Chapter 1

The chief legal officer from Grant Holdings, Allen Carter, said, "Ms. Brooks, due to your forged documents and the spread of false information that severely damaged Grant Holdings' reputation, you will be prosecuted.

"According to the law, due to the substantial amount involved, you may face over ten years of imprisonment."

The champagne glass in my hand dropped onto the carpet with a loud pop.

Red wine splashed onto my ankle, like my heart was bleeding out.

Ten minutes ago, I posted that flawlessly photoshopped marriage certificate on my social media, captioned: [Here's to the rest of my life with you, Mr. Grant.]

The likes shot past a hundred in no time, and my dad, George Brooks, even sent me a voice message, promising to transfer those five percent shares to me at the notary's office tomorrow.

Ten minutes later, Allen showed up with four guys in black suits, turning my living room into a fortress.

I forced a couple of nervous laughs, trying to wriggle out of the mess.

"I swear, it's a misunderstanding. I was, uh, doing some creative work," I said.

"Creative work?" A deep, cold voice, dripping with sarcasm, came from the doorway.

The four burly bodyguards instantly parted to clear a path.

Alexander Grant walked in, rocking a perfectly tailored dark gray suit. Gold-rimmed glasses sat on his sharp nose, hiding those sly, scheming eyes.

He approached with long, purposeful steps.

With every step he took, it felt like he was tightening a noose around my neck.

Without even realizing it, I kept retreating until my back was pressed against the cold wall.

For four years in college, I was always gunning for his scholarships, and he kept blocking my shot at internships.

We were the legendary rivals at Westbridge University.

But I never thought that three years after graduation, my old nemesis would turn into the guy who practically ran Riverdale's economy.

Alexander braced one hand against the wall by my ear, leaning in so close that the crisp scent of cedar completely enveloped me.

His long fingers picked up a strand of my hair, idly twirling it. "Olivia, not only did you fake a marriage certificate, but you told the family you were carrying my baby?"

My scalp went numb, and my breath stopped. "That was a tactical bluff."

"Oh?" Alexander's voice lingered. As his fingers slid down my hair, they stopped at the side of my neck, his fingertips cold as ice.

"Tactical, huh?" He gave a soft laugh, but his eyes were colder than a winter night. "So, should I help you out and make this tactic come true?"

My eyes flew open in shock. "Alexander, don't do anything crazy! I'll take down the post and apologize, okay?"

"Too late," Alexander pulled his hand back and, moving with deliberate care, took out a neatly folded sheet of paper from his inner suit pocket.

It was the printed marriage contract I'd doctored.

No, something was off.

The stamp on it was real.

It was the real Grant Holdings stamp.

"Congratulations, Ms. Brooks." Alexander's smile stretched wider, but there was a wicked edge to it that made my skin crawl. "Since you're so eager to join the Grant family, I'll grant your wish.

"From now on, you're Mrs. Grant. But..."

His tone shifted, and his eyes turned sinister and menacing. "Since you're Mrs. Grant now, you'll have to fulfill your duties.

"Like, pay off that 100-billion-dollar debt for Grant Holdings, or..."

Alexander leaned in, his breath hot against my ear, but his words were utterly venomous. "Or be my dog."

*****

My head was ringing with total shock.

300 billion dollars?

Selling him wouldn't even cover that!

"Alexander, are you crazy? When did Grant Holdings end up with 100 billion in debt? I saw the financial news; your stock's going up!" I bristled like a cat whose tail got stomped.

Alexander straightened up, taking his time to adjust his cuffs. "That's the public financial report. The real deficit? Only Mrs. Grant is privileged enough to know about that."

He pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, the glare on the lenses hiding the teasing look. "What's wrong? Weren't you head over heels for me, insisting I was the only one for you? Now you hear about the debt, and you're ready to abandon ship?"

"I..." I was so stunned, I couldn't even get a word out.

Was this guy a total monster?

"Sign it," Alexander grabbed a fifty-page contract from Allen and threw it in my face.

The sharp edge of the paper scraped across my cheek, stinging.

I snatched up the Pre-Marital Asset & Conduct Addendum and flipped through it in a hurry.

Article 1: The wife must unconditionally go along with the husband to every public event and act as if we were madly in love.

Article 2: The wife couldn't meddle in the husband's private life, but the husband got to know everything about the wife's private life.

Article 3: The wife had to be the husband's number one personal assistant, on call 24/7, and she didn't get paid a dime.

Article 4: Breach of contract penalty: 20 million dollars.

20 million dollars.

That was exactly the value of the shares I was supposed to inherit.

Alexander had it all figured out!

He knew what I was after from the very start; he was waiting for me to fall right into his trap.

"Alexander, this is basically slavery. I refuse to sign it!" I slammed the contract down on the coffee table.

"Not signing?" Alexander didn't bother to get angry.

He gave Allen a lazy glance. "Mr. Carter, what's the minimum sentence for forging a public company's seal and trying to scam a huge chunk of shares? Multiple charges combined."

Allen, as expressionless as ever, replied, "Ms. Brooks, if Mr. Grant pursues this, you're looking at a minimum of fifteen years. And the Brooks family will most likely cut you off to save themselves."

I went cold all over.

The Brooks family, those leeches, would do anything for a buck.

If I landed in prison, my stepmother, Victoria Brooks, and stepsister, Chloe Brooks, would be popping champagne in no time.

I bit down hard on my lower lip, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth. "Alexander, what exactly do you want?"

"What do I want?" Alexander walked over to the sofa, sat down with his legs crossed, looking like he owned the place, every bit the king.

He patted the spot right next to him. "Come here."

Alexander beckoned me over as if he were summoning a dog.

I stood rooted to the spot, my nails biting into my palms.

"You're going to stand there?" Alexander grabbed his phone, threatening, "If you won't, I'll call the police."

"Don't!" I took a deep breath, my legs feeling like they weighed a ton as I dragged myself over. I slid into the seat next to him.

"Down on your knees." His voice was barely above a whisper, but it crashed over me like a shockwave.

I looked up, totally stunned. "What did you say?"

Alexander nodded toward the pen on the coffee table. "How are you supposed to sign if you're not in the proper position?"

His gaze was playful and condescending, sizing me up from above. "Olivia, if you want something from me, you'd better show some humility. Weren't you all smug when you grabbed my scholarship back in college?"

Humiliation washed over me, drowning me completely.

I glanced at the contract, then at Alexander's icy, emotionless face.

If I signed, I'd be nothing but his slave.

If I didn't, I'd end up his prisoner.

I shut my eyes, my hand trembling as I picked up the pen.

I dropped to one knee on the carpet and signed my name in the Wife section.

The pen dug into the paper, the force of my signature nearly tearing through the page.

Alexander, I won't forget this.