Chapter 2

Everyone's gaze locked onto me at once, some shocked, some curious, and some clearly relishing the spectacle.

I lifted my eyes, and my gaze collided with his deep ones, brimming with unfathomable hatred.

Alex enunciated every word. "I've got bad blood with her. If you don't let her go, I'm not working with your company."

Just as I expected, I got fired.

All companies cared about was profit; nobody gave a damn if an employee lived or died.

When I got back to my apartment, I found my meager belongings dumped at the entrance of the narrow, filthy hallway, looking like unwanted junk.

I pulled out my keys, only to find the lock had been changed.

I quickly dialed my landlady's number.

"Laura, please try to understand. Someone offered me ten times the rent and insisted I not rent to you. I really had no choice. I'll give you back this month's rent, and you'll need to look for somewhere else," she said.

Ten times the rent, and he singled me out by name.

I could practically see Alex making that demand in his flat, cold voice.

For him, all it took was a word that he could get me fired, and now he managed to kick me out of my own home.

I closed my eyes, and the lingering ache in my head felt clearer.

Tonight, I had no choice but to stay at a hotel.

For the next two days, I kept firing off my resume to every company I could find, while bouncing between real estate agents and rental sites, desperately searching for a place to stay.

But it was like throwing my resume into a black hole. Occasionally, I'd get a call for an interview, but as soon as they heard the name, they'd mumble something and hang up.

Apartment hunting was creepier. Everything sounded fine over the phone, but the moment the landlord saw me in person, their face would change instantly. They'd scramble for excuses, insisting they couldn't rent to me.

Even the hotel front desk came knocking, polite but unyielding, telling me there was an emergency repair, and I had to move out right away. They also refunded my money for the night.

I knew for sure Alex was the one pulling the strings.

He was hell-bent on getting back at me.

He wanted to make my life impossible in this city, leave me homeless, and force me to vanish from his world.

Standing on the street with my suitcase in hand, I felt utterly lost and had no clue where to go next.

The throbbing pain in my head forced me to sit down on the curb to steady myself.

Who knew how long I sat there, when an icy aura suddenly washed over me.

I slowly lifted my head.

Alex leaned in, so close I could see the satisfaction and mockery in his eyes.

And there was something else.

He was savoring my downfall and my embarrassment.

"Doesn't it sting, being played like this?" Alex asked.

I ignored him, got up, and grabbed my suitcase, determined to leave.

But before I could take two steps, an unyielding grip seized my wrist.

"Laura, did you really think I'd let you go so easily?" Alex said.

"What do you want from me now?" I retorted.

"Come with me," Alex started.

I cut him off, my tone steady and deliberate. "I'm not going to be your secret mistress."

The moment the words left my mouth, Alex let out a sudden laugh. "Laura, do you really think I still care about you?

"A secret mistress? Please, don't flatter yourself. If you dropped dead right in front of me, it still wouldn't be enough to get rid of the hatred I have for you."

At the mention of death, my gaze shifted. "If I really died, would that make you happy?"

Alex was caught off guard for a moment, like he hadn't expected me to throw that question at him.

"Death? That's way too easy for you," he sneered. "I want you to remember every day, your only worth now is to slave away for me. That's what you owe me."

Alex practically dragged me back to his apartment.

As soon as we stepped inside, he instantly treated me as nothing more than his maid.

"I just moved in, and I can't stand dust. Tonight, you start cleaning. If I see a speck of dust tomorrow, don't expect to get any food," Alex ordered.

Without thinking, I shot back, "You weren't this picky before."

"People change, like you," he said.

Alex turned and walked upstairs, and as he passed by, I caught a glimpse of tears glimmering in those bottomless eyes.

I froze, and all at once, memories from five years ago hit me. I remembered how I left him for money, cut him out of my life, and pushed him so hard that his speech disorder came back. He couldn't say a single word.

I had gone from someone who loved him more than anything to a woman obsessed with money.

I had become someone I barely recognized.

In the end, it was all my fault.

I got to work cleaning up the place.

I grabbed a bucket of cold water, soaked the rag, wrung it out until it was damp, then crouched down and started scrubbing the nearest patch of floor hard.

The water was freezing, biting at my skin, but I barely felt it.

In that huge, empty apartment, all I could hear was the soft rustle of fabric against the floor and my own quiet, strained breathing.

I didn't know how long I kept at it, but eventually, exhaustion took over, and I passed out right there on the floor.

When I woke up the next morning, I was lying in a sunny room, sunlight pouring in, warm and gentle.

It was the best sleep I had had in days.

I was about to thank Alex for not holding a grudge and letting me sleep in his room, but as soon as I stepped out, I saw him sitting at the table with a stunning woman, having breakfast together.

Alex leaned in, listening intently to the gorgeous woman across from him, a doting smile playing on his lips.

But the moment he saw me, that smile faded instantly.

I asked, "And who is this?"

"Sophie Grant, my fiancée," Alex replied.