Chapter 1

Claire Simmons' husband, Ethan Shepherd, had been kidnapped by a criminal gang. They gouged out his right eye and cut off his ring finger.

The pain nearly destroyed her, but she worked day and night for months until she'd dragged every single one of those bastards into court.

But then the ringleader—a woman named Lynn Carter—walked free.

All because of one letter. A letter of forgiveness, signed by Ethan himself.

Ethan Shepherd, the most respected name in Northvale's legal world. A titan in the industry.

He'd sworn on his reputation and his entire career that Lynn had been coerced, that she was a victim too.

Claire wanted to appeal, but Ethan grabbed her hand, his grip tight and his voice cold. "Stop this. Lynn isn't like the others. When I was dying, she was the only one who protected me. She even got assaulted trying to help me escape."

Claire stared at him, her voice shaking. "You have Stockholm syndrome. Your testimony doesn't mean anything."

Ethan looked away, his tone flat. "I'm not sick. And without her, I wouldn't have survived long enough to be rescued."

He dialed the number and put it on speaker. "I know you're stubborn, but your mother's heart can't wait any longer. Sign this statement withdrawing your appeal, and the surgery happens immediately."

Her eyes welled up. "Ethan, what are you saying?"

Ethan stared at her reddening eyes and paused for a moment before glancing at his watch. "You have five minutes."

"Ethan!" She slapped him hard across the face. "I filed that appeal for you, and now you're using my mother's life to blackmail me?"

The force turned his head to the side, and he pressed his tongue against his cheek before continuing emotionlessly, "Three minutes. Claire, do you really think your mother can wait for another suitable heart?"

Claire finally understood—the man who once loved her desperately, who'd had his ring finger cut off. His right eye was gouged out by kidnappers, but he still refused to let her trade her life for his; he had now chosen another woman over her.

He checked the time. "One minute."

He added, "Thirty seconds left, Claire."

In that moment, Claire felt like she'd been plunged into ice water.

Maybe Ethan really had forgotten, or perhaps she just remembered too well.

She couldn't forget the day the Simmons family went bankrupt and the Shepherd family forced them to break off the engagement.

Ethan took ninety-nine lashes for her—every single one drawing blood, nearly killing him. "My name was written next to Claire's before I was even born," he'd said through gritted teeth. "I'll never let her go."

He'd sacrificed half his life to protect their engagement, and in doing so, he'd won Claire's heart completely.

After they married, Ethan's devotion never wavered. If she frowned, he'd panic for hours.

Then came their third anniversary. He was kidnapped.

To save him, Claire accepted the kidnapper's terms and broke her own right hand—snapped the bones herself—just to buy the police enough time to find him.

The day they brought him back, Ethan was barely clinging to life, but he still reached for her hand. "I didn't lose the ring, Claire," he whispered. "In our next life, we'll be together again, won't we?"

She'd sobbed uncontrollably and nodded over and over.

But she never could have imagined that after Ethan was discharged, everything would change. To protect Lynn, he mobilized every connection the Shepherd family had, bribed the media with millions, and paid off witnesses to keep them silent.

"Claire, I only love you," he told her, "but I can't repay kindness with cruelty. I have to protect Lynnie. Don't force my hand."

But Claire knew the truth. The day she'd saved him, she'd seen the murderous intent in Lynn's eyes. That woman was far from innocent.

For the past six months, Claire had been completely drained, and she'd begged Ethan countless times to see a therapist.

Not only did he refuse, but he didn't hesitate for a second before throwing everything away to protect her attacker.

Now, as Claire stared at the man in front of her, she felt disoriented. Had she really gotten her lover back, or was this all just some kind of nightmare?

The attending physician pressed urgently, "Ms. Simmons, your mother's heart surgery can't wait any longer."

Claire snapped back to reality and signed her name on the document with trembling hands. "Can you schedule my mom's surgery now?"

Before the words even left her mouth, his assistant, Adrian Smith, came running over in a panic. "Mr. Shepherd, Ms. Carter's having severe chest pains—it's bad."

Ethan immediately dropped his phone and strode toward the door.

"Doctor, I already signed—please, you need to operate on my mother now." Claire grabbed the phone and shouted desperately, but the doctors at this private hospital only took orders from Ethan.

Claire chased after Ethan, her eyes red and brimming with tears as she shoved her phone into his hands. "Ethan, my mom's surgery. Please, hurry."

Something seemed to click in his mind, and he snatched the phone from her. "Keep the heart ready. Prep for surgery."

She was just about to let out a breath of relief when she heard him say, word by word, "Patient name is Lynn Carters. Rh-negative blood. She'll be at the hospital in ten minutes. All resources go to her first."

Claire's eyes widened. That was supposed to be her mother, Helena Simmons', heart.

"Ethan?" She lunged forward and grabbed onto the car door, her fingers digging in desperately. "You promised me. You said if I dropped the appeal, the surgery would happen right away."

"Let go." Ethan's face twisted with impatience. "Your mom's condition has been stable this whole time, and you're really going to make a scene right now?"

He looked down at Lynn, fragile and pale in his arms, and all that irritation melted into something softer, something protective. "Lynnie got sick because she was trying to save me. I swore I'd never let her get hurt again—not for the rest of my life."

"But what about what you promised me?" Claire whispered. Her eyes burned with unshed tears, but she refused to back down.

Ethan's patience snapped completely, and he barked at the driver, "Drive. Now!"

"But sir, Ms. Simmons—"

"I said drive."

The car lurched forward with brutal force, and the momentum ripped Claire away from the door. She slammed hard into the cold marble pillar behind her.

Ethan didn't stop the car. He just drove off and disappeared right in front of her.

Blood started pouring from her temple, and the pain was so intense it felt like it was tearing her apart.

Everything went red, and suddenly she remembered the day they cut off his ring finger—the last thing the kidnappers had said, "He told us to give the wedding ring back. Said it was from the woman he loves."

Claire whispered, "Mom, I'm so sorry. The man I fought so hard to save wasn't my husband after all. He's just a heartless monster."