Chapter 1

My grandma always said a woman's heart needs to be as hard as stone, otherwise you'd end up getting scammed out of your money and your body.

My grandpa trusted his childhood sweetheart way too much back in the day. She not only cleaned out all his money but also sold him to some underground club.

The state he was in when they finally rescued him is still the stuff of my nightmares.

So I didn't do feelings. I only did money.

In college, I juggled three rich guys at the same time.

I told each one that my family was drowning in debt, and whoever paid it off first could have me.

By graduation, I'd walked away with one million bucks they'd given me and caught the first train out of town.

Later, I started going after those big-shot businessmen who thought they were so slick.

Simon Hayes was my latest target. He was famous for being a married scumbag—kept his wife at home while playing around with whoever he wanted on the side.

I set up a scheme to become his assistant. Then one night at a private party, I cornered him in the dressing room.

He pulled out a blank check and tossed it at me. "Fill it in yourself."

His hand slid up my skirt while he said it.

I was ecstatic inside. After this one, I'd be set for life.

When things wrapped up, I was about to leave when a big hand grabbed the back of my neck and shoved me against the wall.

The guy behind me pressed close. "You want money? How about you try me instead? I'll pay a lot more."

I turned around, pushed by the force of his grip. The face was new.

I didn't stare at it too long, though. Old habits kicked in, and my eyes did a quick scan of what he was wearing.

Patek Philippe watch. His suit had no visible logo, but the cut and fabric screamed high-end custom tailoring.

The sapphire cufflinks were the real deal, way pricier than anything Simon's cheap ass ever wore.

Top-tier target. Richer than Simon by a mile.

I reached up and hooked my finger around his tie, wrapping it once around my hand as I pressed myself closer.

"Just so you know, I don't come cheap. Mr. Hayes over there paid for exclusive access tonight," I purred.

The guy let out a low laugh. "How expensive are we talking?"

He had that amused look in his eyes. Before I could name a price, he slid a black card right into the front of my dress.

"No limit. PIN is six sixes," he said.

Those three words—no limit—sounded sweeter than anything I'd ever heard.

Footsteps sounded outside. "Baby? You in there?"

Simon's voice came through the door, laced with suspicion.

I opened my mouth to answer, but the guy didn't let go. Instead, he pulled me tighter against his chest and locked his arm around my waist.

I made a quick decision and wrapped my arms around him, lifting my chin to press my lips to his.

The temperature in the dressing room shot up.

Outside, Simon seemed to get a phone call. He cursed a few times, and then his footsteps faded away.

When it was over, my legs were a little shaky. I took my time fixing my wrinkled skirt and reapplied my lipstick in the mirror.

My eyes landed on his jacket, casually draped over a chair.

While he was busy buttoning his shirt with his back to me, I flicked my fingers out and palmed one of the cufflinks.

I tucked it and the black card into the secret compartment of my clutch.

Then I turned and headed for the door. With my hand on the handle, I glanced back and blew him a kiss.

"Nice work," I said with a bright smile. "I'll give you a discount next time."

Then I slipped out and didn't look back.

Behind me, the guy leaned against the wall, slowly wiping his fingers with a satisfied glint in his eyes.

I ducked into the club bathroom, locked myself in a stall, and pulled out the black card.

Opened my banking app, entered the card number and PIN to check the balance.

The screen was filled with numbers.

Hundreds, thousands, millions...

I lost count. There were too many zeros. I was so excited I almost wanted to bow down and thank my phone.

This wasn't just a black card. This was my ticket to freedom.

I took a deep breath to steady myself, forcing my face back under control.

In the mirror, I pinched the inside of my thigh hard enough to make my eyes water.

Pushing the bathroom door open, I made my way back to the party.

Simon sat at the head of the table, drinking with a dark expression. When he saw me, he frowned.

"Where'd you go? Took you long enough," he asked, suspicion in his voice.

I let my body go limp and collapsed into his arms, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Mr. Hayes, I got lost," I choked, my voice trembling.

I sniffled. "There was some drunk guy in the hallway, and he tried to grab me. I was so scared."

I clutched at his shirt, putting on a perfect performance of being terrified.

Simon's expression softened a little. He put his arm around my waist and patted my back.

"Don't worry. Nobody messes with my people in this town," Simon said, his voice low and reassuring.

I buried my face in his chest and cried even harder.

"I wanna go home. Mr. Hayes, please take me with you," I whimpered.

My crying seemed to fluster him, but it also got him in the mood.

He glanced around at his friends, who were still trying to get him to drink more.

"Alright, that's enough for tonight," he said.

He stood up, pulling me with him. "I'm taking Ms. Warren home."

In the back of Simon's Maybach, I stayed curled up in his arms, but my mind was working on how to get that money out of the black card.

Simon's hand was wandering around my waist.

Then my phone buzzed in my bag.

Simon's hand stopped. "Who's texting you?"

My heart jumped. Barely anyone had my number.

"Probably just spam," I lied, pulling out my phone.

The screen lit up with a message from an unknown number.

[Miss Warren, that cufflink comes at an extra price. You paying with your body or with jail time?]