Chapter 5

Brennan left and didn't come back. He sent a servant to the hospital every day with food, a gesture of care that was as hollow as his promises. I was a prisoner in a private room, his watchful eyes always on me through his staff.

I ignored the pretense. I focused on my plan. I spoke to the doctor in hushed tones, away from the ears of Brennan' s servants. I made a deal. My freedom in exchange for information I had on a rival of his, a man the doctor had his own reasons to dislike.

One evening, Brennan appeared unexpectedly. He was dressed in a tailored suit, looking every bit the powerful syndicate boss.

"Get dressed," he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. "We're going to the foundation's charity gala."

The foundation. He had started it in my name years ago, a way to launder his reputation, to present a civilized face to the world. I used to attend these events with him, playing the part of the devoted wife and his personal secretary, a silent partner in his empire.

The thought of going now, of playing that role again, was nauseating. But then I remembered. This was my last night. My escape was set for tomorrow. What did one more night of humiliation matter?

"Alright," I said.

A car took me to the lavish hotel where the gala was being held. As I was wheeled into the grand ballroom, the first thing I saw was Debbi, perched on Brennan' s lap, laughing as he whispered something in her ear.

They were surrounded by the city's elite, men and women who smiled at Brennan, oblivious to the monster he was. They saw a powerful man, a philanthropist. I heard someone behind me whisper, "Look at them. He adores her."

The words were a bitter poison. I was the one who was supposed to be by his side. I was the one he used to adore. Now, I was a forgotten relic, pushed into a corner in a wheelchair.

You can't hide love. And you can't fake it. The way he looked at her, the way his hand rested on her waist... it was a public declaration.

Debbi saw me. She slid off his lap and walked over, her smile a mask of sweet innocence. "Alyssa, thank you so much for the gift."

I frowned. "What gift?"

She giggled. "The foundation, silly. Brennan is giving it to me. To help launch my art career."

My head felt like it was going to explode. The foundation was my last connection to my father' s legacy, the one part of his world that was meant for good. It was my baby. Brennan and I had built it together. He once said it was like our child.

And he was giving it away. To her.

"Some of your father's old loyalists objected," Debbi continued, her voice a triumphant whisper. "But with you here tonight, it's a sign of your approval. It shuts them all up."

I couldn't breathe. He had brought me here as a prop. A tool to dismantle the last piece of my family's honor.

I spun my wheelchair around, the wheels squeaking in protest, and pushed myself towards him.

"Brennan," I choked out, my voice thick with unshed tears. "The foundation..."

He cut me off. "It's for the best, Alyssa. Debbi has real talent. It's a worthy cause."

Debbi leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Oh, Brennan, I love you."

He smiled, a genuine, besotted smile that I hadn' t seen on his face in years. He kissed her back, a long, lingering kiss, right in front of me, in front of the whole world.

"Don't make a scene," he warned me, his eyes cold and hard.

The lights in the ballroom dimmed. A spotlight hit the stage. The master of ceremonies announced Debbi Foley as the new face of the foundation. She walked onto the stage, holding Brennan' s hand.

She gave a speech, full of false modesty and declarations of happiness. Then Brennan stepped forward. He produced a velvet box from his pocket. Inside was a diamond necklace, a cascade of fire and ice.

It was the necklace I had pointed out in a magazine months ago. The one I had dreamed of.

He fastened it around her neck. "To my one and only," he said into the microphone, his voice echoing through the silent room. "Forever."

A strangled laugh escaped my lips. It was all a show. A grand, public spectacle designed to cement her position and erase me completely.

I couldn't take it anymore. I turned my wheelchair and fled the ballroom. I found my way to a deserted rooftop terrace, the city lights a blur through my tears.

I leaned against the railing, trying to catch my breath, when I saw them. In a darkened corner, Debbi was whispering urgently to someone. A man.

He turned his head slightly, and the faint light from the street below illuminated his profile.

My heart stopped.

Gianna Zimmerman's brother. The sociopathic son of our most hated rival, a man Brennan himself had exiled years ago after he had tried to kill me.