Chapter 2

The taxi's headlights cut through my tears as we drove away from the restaurant, each street light we passed feeling like another year wasted on Ryan Sterling. My phone buzzed incessantly—notifications from friends who'd seen Victoria's post, their sympathy messages pouring in one after another. I turned it off, unable to bear their pity.

The driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "You okay, miss?"

"Just take me home," I whispered, pressing my forehead against the cool window. Manhattan's glittering skyline seemed to mock me now—all those nights I'd spent dreaming of building a life here with Ryan, of someday belonging in his world.

Two dollars and fifty cents. The number kept flashing in my mind like a neon sign. That's what I was worth to him after five years. Two hundred and fifty pennies while Victoria Whitmore wore five million dollars around her neck.

* * *

Across town, in the wood-paneled study of the Sterling mansion, Victoria Whitmore swirled amber liquid in a crystal tumbler, her manicured fingers adorned with family heirlooms. The Heart of Eternity diamond caught the light as she moved, sending blue fire dancing across the mahogany walls.

"She's finally gone," Victoria announced, satisfaction dripping from every syllable. "Ryan just texted me. She ended it."

Eleanor Sterling sat ramrod straight in a high-backed chair, her silver hair pulled into an immaculate chignon. "About time. Five years of watching my son slum it with that... girl." She practically spat the last word.

Harrison Whitmore, Victoria's father, stood by the fireplace, his imposing figure casting long shadows. "The problem, Eleanor, is that Ryan might try to get her back. He's shown weakness for her before."

"Which is why we need to ensure she's permanently removed from the equation," Victoria said, placing her glass down with deliberate care. "I've arranged everything. Two men will intercept her tonight—make it look like a mugging gone wrong."

Eleanor's thin lips curved into a smile. "The Hudson warehouse?"

"Yes," Victoria nodded. "They'll take her there, make her disappear. By the time Ryan comes to his senses, she'll be long gone."

"And if she talks?" Harrison asked, ever the pragmatist.

Victoria's laugh was brittle. "Who would believe her? A jealous ex-girlfriend making wild accusations against three of Manhattan's most respected families? Please."

They clinked glasses, sealing my fate without a shred of remorse.

* * *

I paid the driver and stepped onto the sidewalk, the cool night air doing little to soothe my burning humiliation. My apartment was only a block away, but suddenly I couldn't face going home to rooms filled with photos of Ryan and me, mementos of a relationship that had been a lie.

I decided to walk a bit, clear my head. The streets were quiet for Manhattan, just a few people hurrying past, heads down against the evening chill. I didn't notice the black SUV until it pulled alongside me, moving slowly to match my pace.

The window rolled down. "Miss Hayes?" A man in a driver's cap leaned out. "Mr. Sterling sent us. He wants to apologize in person."

I laughed bitterly. "Tell Ryan he can keep his apologies and his two-fifty."

I turned to walk away when a second man emerged from the shadows, pressing something cold and sharp against my ribs. "Get in the car," he whispered, his breath hot against my ear. "Don't scream."

Terror flooded through me as I was shoved into the backseat, a hand clamped over my mouth. The SUV peeled away from the curb, tires screeching.

"Victoria sends her regards," the driver said, eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror. "She wanted to deliver this birthday message personally, but she's busy celebrating with your boyfriend."

The city blurred past as we drove toward the Hudson River, the Manhattan skyline receding like a dream. I struggled against my captor, earning a vicious slap that made my ears ring.

"The more you fight, the worse it'll be," he growled.

We pulled up to an abandoned warehouse, its windows dark and broken. My mind raced with horrible possibilities as they dragged me inside, the smell of rust and river water filling my nostrils.

In the dim light filtering through dirty windows, I could make out concrete floors, rusted machinery, and the glint of something metallic in the larger man's hand. This wasn't just a kidnapping—they weren't planning to let me leave alive.

While one man turned to secure the door, I spotted my chance. With a desperate surge of adrenaline, I drove my elbow into the other's solar plexus. He doubled over, cursing. I clawed at my hair, fingers finding the long silver pin I'd used to secure my updo for my birthday dinner.

Hands trembling, I worked the pin into the zip ties binding my wrists, a trick I'd learned from a self-defense class years ago. The plastic gave way just as heavy footsteps approached.

"You bitch!" The first man lunged for me.

I ran, legs pumping, heart thundering in my chest. Behind me, shouts echoed through the cavernous space. I burst through a rusted door onto a loading dock, the cold air hitting my lungs like knives.

Moonlight glinted off the dark water of the Hudson River. In the distance rose the imposing silhouette of the George Washington Bridge. Footsteps pounded behind me.

"Nowhere to run now," one of the men called, his voice bouncing off concrete walls.

I backed toward the edge of the dock, the night air whipping my hair across my face. They advanced slowly, like predators cornering wounded prey.

"Victoria just wants to talk," the taller one said, a knife glinting in his hand. "Be reasonable."

In that moment, I knew with absolute certainty—if I stayed, I would die. I glanced behind me at the churning black water, then back at my pursuers.

"Tell Victoria she can have him," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. Then I turned and leapt into the darkness, the cold air rushing past me as I plummeted toward the Hudson's unforgiving embrace.