Chapter 2

Samuel stood there, his gaze icy and detached, taking in the whole sordid spectacle without a hint of emotion.

For a split second, I looked at Samuel, cool and sophisticated, and actually thought he was here to take me away.

But he just stepped aside, his voice soft and almost gentle as he said, "Mr. Harper, I've spent a lot of time training Sophie. She's not shy. She can handle whatever you want."

My heart dropped, and I mocked myself for having such foolish hopes.

Adrian pulled me in tighter.

"Tonight, I'm going to enjoy her to the fullest! Thanks for the favor, Mr. Hayes. I won't waste it!"

Just before I was shoved through the door, I locked eyes with Samuel. His gaze was unreadable, full of tangled emotions.

I knew he would never save me, not once in these five years. He never did.

I found myself wondering, what would Samuel do if he ever learned I wasn't really Sophie Lane?

By the time I stumbled out of Adrian's room, it was already 5 a.m.

My body aching, I hobbled out of the Velvet Lounge.

It was still dark outside. Parked at the entrance was a Pagani Roadster. It was my dad's old car, now taken by Samuel for himself.

I ignored him and kept walking.

He closed the distance in just a few steps and scooped me up, catching me around the waist.

I kicked and thrashed, but he still shoved me into the car.

I glared at him, not saying a word, my eyes brimming with tears and hatred.

Samuel gave a short laugh and pinched my cheek again. It was his usual move.

"Sophie, why are you acting up again? It's just sleeping with men. Five years, and you still haven't gotten used to it?"

Tears streamed down my face, and suddenly, it hit me. Samuel wanted something from me.

He wanted to see the Lane Family's precious little princess dragged down into the gutter, broken by all the dirt and sleaze.

He wanted me to give in, to accept that this was all I'd ever be.

Thing is, I wasn't even Sophie Lane. How was I supposed to accept any of this?

Samuel's expression turned icy as he caught sight of my tears.

He ordered someone to bring over a bottle of liquor, grabbed my chin, and poured it down my throat.

"Sophie, didn't I tell you not to cry?"

He poured the whole bottle down my throat, but the tears just kept coming, and my vision started to blur.

I sobbed, my voice cracking as I cried out, "I don't want to be a whore anymore, Samuel. I'm done. I can't take it anymore."

"I'm not Sophie Lane, do you understand, Samuel? I'm not Sophie Lane!"

Samuel froze, silent for a few seconds, then pulled me roughly into his chest.

After a long, heavy silence, Samuel finally sighed.

"Sophie, of all people, why did you have to be the Lane Family's daughter?"

The next evening, I woke up in Samuel's bed.

I blinked, surprised. This was the first time he'd ever brought me home. For a second, I almost wondered if something had changed.

The villa was empty and quiet. Samuel was nowhere to be seen.

I cleaned myself up a bit and headed back to the Velvet Lounge for work.

As soon as I stepped into the private room, I stopped dead in my tracks.

Everyone inside was a stranger. In the farthest corner, a young man sat alone, his vibe icy and aloof.

He spotted me, and instantly stiffened, just as shocked as I was.

Andrew blurted out, "Emily Frost? What are you doing here?"

My mind went totally blank, and I bolted for the door.

I never thought I'd ever see Andrew Crane again in this lifetime.

The man I'd loved for ten years.

I dashed out of the Velvet Lounge in a panic.

Andrew chased me down across the street, grabbing my wrist in a death grip, refusing to let me go.

"Emily, why are you running? It's been six years. If I hadn't seen you today, were you just planning to disappear from my life forever?"

I tried to yank my hand free, but he wouldn't let go.

Andrew gritted his teeth, his expression dark.

"You still haven't answered me. What are you doing here?"

His eyes swept over me, and I ducked my head, not daring to meet his gaze. I cursed myself for wearing this ridiculously short skirt today.

He probably saw right through me, didn't he?

He probably thinks I'm dirty now.

I'm not that clean, innocent Emily he used to know. That girl disappeared a long time ago.