Chapter 3

I took them to see a villa.

Lily was already imagining their future together, wandering from room to room. "We could make this the nursery. Look at all this natural light..."

Edward just watched her with this soft look in his eyes, like she was everything. "Whatever makes you happy."

He'd been faking it with me all along, but with Lily? That was real.

I'd heard their story from other people. Lily's mom used to be his family's housekeeper, and the two of them grew up together.

After the Grants went bankrupt, the housekeeper felt bad for Edward and took him back to her hometown.

They were childhood sweethearts.

Now he was this big shot businessman with a fiancée, and she was this gorgeous rising star in the entertainment industry, all innocent and pure.

Back then, I never imagined they'd end up together.

Lily's eyes went all dreamy. "You used to promise me you'd buy us a huge house for our wedding someday. You said we'd be happy forever. Ed, you actually did it."

Yeah. He did it by climbing over my father's dead body.

Edward kissed her cheek, and his voice came out so gentle it made me sick. "That's right. We're going to be happy forever."

I'd seen this exact scene before.

The night before our wedding, I was curled up against him and asked if he wanted a boy or a girl.

"I don't care, as long as it's ours," he'd said. "As long as I have you, that's all that matters."

He could spin those pretty lies without even trying.

Right then, a phone started ringing.

Lily answered it and pouted when she hung up. "Director Carter wants me to come in for an audition."

"Okay, I'll have my driver take you," Edward said.

Lily looked at him like she was waiting for him to offer something more, but Edward didn't make any move to go with her.

"Just focus on the audition. I'll handle everything else."

Which basically meant the role was already hers.

Lily lit up and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him all over his face like she was marking her territory.

Then she left.

The massive mansion went quiet, and suddenly it was just me and Edward.

"Show me around the grounds," he said.

Edward took these long strides, and I couldn't keep up because I'd hurt my foot yesterday.

Halfway through, he stopped and turned around. "Is this how you always work, Ms. Hayes?

"Or are you pulling some kind of act because you want me to carry you?"

His tone was mocking, but his eyes were completely cold.

Back when we were together, I used to pull that kind of stuff, acting like I needed help.

I'd pretend my feet hurt so he'd give me a piggyback ride.

I'd fake a headache so he'd hold me.

I'd say I wasn't feeling well so he'd stay with me.

I showed off how happy I was to anyone who'd look.

And Edward? He went along with it every single time.

My mom used to laugh and say, "Ed, you're going to spoil her rotten."

I remember what Edward said back then.

He kissed the back of my hand, looking at me like I was something precious. "I wanted to do it."

All lies!

I thought I'd gotten strong enough to handle this, but the second Edward showed up, every memory turned into a knife and started cutting into me.

I met his cold stare and kept my voice polite and professional. "That's not what happened, Mr. Grant. You're reading too much into it."

He paused, then let out this mocking laugh. "Good."

*****

Edward dragged me all over the development, and I had to follow him around even though my feet were killing me.

First he wanted to see one unit, then he wanted to see another one. He kept changing his mind and making me walk everywhere.

By the time we got to the last property, he just shrugged and said, "You know what? Never mind. If your company hired you as a sales agent, the houses are probably garbage anyway."

He was doing this on purpose.

He just wanted to mess with me and make me miserable.

I took a deep breath. "Edward, what the hell do you want?"

He raised an eyebrow and smiled, but his eyes stayed ice-cold.

"Already dropping the act? You were calling me Mr. Grant so nicely just a minute ago," he sneered.

I pressed my lips together and didn't say anything.

Edward looked at me like he was doing me some huge favor. "Come back to me. Whatever anyone else is giving you, I'll double it."

"Edward, you can't seriously think I'm still that stupid," I scoffed.

He laughed, clearly enjoying himself. "You're smarter now, sure. But you're also desperate, aren't you?

"Your mom's still in the hospital. End-stage renal disease. Waiting for a kidney."

His fingers played with the loose strands of hair by my temple, and his touch was gentle, but his voice was freezing cold.

Edward continued, his voice soft, "Tiffany, these past few years have really taught me something. Money is everything. It makes cowards brave and forces proud people to bow their heads."

He just wanted to humiliate me, to get back the self-respect he'd lost when we were younger.

"Edward, I don't owe you anything anymore. Do whatever you want, but please—just leave me alone."

I said it slowly, making sure he heard every word. "I have work to do. Enjoy your evening, Mr. Grant."

I turned to leave, but Edward grabbed my wrist and pulled me against his chest.

His kiss was aggressive and demanding, like he was trying to conquer me.

He'd lost his mind.

I bit down hard on his tongue.

He flinched but didn't let go. The taste of blood filled my mouth.

I shoved him away with everything I had, and then I slapped him across the face.

The crack echoed through the room.

Everyone went dead silent.

This was probably the first time anyone had hit him in years.

Edward ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek and just stared at me. His eyes were deep and unreadable, swirling with emotions I couldn't identify.

My heart started racing, and I felt this flutter of fear in my chest.

I forced my voice to stay steady. "Edward, don't tell me you're in love with me again."

He laughed, but it wasn't a kind laugh. "What makes you think that? Tiffany, I just want to watch you fall. I want to see you broken.

"If your dad could see you lying next to me, I wonder how he'd feel about that."

Something hot and furious exploded in my chest, and I couldn't hold it back. "You're fucking insane!"

Edward raised an eyebrow, like he was genuinely surprised to hear me talk like that.

He murmured, "You really have changed. Think it over carefully. Don't let your pride kill your mother.

"You have three days to give me an answer. My patience isn't endless."

Then Edward just left. The door slammed behind him.