LOGINHe leans forward, his voice dropping into a conspiratorial, deeply unsettling whisper as he stares directly into my green contact lenses. "In fact... you don't have to be a maid at all, Candy. I can make all of this manual labor disappear with a single phone call. If you can just agree to be my pri
"Look, Naomi, if Dennise catches you in here, she’s going to—" The distinct, heavy sound of the deadbolt locking echoes through the quiet kitchen. My entire body goes completely rigid. My instincts scream at me, a cold shock of adrenaline instantly shooting straight to my fingertips. That isn't th
I smooth down the front of my oversized, scratchy maid uniform, my fingers tracing the small bruise on my chest from where Caroline's finger violently ripped my dress open at the cemetery yesterday. My skin still feels raw from the humiliation, my eyes are burning from crying all night over Owen, a
The striking, facial structure. Sydney is an absolute, undeniable replica of the woman in the vintage photograph—Tobias’s mother. The almost psychotic protectiveness Tobias has shown toward Sydney from the very first moment he met her. The massive financial safety nets he threw under her, the fact
Before I can even open my mouth to apologize for breaking into his house, Tobias speaks. His voice is incredibly quiet, completely devoid of its usual sharp authority, yet it carries a heavy, haunting weight that pins me right to the carpet. "For years..." he murmurs, his finger continuing its slow
I stand frozen on the gravel path, the engine of Sydney’s departing car roaring in my ears. I watch the taillights of her vehicle bounce over the cemetery threshold, disappearing completely from sight, and with every inch of distance she puts between us, my heart shatters into a million jagged, irre
Tobias doesn't look at me. He keeps his gaze fixed on the stage below. "I don't expect you to understand the intricacies of production, Owen. Lydia is a piece of a puzzle. If I remove her entirely, the picture is incomplete, and the investors get nervous. Take my word for it: Sydney will be safe. I’
The antiseptic stench of this hospital is making my stomach turn. It smells like cheap floor wax and something that I can't quite put a finger on, but horrible. My nose is throbbing from Owen's punch, and it's the very cause of my headache too, that bastard. Every breath I take feels like a blade i
"Oh my, this is probably the most delicious steak I've ever had. Like... ever." I watch with a mix of amusement and a strange warmth as Sydney talks with her mouth full, her eyes wide with delight. It’s a far cry from the practiced, bird-like picking you usually get from the women in the industry
The shock wares off, and instead, I feel a bubble of hysterical laughter rise in my throat. I look up at Deckard, my head tilted, and I let the laugh out. Then, the rage hits. The fucking audacity of this man to ruin my night and spread disgusting lies! Before he can tighten his hold on me again,







