Chapter 1

At a charity gala in Manhattan, a reporter asked the final question of the night.

"Mr. Hayes, whose name will be on the $200 million trust you announced tonight?"

The question had barely left her lips before knowing laughter rippled through the crowd.

The answer was obvious.

It could only be me —— his wife and the heiress to Lockwood Holdings, Chloe Lockwood.

I was about to stand and share in his moment.

But my husband, Eric Hayes, dropped a bombshell.

"It will be named for the most important person in my life: the girl I once shared a bed with."

"When I was broke and had nowhere to go, she gave me half her bed. We split the rent on a $350 attic room."

"Her warmth was the only reason I could sleep at night."

"Without her encouragement, I wouldn't be who I am today."

The reporter scrambled to recover.

"Mr. Hayes is clearly a man of deep loyalty. What a beautiful story you share with Ms. Lockwood!"

"Not Chloe. Another woman."

Eric corrected her without hesitation.

Every pair of eyes in the room landed on me.

Three seconds of silence passed. I leaned toward my assistant Vivian and gave her two quiet orders.

"Find her."

"Then... strip Eric of everything."

Chapter 1

"Who is she?"

I cornered Eric in the hallway outside the lounge.

He pressed his lips together.

"Drop it, Chloe. I haven't found her yet."

"That's not possible."

I smiled, studying him.

"Your business took off five years ago."

"The first thing you did was buy your parents a mansion."

"The second was a luxury car for your brother."

"You found jobs for every relative, teacher, and former classmate you could think of. You practically put the neighborhood strays on the payroll."

"A man that loyal wouldn't simply forget the most important roommate he ever shared a bed with, would he?"

I ground out those last few words through clenched teeth.

Sure enough, the color drained from Eric's face.

"Chloe, don't test me."

"Then you've underestimated me, Eric."

I reached up and traced the side of his face, a taunting smile on my lips.

He went rigid, then slid a broad hand around my waist.

A waiter hurried past, face flushing red.

Eric's voice turned gentle.

"Sweetheart, this is only about gratitude."

"Those years in the attic were brutal. What we went through together carried me through the lowest point of my life."

"You were born a Lockwood. You don't have to understand the bonds people form when they have nothing. But gratitude isn't betrayal."

"Relax. We just slept in the same bed with a blanket between us. Nothing happened."

He paused.

"You're the only woman I will ever call my wife, Chloe."

He rarely said things like that.

My heart softened. I was about to call off the order when I caught a sweet, cloying scent on him.

It wasn't my chypre perfume. This was a cheap berry-vanilla fragrance.

It clung to the lapel of his suit.

I lowered my eyes and nodded.

"But sweetheart, you embarrassed me tonight. You owe me."

Eric let out a quiet breath of relief.

A placating smile spread across his face.

"Of course, sweetheart."

Eric took me back to the Long Island estate.

As compensation, he would cook for me himself.

The food was good.

But my attention stayed on my phone.

Within half an hour, my team had identified the roommate who once shared that attic bed with Eric.

Her name was Jane Miller, and she worked at Hayes Capital.

I narrowed my eyes. I'd never heard of her.

She wasn't his secretary or a senior executive.

She was just the receptionist.

And she had been there since the day the company opened.

It clicked instantly.

Eric was afraid that promoting her would catch my attention. He was afraid I would go after Jane.

With every line I read, another wave of cold washed through me.

Last month, Eric had claimed he was flying to Silicon Valley for a closed-door tech conference.

But flight-control records showed his private jet landing on Maui instead.

He had rented a beachfront villa for $60,000 a night. The bill carried his signature, and Jane was the only person traveling with him.

Like a fool, I'd worried he might be uncomfortable away from home and wired him extra spending money.

I gave a bitter laugh at the memory.

Eric suddenly snatched my phone and slapped it facedown on the table.

He rolled up his sleeves, cut off a piece of steak, and held the fork to my lips.

I opened my mouth out of habit.

Watching me chew, he smiled.

"Eat up, sweetheart. Put the phone away."

My body went rigid.

The sharp burn of chili flooded my mouth, sending heat tearing through me. I couldn't breathe.

I spat it out immediately.

"What's wrong?"

Eric hurried over and patted my back.

I slapped his hand away.

"Eric, you know I'm allergic to chili peppers."

The butler, who had been waiting discreetly nearby, hurried over with a small bow and apologized.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hayes. I stocked the kitchen according to the way you usually cook. I didn't know Ms. Lockwood was allergic to chiles."

Eric went still. Then he met my searching gaze.

"I'm allergic to chiles. You don't even like spicy food."

"So who does?"

Eric didn't need to answer. The file about Jane on my phone had already spelled it all out.

"Jane loves spicy food. You've taken her to every spicy restaurant in Manhattan. Here are the receipts."

"But her favorite is still your cooking."

Eric took a deep breath and quickly regained his composure.

"Jane visited the estate once, so I cooked for her."

The butler realized what he had revealed and nodded too quickly.

I locked my phone.

"Good. From now on, no one enters this estate without my permission."

The butler bowed and gave a deferential nod.

Beside me, Eric clenched his jaw, his chest rising and falling.

Chapter 2

The next morning, I walked through the glass doors of Hayes Capital.

As Eric's only investor, I kept an office in the building.

Since I rarely came by, the staff didn't quite recognize me.

"Who's that?"

"That's the heiress to Lockwood Holdings. She's also the boss's wife!"

"She's gorgeous. They say the boss owes his entire career to her."

Amid the whispers, the young woman behind reception tried to slip away.

My eyes locked onto her instantly.

"Jane."

I tapped the desk. She stopped, guilt all over her face.

"Come to my office."

She gritted her teeth and followed me in, clearly reluctant.

"Take it off."

I stared at the watch hanging on a chain around her neck like a pendant, my voice flat.

"The watch. Take it off."

Jane immediately clutched the watch to her chest and lifted her chin, her voice sharpening.

"Ms. Lockwood, you may run the world, but you don't get to police what employees wear."

I leaned against the sofa and stared her down.

"A 1968 vintage Patek Philippe."

"Eric bought it last week at an auction in Geneva with an Amex Centurion card in my name. So why are you wearing it, Ms. Miller?"

"Unless... you stole it?"

Jane flinched hard, her face going red with panic.

"No... I didn't."

"Then how did you get it?"

"Mr. Hayes gave it to me."

"Oh?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"You're not family, and you're not a key employee. Why would he give you something that expensive?"

"You stole it, didn't you, sweetheart? That watch is valuable enough to put you in prison for decades."

"I didn't."

Jane raised her voice, abandoning all caution.

She deliberately thrust out her chest and pulled down her collar, exposing the dark red marks on her neck.

"Ms. Lockwood, if you already know, there's no point in pretending."

"I'm the most important roommate Eric ever shared a bed with. He gave me the watch. Is that explanation good enough for you?"

She leaned against the desk, shamelessly daring me to react.

"Eric and I shared a bed for two years. We fell asleep in each other's arms every night. He told me my embrace was the warmest place in the world."

"And we explored all kinds of things in that bed, things far more interesting than financial reports. So yes, he thinks about me. He bought me a watch to say thank you. What's wrong with that?"

"Leave the watch. Then get out."

"What?"

I stood. My voice was ice.

"That belongs to me. If you want to keep it, pay me $50 million."

"Also, you're fired."

"Why?"

"Because I can't stand you."

I pulled out a tablet and tapped the screen several times.

"You're fired. Your employment contract is frozen effective immediately." I turned to the head of security. "Recover any Lockwood property in her possession and escort her from the building. If she resists, call the police."

Two broad-shouldered security officers stepped forward and clamped down on Jane's shoulders.

"What are you doing! Let go of me!" She shrieked, clearly never expecting me to follow through.

Security threw her out of the building.

The employees pointed and whispered, unable to understand why I had come all this way to fire a receptionist.

I brushed off my hands and turned to leave. Then Jane ran back inside.

She was smiling, but she put on an aggrieved little voice.

"Eric, Ms. Lockwood fired me."

Eric stepped out from behind her, his face dark with fury.

"Jane has done nothing wrong. She's diligent and responsible. Reinstate her. Jane, get back to work."

"Yes, sir."

Jane answered brightly. She swayed past me and deliberately bumped my shoulder.

"No. Fire her."

"This is my company. What gives you the right to fire my employees?"

"This building is wholly owned by Lockwood Holdings. I'm the majority shareholder."

The whispering intensified as employees backed away.

"If I say she leaves today, she leaves."

I stared into Eric's eyes, cold and unflinching.

The next instant, a slap cracked through the air.

A brutal force sent me reeling sideways, and my lower back struck the edge of a desk.

"There's my answer, Chloe."

"Eric!"

Behind him, Jane suddenly clutched her chest and began coughing violently. "Eric... I can't breathe... my asthma..."

Panic flashed across Eric's face. He swept her into his arms.

He didn't spare me a single glance as he strode out the door.

The employees erupted into whispers around me.

I stood frozen, my face burning where he had hit me.

Ten minutes later, my phone rang.

The number was unfamiliar, but I knew instantly it was Jane.

"You probably had no idea, Ms. Lockwood. Eric has been sharing a bed with me for years."

"He says I'm the only woman who can turn him on."

"Every night he spends with you makes him sick."

I braced a hand against my lower back and slowly straightened.

My voice came out ice-cold.

"Eric, you are going to pay for this. Every last cent."

Chapter 3

Eric didn't come home until two in the morning.

He switched on the light, saw me sitting up in bed, and startled.

Then he found an ice pack and held it to my swollen cheek.

His expression was grim.

"Chloe, you had no right to treat one of my employees like that."

I gave a cold laugh.

"Employee? Or bedmate?"

He clearly had not expected the question. His expression darkened.

"So you know."

"Yes. I can't believe you slept with a woman like her. It's disgusting."

Eric's face turned stone-cold.

"Nothing happened between us. Smear me if you want, but don't lie about Jane."

"You threw her out in front of all those people. Did you ever stop to think about how she felt?"

Eric's chest heaved, accusation and resentment burning in his eyes.

My heart clenched.

"What about me?"

"What?"

"You hit me in front of all those people. Did you ever stop to think about how I felt?"

"Eric, have you forgotten the promise you made me?"

Eric pressed his lips together.

He remembered. When our relationship became serious, he had stood before my parents and made a solemn promise.

"Mr. and Mrs. Lockwood, from this day forward, Chloe comes before everything else in my life. I will never let anyone humiliate or mistreat her."

I laughed at myself.

"I'm the heiress to Lockwood Holdings, the proudest woman in Manhattan."

"And you shattered my dignity and my pride in front of all those people."

Eric stayed silent for a long time before speaking.

"I'm sorry, Chloe."

"But don't go after Jane again."

He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"The office."

I laughed bitterly.

We rarely slept in the same bed.

Eric said he had insomnia and didn't want to disturb me, so he often slept alone at his office.

I'd never questioned it.

Until Jane's text blew the lie apart.

"You're going to go share a bed with Jane?"

My voice was flat.

His steps faltered, and his voice rose.

"I told you, nothing is going on between us."

I was not going to argue. I changed the subject.

"Come with me to the nursing home tomorrow morning. Grandpa wants to see you."

Eric turned, resistance written all over his face.

"I have a business trip tomorrow."

I stared at him.

"You need to be there."

"Grandpa wants to see you."

He gritted his teeth and finally gave a halfhearted nod.

Eric slammed the door hard enough to shake the room.

When I accessed the flight-control system, I found that Eric had reserved an entire private island and filed a flight plan for the Caribbean.

The file noted that Jane would receive her green card the next day and that Eric was planning a private celebration for her.

Business trip. All lies.

My grandfather, Harold Lockwood, had been in heart failure for some time. His last wish was to see Eric once more. There were things he needed to tell him.

The next morning, I sat on the sofa with flowers and gifts, waiting. Eric never appeared.

I decided to go alone.

When I arrived at the nursing home, Grandpa lay in bed, his complexion gray.

He strained to look toward the doorway, his voice rough and hoarse.

"Hasn't Eric... come yet? I need to tell him a few things..."

"He's on his way, Grandpa."

I held my grandfather's cold, withered hand and texted Eric.

"Sweetheart, please come see Grandpa. Just once. That's all I'm asking."

"I swear on the Lockwood name that I'll never go after Jane again."

Eric replied, "Fine."

Two hours later, Eric arrived.

But Jane was right behind him.

Chapter 4

Neither Grandpa nor I had expected that.

I swallowed my anger and pulled Eric aside, whispering through my teeth.

"What are you doing?"

His gaze slid to Jane in her bright red gown.

"Jane has a kind heart. She wanted to visit Grandpa too."

I clenched my jaw.

"Eric, you'd better pray she doesn't try anything."

Grandpa looked to Eric for an explanation.

"Eric... who is this?"

Eric was about to answer, but Jane beat him to it.

"Hello, Mr. Lockwood. I'm Jane Miller. Eric said you don't have much time left, so he brought me to say hello."

"Jane."

I cut her off, my tone warning enough.

Jane flashed a sly smile.

"Sorry, Ms. Lockwood. I tend to say exactly what I think."

"Mr. Lockwood, look at this."

Jane suddenly pulled a sheet of paper from her bag and tossed it onto Grandpa's bed.

I tried to stop her, but it was already too late.

The moment Grandpa read it, a terrible rattle tore from his throat.

He clutched his chest with one hand, his eyes rolling back, while his other arm flailed wildly, smashing the bedside monitor.

"Grandpa!"

I screamed.

"Help! Doctor! Doctor!"

Eric rushed to the door and locked it.

He patted Jane's back as she covered her face and sobbed.

Then he looked at Grandpa, his eyes cold.

"Grandpa, Jane came to see you out of kindness. Why are you taking your anger out on her? You owe her an apology."

"Eric!" Terror ripped through me. I glared at him through clenched teeth.

Grandpa's breathing became even more labored.

His body suddenly jerked, and he collapsed onto the bed.

Eric froze.

Outside, the doctor pounded urgently on the door.

I lunged at Eric and seized his collar.

"Open the door! Let the doctor in! Grandpa needs emergency care!"

Eric lowered his eyes.

"Apologize to Jane on Grandpa's behalf."

"She's sensitive. He terrified her."

I couldn't believe he was still demanding an apology. To him, that mattered more than my grandfather's life.

"What did you just say!"

"Apologize."

"In your dreams."

Jane looped her arm through Eric's and arched a brow at me.

"Then the door stays locked."

As she spoke, Grandpa convulsed again.

My heart seized.

"I apologize... I apologize. I'm sorry, Ms. Miller."

"Eric, open the door. Now. Save him."

A team of medical staff poured in.

Two minutes later, the doctor lowered his mask, face ashen, and shook his head.

"Ms. Lockwood... we missed our chance to revive him. Mr. Lockwood... is gone."

The air seemed to vanish from the room.

My mind went blank.

My hand moved mechanically to cover my grandfather's stiffening fingers.

On the floor in the corner, a piece of paper had fallen.

I picked it up.

It was a prenatal report.

Three months pregnant.

Father: Eric Hayes.

Mother: Jane Miller.

"Ha..."

I pulled at one corner of my mouth, no longer sure whether to laugh or cry.

"Someone bring Jane to me. In restraints."

"As for Eric..."