Chapter 2

My heart skipped a beat, alarm bells ringing in my head.

There was no way running into him and Nathan tonight was a coincidence.

They must've had people tailing me for ages.

They set a trap and waited for me to walk right into it.

I forced myself to stay calm. "Say whatever you want. I don't need anyone to back me up."

Leon's knife slipped, slicing my neck, just enough for a thin trickle of blood to bead along my skin.

He let out a low laugh at the sound of my startled gasp. "What's wrong? Hiding your new guy? Worried I'll hunt him down?

"Zoe, how dare you think you can walk away? We're nowhere near finished."

He already had a diamond ring on his left ring finger.

The tabloids had been blowing up about it a few days ago: Leon Hart, the Hart family's second son, was all over the news for his high-profile engagement. Perfect match.

At this moment, he told me we were not done yet.

He pressed the blade harder against my neck.

I didn't move, stared him down. "Suit yourself."

Leon's eyes burned red at the corners, anger simmering beneath the surface.

Then, all of a sudden, it was like the fire drained out of him.

He tossed the knife onto the floor.

He grabbed a wet wipe, dropped his gaze, and slowly cleaned his hands, his fingers accidentally brushing against mine as he did. "Get out. We've got plenty of time to settle the score."

The lock clicked open.

I spun around and bolted for the door.

Panic got the better of me, and I stumbled for a second.

When I finally steadied myself, I found Nathan sitting in his wheelchair, watching me with a faint smile in his eyes.

Back then, I used to think he was the best person you could ever meet.

He was the gentlest, most caring older brother, as good as my own brother.

But here, for a split second, I had this wild urge. I wanted to grab that knife off the floor and drive it straight into his heart.

But in the end, I kept walking out the door.

Behind me, Nathan wheeled himself closer. "Ms. Turner, let me walk you out."

I picked up my pace, but he slipped right into the elevator after me.

Even with him stuck in that wheelchair, he was still quick as ever.

I put as much space between us as I could, pretending he was invisible.

Just as the elevator was about to hit the first floor, he finally spoke, calling my name, "Zoe."

My stomach lurched, nausea churning inside me.

My emotions spiraled out of control, and I wasn't scared anymore.

Without thinking, I spat right in his face.

His expression froze for a moment. But he didn't get mad. He wiped it off and let out a laugh. "You seem even more alive, and even more likable, than you were three years ago."

The elevator finally chimed, and the doors slid open.

I couldn't stand another second with him. I steadied myself and walked out.

Out of nowhere, his voice came from behind me, cold as a ghost. "Zoe, are you still thinking about running off overseas?"

I ignored him and kept walking, my steps quickening.

His voice rang out, cutting through the empty office building in the dead of night. "Guess what, Zoe? I've got proof of what Bruce did to me that night three years ago.

"Yeah, this leg? The accident wasn't the real reason, and you know it."

I froze in place, my feet refusing to move.

For a long moment, I stood there, frozen. Then, from behind me, I heard the sound of a recording being played.

The wind howled, and Bruce's voice blared out, yelling and swearing, totally losing it.

Then came the dull, gut-churning thud as the blade sank into flesh and bone.

It was a nightmare I never dared to remember. I almost collapsed right there.

When I turned around, I saw the screen of Nathan's phone.

In a dark alley, a man lay on the ground, covered in blood.

Bruce's face was smeared with blood, looking completely deranged.

I stared at him, disbelief written all over my face. "Impossible. There's no way."

Nathan wheeled himself closer, a soft smile playing on his lips. "That night, it so happened I was all alone.

"And I happened to walk right into a deserted alley, no cameras, no witnesses.

"Zoe, did you really think I had no clue Bruce was tailing me?"

It was like something exploded in my head, like a punch to the gut, knocking the wind out of me.

Bruce hurt Nathan so badly that he ended up paralyzed from the waist down. Being hit in something vital, Nathan could've been completely crippled.

Besides having to pay a huge amount of money, Bruce could get up to ten years in prison.

By the time I finally came to, I had already collapsed on the floor.

The video kept playing.

Nathan reached out and gently ruffled my hair. "I've been waiting for you for so long. Now that you're back, you're not leaving again."

I shot up and bolted for the trash can.

I puked my guts out, emptying everything inside me.

Cold sweat poured down my forehead, and my whole body was sticky and clammy.

I took a slow, shaky breath, then turned to face him. "What do you want from me?"

There was a weird, almost obsessive glint in Nathan's eyes.

His voice came out rushed, barely holding back. "That night three years ago, I kept thinking maybe since Bruce nearly took my life, you'd pay me back with yourself."

As Nathan spoke, his face twisted with wild excitement, almost manic. He locked his gaze on me. "So, would you? Would you give yourself to me?"

I found it almost hilarious. The more I laughed, the more my eyes burned, turning red with anger and pain. I shot back, my voice cold as ice, "Keep dreaming."

I gripped my bag tightly. I straightened up and headed for the exit. But I was deep in thought. Would I actually agree to that?

Ten years behind bars wasn't a life sentence. But that night three years ago, when Bruce hurt Nathan, he lost control, and his health spiraled out of control.

His health was always fragile. After that night, his health crashed. He'd been weak ever since, only staying alive because of the meds.

He wouldn't last a day in prison.

And if it went to court... Bruce deliberately hurting Nathan was the truth. But as for what Nathan did to me, I didn't have a shred of proof.

I headed for the exit step by step.

In the end, I managed to hold back the urge to turn around.