearing at her dress, her feet aching, her lungs burning.

When she finally reached the edge of the property, she saw Liam' s car pulling up, him at the wheel. He got out, his face a mixture of fury and something else she couldn' t decipher.

"Chloe, get in the car," he commanded.

"No," she said, her voice raw. "I' m done. I' m done with you, I' m done with her, I' m done with all of this."

As she turned to leave, a figure emerged from the shadows of the house. It was Olivia, miraculously recovered, her face twisted in a sneer of triumph.

"Leaving so soon, sister?" Olivia taunted. "Don' t you want to stay and watch Liam take care of me?"

Chloe ignored her and started walking down the long, dark driveway toward the main road.

"He' ll never love you, you know," Olivia called after her, her voice dripping venom. "You' re just a distraction. A toy. He' ll always come back to me."

Chloe kept walking. She heard Olivia let out a frustrated cry. Then she heard a sickening thud. She turned around. Olivia was lying on the ground at the bottom of the stone steps, her body twisted at an unnatural angle. She wasn' t moving. For a wild, terrible moment, Chloe thought Olivia had thrown herself down the stairs.

Liam rushed to Olivia' s side, his face white with terror. He looked up at Chloe, his eyes filled with a horrifying accusation, as if he believed Chloe had pushed her.