Chapter 1
The day I got my cancer diagnosis, I went out and found the highest-paying job I could.
I became a punching bag for Alex Sterling, the troubled heir of the Sterling family, who had severe bipolar disorder.
I drank, got roughed up, and even got slapped across the face by the girl he never got over.
As long as there was money involved, I could do anything.
On the day I finally saved up 300 thousand dollars, I quit the job with the last breath I had and left the country to die.
I was sure Alex wouldn't come looking for me, and even if he did, he'd never find me.
But later, he searched for me like a madman, losing sleep night after night.
He could never find me.
*****
The day I was diagnosed with leukemia, the doctor told me, "The hospital's too stifling. Ms. Hart, if there's anything you want to do, just go do it."
I'd been in and out of the hospital so many times, but this was the first time he'd ever told me to leave.
It was late-stage leukemia. There was no cure. At that point, all I could do was wait for the end.
I left the doctor's office and headed up to the hospital rooftop.
The late autumn wind was fierce. I sat on the edge of the rooftop, wondering if there was anything left I actually wanted to do.
It took me all afternoon, but then it finally hit me.
There was still money I needed to save.
It needed to be enough to carry one person through a whole life, so maybe 300 thousand dollars.
I pulled out my phone, my hand trembling as I dialed that number.
"Mr. Sterling, is that offer still good? The 30 thousand dollars a month?" I asked.
On the other end, I heard the sharp, piercing clink of a glass hitting the floor.
After a long pause, Alex's voice came through, tinged with a strange excitement. "Come over right now."
Alex was at home.
When I got there, the housekeeper took me upstairs to find him.
By the massive outdoor pool, Alex was slouched in a wicker chair, surrounded by a mess of shattered wine glasses.
He was gripping a jagged shard of glass in his palm, the sharp edge slicing into the web between his thumb and forefinger, blood trickling down to his wrist.
I stared at his profile, trying to stop my legs from shaking.
The housekeeper left after bringing me in.
Alex shot me a sideways look, then curled his bloodied finger at me. "Come here."
He must've caught the fear on my face, because his voice turned gentle. "Don't be scared. I'm not as scary as the rumors say."
My heart was in my throat, but I forced myself to step closer.
When I was just two steps away, Alex suddenly stood up.
He grabbed my shoulder with a rough grip and jerked me toward him.
Before I could even scream, he shoved my head straight into the pool.
*****
The sudden suffocation and the terror of dying crashed over me, hitting me like a tidal wave.
I couldn't make a single sound, just thrashed desperately, fighting for air.
The hand pressing down on my head felt like a giant net, locking me in place, no matter how hard I struggled.
Alex's voice, furious and crazed, reached my ears through the water, muffled and far away, as if from another world.
"You people are all in it for the money, right? Three thousand dollars for every ten seconds. Earn as much as you want. How about it?" Alex taunted.
It finally made sense why Alex had spent so much hiring people before.
No one ever lasted more than two and a half days, according to the rumors.
He really was a madman, with serious mental problems and a violent side.
I choked on the water, coughing uncontrollably, and the pain only got worse.
Choking and gasping, I managed to spit out a few broken pleas for mercy.
Alex must've heard me, but he was completely indifferent.
He kept my head down, counting with a twisted delight, his voice sometimes close, sometimes distant. "Fifteen seconds, twenty, twenty-five"
My hearing started to fade.
Right as my mind was slipping away and I thought I was about to die, a faint, gentle yet urgent woman's voice echoed in my ears.
"Alex, pull her out of the water, now!"
No matter how desperately I struggled or pleaded, Alex stayed completely ruthless, he just wouldn't let go.
But the instant that voice cut through, he suddenly hauled me out of the pool.
He threw me onto the ground, and for a long moment, my mind was nothing but chaos and emptiness.
By the time I started to come around, Alex had already tossed several stacks of cash beside me.
The young woman in the simple dress was Eva Young, the one Alex was obsessed with.
She gave his arm a quick slap, her face full of anger. "I told you to stop bullying people. You're getting out of hand!"
As my vision finally cleared, I managed to get a good look at Alex's face again.
That one glance left me completely stunned.
The man who'd just looked so crazed and unhinged was now staring at her with a gentle, almost hurt look in his eyes, like a puppy that had just been scolded.
He lowered his head. "If I didn't bully people, would you even come over?"
His voice grew quieter, sounding almost desperate and forlorn. "It's the only way you ever come to see me."