Chapter 1
In the second year after my sister jumped to her death, I got into the same university she had attended.
On the very first day, I became known as the aloof campus beauty, distant and untouchable. That caught the eye of an heir of New York's elite circles, who pursued me relentlessly.
After being bombarded with gifts time and time again, I ended up as his girlfriend, just as everyone expected.
He bragged to his friends, "See? The cold act is just a front. She's just like her sister. Both of them only see money. Her sister totally lost it when she found out I made her a bet. I wonder how this chick will react."
He even stole my diary and showed it off in public. "I bet it's all about how she's obsessed with dating me," he said smugly.
But when one of his friends opened it, his expression turned awkward. "Uh... It doesn't look like it."
On the page, it said: [It's nice. Now that I'm dating Ryan, I finally have a way to stay close to him.]
[Ryan's actually a good man. But since he's friends with him... Sorry, Ryan.]
*****
Ryan dragged me out of the classroom in front of the teacher and the entire class.
One look at his ashen face told me everything. He had read my diary behind my back.
He was strong. His grip crushed my hand until my bones ached. I swallowed the pain, squeezed his hand back, and gave him a calming smile. "What's wrong?"
Ryan stared at me like he wanted to burn straight through my skin. "Emily, do you love me?"
Instead of answering, I let just the right amount of worry show on my face. "Why are you asking me that out of nowhere? Did something happen?"
His eyes grew even redder. He grabbed my shoulders and snapped, "Emily, why did you really agree to be with me?"
I met his gaze, then suddenly smiled, soft and devoted. "Of course, it's because I love you."
When Ryan saw how determined I looked, his expression finally eased. He said in a low voice, "My birthday's in two days. I want you to be my date. I'll introduce you to my friends."
A flicker of delight crossed my face. The moment our eyes met, I hurriedly looked away, pretending to steady myself.
Ryan's face darkened again. "You're that happy?" he ground out.
I lowered my head and played shy. "Ryan, you're finally willing to introduce me to your friends. Of course I'm happy."
He scoffed and flung my hand aside. "You'd better be."
The instant he turned around, my expression dropped. I leaned leisurely against the railing, watching him disappear down the stairs.
As if he sensed something, Ryan suddenly looked back. But all he saw was me standing there, reluctant and lingering, watching him leave.
I felt a twinge of regret. Regret that he was too far away. If he'd been just a little closer, he would have seen it clearly—there was nothing in my eyes but a sheet of icy hatred.
Ryan got close to me with an agenda.
Unfortunately for him, so did I. He liked to call himself a hunter of love, a man who enjoyed toying with girls' feelings. My sister Yelena Summers had been one of his targets.
After our parents died, Yelena and I only had each other. But barely six months into college, she jumped from our apartment building and died right in front of me. Blood spread across the ground.
After the funeral, I found the diary she had hidden away. That was when I learned that Ryan had set his sights on her the moment she started school.
Under his relentless pursuit, she fell for him.
The day before she planned to confess, Ryan showed up with a group of people and smashed the scene she had carefully prepared. Then he stirred up public opinion on the campus forum, calling her a gold digger who wanted to marry up.
Through tears, Yelena asked him why.
He laughed. "For fun. What else? And I should thank you. You fell for it so fast. You helped me win a whole apartment."
To make sure she wouldn't cling to him, Ryan posted her personal information on porn sites. From then on, she lived every day under a cloud of harassment.
Crushed and humiliated, she sank into depression and chose death.
I sealed that diary in silence and changed my college application to the same university she had attended.
On the day I enrolled, I dressed the way Yelena used to and stood before Ryan with a face that looked almost exactly like hers.
He took the bait. He chased me the same way he had chased her. I swallowed my hatred and pretended to fall for his money and attention.
He liked to play the love hunter? I smiled. The best hunter always appeared as prey. Ryan, I was going to make you taste what it felt like to be played like a toy.