Chapter 1

"The year I went completely off the rails, I played the part of a girl from the wrong side of the tracks and became the kept woman of the Manhattan tycoon, Cole Blackwood.

In public, he was glacial. In private, a storm of a man, possessive and insatiable.

I developed a taste for it. For three wild months, I let myself drown in him. Then, the novelty wore off.

Just as I was about to call it quits, I overheard someone warning him:

""You need to be careful with Ava. The last thing you want is to get her pregnant. Those true-believer types, the ones who think it’s a fairytale, are the hardest to get rid of.""

Cole's voice was flat, devoid of emotion.

""Enough money solves any problem.""

He paused. ""Besides, the girl’s in the thick of it. Incredibly clingy. There’s no rush.""

Clingy?

Was he talking about me?

That was funny. Because I seemed to recall him, drunk and wrecked, weeping and begging me never to leave him.

And I happened to have recorded the whole thing.

1

When I woke up, Cole was gone. He had an overseas conference call and had vanished into his home office before dawn.

I sat at the vanity, staring at my reflection. I looked like I’d been drained by an incubus, beautifully wrecked and utterly exhausted. I let out a heavy breath. I couldn’t take another day of this decadent, all-consuming life.

But when I finally mustered the courage to walk to his office, ready to end things, I heard the voice of his partner, Leo Hutton, gossiping.

""Cole, that twenty-million-dollar pink diamond you snapped up at auction… don't tell me you gave it to Ava?""

I instinctively glanced down at the ring sparkling on my finger, a fiery constellation of light. The one he’d slid on my finger in the heated aftermath of a long night, whispering promises.

""It was only twenty million. Don't be so dramatic.""

Hearing that cool dismissal, Leo fell silent for a beat, then let out a whistle of disbelief.

""No way, you actually gave it to her? Can a girl like that even tell the difference between glass and a masterpiece?"" His tone shifted, becoming more serious. ""Cole, buddy, just a friendly warning. A girl from her background… she’s not your world.""

""I know.""

Leo sounded relieved. ""Good, just as long as you know what you’re doing. But still, be careful. Don't get her pregnant. Those girls who are all in on the romance, they’re the hardest to shake.""

A bitter laugh almost escaped my lips. In the span of sixty seconds, he’d managed to insult me for fifty-nine of them. The last second was him catching his breath.

And then came Cole’s response. A soft hum of agreement, followed by his chillingly detached voice.

""Enough money solves any problem.""

""Besides, the girl’s in the thick of it. Incredibly clingy. There’s no rush.""

Clingy?

Me?

That was rich, considering the last time I’d been filming a dance video for my socials, he’d stumbled into my room, reeking of whiskey, and cried while making me promise I would never, ever leave him.

A moment I had, quite accidentally, recorded.

2

As I stood there, reeling, my phone buzzed. A message from Cole.

Cole: You awake?

I scrambled back to the bed, arranged myself into a convincing just-woken-up pose, and snapped a picture to send back.

His reply was instantaneous: You little siren.

Before I could even process that, a video call request popped up. The moment I accepted, my screen was filled with a landscape of bronzed pectoral muscle. By now, I was immune. I even let a small, unimpressed smirk grace my lips.

Cole chuckled, a low rumble through the phone’s speaker. ""Trying to tempt me?""

Seriously? The way his voice dropped into that breathy, intimate register… who was tempting whom here?

My face went cold. ""Cole, we need to break up.""

If I’d felt a shred of guilt before today, it had completely evaporated the second I heard him dissecting me with his friend.

The other end went silent for a moment.

""Which new collection caught your eye this time?""

""I'm serious. This isn't a joke.""

""The new limited-edition crocodile Birkin is in the walk-in closet. Third shelf from the left. Help yourself.""

I was speechless. Leo really should have been in here to see who the real simp was.

When I didn't respond, he lit a cigar, his eyes holding the camera’s gaze for three long seconds. Then, a slow, knowing smile spread across his face. His voice turned husky, intimate. ""Baby, was I too rough last night? Did I hurt you?""

At the mention of last night, I had to physically restrain myself from cursing him out. I tried to reason with him instead. ""We're not compatible.""

""I think we're very compatible,"" he purred, a deeply suggestive smile playing on his lips.

I started grasping at straws.

""You have a dog; I have a cat. Your Doberman terrorizes my Persian.""

""I love sleeping in; you're up at dawn hitting the gym.""

""I crave burgers and fries; you lecture me about goji berries and kale.""

""It just doesn't work, Cole. Can't we be adults about this and have a clean break?""

I laid it all out in a rush, not noticing the storm clouds gathering in his expression.

The next thing I knew, bang!

The office door was thrown open with violent force. Cole stood there, radiating an arctic chill. His eyes were like chips of ice.

""Ava,"" he said, his voice a low, dangerous hum. ""Don't forget. You're the one who came after me."""