Chapter 1

Vanessa Brooks got into an accident while picking up my car from the dealership. She fractured her leg.

By the time I got to the hospital, a young guy with red, swollen eyes wouldn't stop yelling at me.

He shouted, "How could you make Ms. Brooks pick up your car for you? If you hadn't been so lazy, Ms. Brooks wouldn't have gotten hurt!"

He kept going. "Do you even know Ms. Brooks fractured her leg and broke her ribs?"

He talked to me like I was some servant who'd messed up badly.

Everyone who came to visit Vanessa froze and stared at us.

Vanessa looked at him fondly and turned to smooth things over with me. She said, "He's just looking out for clients. He speaks his mind, so don't take it personally."

Her heart wasn't with me anymore, so of course I didn't mind.

I stared calmly at the crying boy until he wore himself out and stopped.

I said, "Are you done? Good. My turn."

I continued, "This is the second time your dealership has made this kind of stupid mistake. If you can't give me a reasonable explanation, you can deal with the police and the Grant family's legal team."

*****

Andrew Collins' face went pale, and he looked helplessly at Vanessa lying in the hospital bed.

Vanessa's expression shifted slightly. She said, "Ethan, it was my mistake. It had nothing to do with him. I've already handled the accident."

I raised an eyebrow. "Your mistake?" I looked straight at Vanessa and asked, "How is it?"

Vanessa coughed. She replied, "I'm fine. Just a fractured leg and a mild concussion. You don't need to—"

I cut her off. "I'm asking about the car."

My coldness hit Andrew hard, and his voice shot up. He said, "Ms. Brooks is in the hospital, and all you care about is the car? Do you have any conscience at all?"

I looked at him calmly. "You're Andrew, right?"

I crossed my arms slowly and stared at him with a blank expression.

I continued, "First, that car is worth six million dollars and it's a global limited edition. Second, Vanessa is my legal wife and she was picking up the car for me. What's the problem?"

I paused, and my gaze dropped to his hand gripping Vanessa's hospital gown. "And lastly, you're just some college kid she sponsored. What gives you the right to stand here and question me?"

Andrew's face turned red, and he instinctively let go, but he kept defending himself.

He said, "I'm just worried about Ms. Brooks! You could've picked up the car yourself, but you made her go instead. Now she's hurt and you haven't said one word to her."

I glanced at the message my assistant just sent me and let out a cold laugh. I said, "You should worry about yourself instead. The damage estimate just came through. Repairs are going to cost over a million dollars. Card or cash?"

Andrew's legs buckled, and he swayed on his feet. He glared at me with stubborn anger and said, "A million dollars? That's extortion!"

He turned to Vanessa with a desperate, pleading expression. He said weakly, "Ms. Brooks."

Vanessa pushed herself up, and the movement pulled at her injury. Pain shot through her, and she pressed her fingers to her temples.

"Ethan, he just started working," she said. "He's practically a kid. Where would he get a million dollars? Don't scare him like that.

"I made the mistake first," she added. "I'll pay you back."

Andrew's eyes lit up instantly, and a smug smile tugged at his lips.

I looked at her, and my voice dripped with sarcasm. "How generous of you, Ms. Brooks. Buying him an entire dealership wasn't enough?"

Vanessa didn't expect me to know about that, and her expression froze.

Andrew lost his earlier confidence and bit his lip as he explained, "Ethan, if you're mad, take it out on me. Don't blame Ms. Brooks. She only helped me because she felt sorry for me."

Vanessa sighed and waved Andrew off. "This has nothing to do with you. Go home."

Andrew kept his head down and walked toward the door, glancing back every few steps. But just as he reached it, he turned around and hurried back.

He pressed a prettily decorated glass bottle into Vanessa's hand.

He looked up at her with those pitiful puppy-dog eyes, all soft and wounded.

Anyone watching would think they were sleeping together.

Andrew pressed his lips together and left reluctantly.

As he passed me, he explained in a low voice, "Ethan, it was my fault. I didn't finish the inspection before I let Ms. Brooks drive off, and then she got into an accident."

He hesitated. "Don't get the wrong idea. That bottle has origami stars I folded myself. I'm wishing for Ms. Brooks' leg to heal fast."

The inspection wasn't finished?

But the dealership called me to pick up the car.

The brakes failed last time, too. Was that inspection also incomplete?