6
Lucas Hart and Cassidy’s wedding was officially set for next month.
Every media outlet was scrambling to cover the story, broadcasting it with such fanfare that it felt impossible to ignore.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t escape it.
While the rest of the world was busy celebrating their upcoming nuptials, I had something else on my mind.
I went to see Ryan Chase–the same Ryan Chase who’d once pursued me for a while.
I didn’t waste any time. I got straight to the point.
“Well, well, look who it is. The great Nora Miller,” Ryan said, his voice dripping with mockery.
“I thought I wasn’t good enough for you.”
5
<
“So,” I asked, ignoring his tone, “do you want to marry me or not?”
My question caught him off guard, but only for a moment.
“Nora, I did chase after you once, but I don’t like you anymore.”
Of course, I already knew that.
He was currently after some up–and–coming actress, pursuing her with the same relentless determination I had
once
Shown for Lucas.
But Ryan’s family was old money, and they’d never allow an actress to marry into their name.
“I can help you,” I said calmly. “If you marry me, I’ll be the perfect cover.”
Ryan raised an eyebrow, considering my words. It was clear he couldn’t find a reason to refuse.
“Fine,” he said after a pause. “But let’s be clear–you don’t get to interfere in my personal life.”
He said it like he was negotiating some top–secret deal.
“Don’t worry,” I replied, my voice even. “All I need is a marriage certificate. You’re free to do whatever you want.”
“Deal!”
Ryan grinned and clasped my hand, his touch overly familiar.
I wanted to pull away but stopped myself.
It didn’t matter anymore. I had no intention of falling in love again.
Who I married didn’t make a difference.
This was the only way to put Lucas Hart at ease.
Out of everyone I knew, Ryan was the best choice.
We could live our own lives without interfering in each other’s.
I forced a smile, trying to look a little happier.
But before I could say anything else, a shadow fell across the table.
I looked up, startled, and saw Lucas standing there, his face dark with anger.
Instinctively, I pulled my hand out of Ryan’s grasp and stood up, ready to leave.
But Lucas grabbed my arm before I could take a step.
His grip was like a vice, crushing my bones as if he wanted to snap them in half.
“Are you that desperate?” he snarled. “Any man will do?”
Ryan, sensing the tension, hesitated. “Uh, Lucas, this isn’t-”
“Get out,” Lucas barked, cutting him off without even sparing him a glance.
Ignoring Ryan entirely, he dragged me out of the restaurant.
His grip was so tight it hurt, but I didn’t dare protest.
I didn’t even know why he was angry, but I knew better than to provoke him further.
He didn’t let go until he shoved me into the passenger seat of his car.
9:49 AM
<
“What are you doing, Lucas?” I asked, trying to keep my voice polite.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded, his tone sharp.
I blinked at him, confused by the question.
“I was out on a date with my fiancé. How is that any of your business?”
“Fiancé?”
The word left his lips like venom, each syllable dripping with disdain.
“Three years ago, you swore you’d never marry anyone but me. And now you expect me to be
Back then, he would’ve found even one word from me annoying. Yet now, he had so much to
Still, I knew I had to play along with his expectations.
Meeting his gaze, I spoke slowly, deliberately.
“Lucas, I never loved you. Not then, not now.”
Each word felt like a knife slicing through my heart.
It turned out letting go of someone wasn’t as hard as I thought.
This was what he wanted to hear, wasn’t it?
He’d warned me three years ago not to say I loved him anymore–that it disgusted him.
say.
you’ve fallen for someone else that easily?”
I had once offered him my heart, raw and burning, only for him to knock it to the ground, stomp on it, and call it trash.
That day, every gift I had carefully chosen for him was thrown into the garbage.
“Take your trash and get out,” he said, voice cold and cutting.
“You’re not good enough.”
I had tried to retrieve the gifts, but he wouldn’t even let me do that.
I didn’t dare defy him. I didn’t dare tell him I loved him again.
He had the power to pull me out of hell, but he also had the power to throw me right back into it.
That fear had been etched into my bones.
Over and over, I woke up from nightmares, drenched in sweat.
But those weren’t nightmares–they were memories.
Memories of a life that was worse than death.
I couldn’t go through that again.
I thought my answer would satisfy him.
But instead of looking pleased, his expression grew even darker.
“Nora, your love is so cheap.”
I forced a laugh, pretending his words didn’t sting.
“That’s right. How could someone like me ever deserve you?”
<
Lucas didn’t respond. His face was stormy, unreadable.
I didn’t know what I’d done to upset him this time.
All I knew was that I needed to get away from him.
“Lucas, can I go now?”
He raised a hand, and I flinched instinctively, shrinking back.
His movement froze for a moment, as if something in my reaction caught him off guard.
Then, with a wave of his hand, he said, “Go.”
I bolted out of the car as if my life depended on it.
It wasn’t until I was outside that I realized my palms were slick with cold sweat.
My fear of Lucas Hart ran deeper than anything I’d ever felt–even deeper than my fear of my father.
7
Ryan Chase invited me to a private party.
Why? Because his actress fling would be there, and he wanted to use me to make her jealous. To give her a sense of “urgency.”
I didn’t expect him to be so upfront about it.
But since we were in this “partnership,” I figured I might as well play along and help him out.
I put on a dress I hadn’t worn in years and walked into the ballroom with my arm linked through his.
And sure enough, she was there.
“I’ll go check on something,” Ryan said, immediately leaving me to fend for myself.
I took the hint and stepped aside.
Three years had passed, and I no longer felt comfortable in places like this.
The glamorous crowd, the sparkling lights–it all felt suffocating.
Not to mention the dress. It was tight, too formal, and I felt completely out of place.
I just wanted to hide in a corner, stay invisible until the night was over.
“Nora?”
A familiar voice cut through the noise.
I looked up, and there she was–the last person I wanted to see.
Cassidy.
She was holding a glass of champagne, her lips curled into a half–smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
“So it is you.”
I didn’t want to acknowledge her.
But of course, she wasn’t going to let me go that easily.
“Can we talk? Just the two of us?”
9:49 AM
“Whatever you have to say, you can say it here.”
There was nothing for us to discuss.
“There are too many people around,” she said, lowering her voice. “And I’m sure you wouldn’t want everyone here overhearing certain… things.”
She knew exactly what I feared most.
Reluctantly, I followed her out to the backyard.
It was quieter there, with a large pond filled with water lilies stretching across the space.
Cassidy’s dress was custom–made, clearly expensive–hand–sewn crystals sparkled like scattered starlight, catching every movement she
made.
The way the dress framed her flawless skin made her look ethereal, like she belonged on a pedestal.
And then there was me.
I was wearing a dress that was years out of style. My skin was dull and rough, my complexion sallow from years of malnutrition.
We couldn’t have been more different.
“We’re getting married next month,” she said, tilting her chin up like a queen addressing her subject. “You’ve already lost, Nora.”
She wasn’t wrong.
“Yeah,” I replied quietly. “You’ve won it all. And I’ve lost everything.”
Her expression wavered for a moment, but then she added, “And yet, I still can’t feel at ease…”
“What do you mean?” I asked, confused by the sudden shift.
But before I could process, her demeanor changed entirely.
She grabbed my arm, her eyes welling up with tears, her voice trembling.
“Nora, please,” she begged, looking heartbreakingly fragile. “I love Lucas so much. Let us be happy, okay? I’m begging you!”
Her grip was surprisingly strong.
I tried to pull my arm away, but she wouldn’t let go.
“What are you doing? Let go!”
I yanked my arm with all my strength, and she stumbled backward–straight into the pond.
Her scream pierced the air.
But she didn’t release her grip.
The next thing I knew, we were both falling into the water.
As I hit the pond, icy, murky water rushed into my nose and mouth, thick with mud and the stench of decay.
It felt like drowning in my own nightmares.
The memories came flooding back–my stepfather holding my head down in a barrel of water, laughing as I choked and struggled.
I couldn’t breathe.
Instinctively, I opened my mouth, but that only let in more filthy water, filling my lungs.
9:49 AM
<
I couldn’t swim.
All I’d ever known was fear when it came to water.
I thrashed wildly, but it only dragged me deeper. My chest burned, my lungs felt like they were about to burst.
Was this it? Was I going to die here?
The despair was overwhelming, pulling me down into darkness.
One minute felt like a lifetime.
And then, just as I was about to give up completely, a hand grabbed me.
I was yanked out of the water, gasping for air as I collapsed onto the ground.
く
I was only half–conscious, coughing violently as someone patted my face, trying to keep me awake.
Fresh air filled my lungs, but it felt like knives cutting through my chest.
I coughed so hard I thought my lungs might come up with it.
The metallic taste of blood mixed with the mud and water in my throat.
Someone was shaking my shoulders, their voice frantic.
“Don’t fall asleep, Nora! Stay awake!”
I was so tired.
All I wanted was to close my eyes, to let it all fade away.
“Maybe if I die,” I mumbled weakly, “you’ll all finally be happy.”
“Nora, wake up!” the voice shouted again, desperate.
It sounded like Lucas.
But that couldn’t be right.
8
Could it?
When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a hospital bed.
The sunlight streaming through the window felt warm, almost too warm–so warm it didn’t feel real.
Was I still alive?
Lucas Hart gave me the answer with a sharp slap across my face.
My ears rang from the impact.
“Nora, you really never learn, do you?” he snapped.
I had no idea what he was talking about.
Cassidy, standing beside him, tried to smooth things over.
“Lucas, there has to be some misunderstanding. I’m sure Nora didn’t mean to do it.”
But Lucas wasn’t done. He grabbed the front of my hospital gown, pulling me up slightly.
“You’re so cruel,” he growled. “Cassidy is still defending you, and this is how you repay her? Do you feel no shame?”
D
9:49 AM G
<
Cassidy’s eyes welled with tears as if she had suffered some unbearable injustice.
“Nora,” she said softly, her voice trembling, “I understand it’s hard for you to accept that Lucas is marrying me. But I know you’re not a bad person–you couldn’t possibly want to kill me.”
I stared at her, stunned.
Lucas’s voice cut through my confusion.
“If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, you’d probably deny it again, wouldn’t you? I watched you push her into the water. If it weren’t for Cassi being a strong swimmer, she might not have made it. Were you trying to kill her?”
I shook my head wildly, my voice hoarse and cracking as I tried to speak.
“No, it wasn’t me! I didn’t do it!”
The words tumbled out too quickly, triggering another fit of coughing.
I doubled over, choking as I tried to catch my breath. My face burned red as blood rushed to my head, and my chest felt like it was being
stabbed with needles.
The pain was suffocating.
I gasped for air, but it felt like I was inhaling nothing but emptiness.
Everyone just stood there, staring at me coldly, their faces devoid of any sympathy.
No one moved to help.
Clutching my chest, I tried to plead with them.
“H–help… me…”
“Still pretending?” Lucas sneered. “Have I been too soft on you?”
Desperate, I managed to press the call button for the nurse. That was the only reason I didn’t die right then and there.
Lucas left me with one last warning before storming out, his arm wrapped protectively around Cassidy’s shoulders.
“If this happens again, I’ll make sure you rot in prison.”
After they were gone, I discharged myself from the hospital.
The doctor had diagnosed me with pneumonia caused by a bacterial infection, worsened by the water I’d inhaled, The prognosis wasn’t good.
They strongly recommended that I stay for treatment.
But I couldn’t afford it.
Not even close.
