Chapter 1
Jolting awake, I felt that familiar loss of control over my own body.
It was a sensation that had haunted me for four days straight.
Grabbing my phone, I gasped in shock.
Gone was the default starry sky screensaver; in its place was a woman's face, smiling brightly, almost tauntingly.
Taped next to it was a note. [I will take over your body for ten minutes every day. Check the screensaver for my face.]
Damn it! It was her again.
Rage coursed through my veins, hot enough to make me want to smash the phone to pieces.
Who the hell was this woman?
*****
A splitting headache throbbed in my skull as I stared at the stranger's face on my screen, my heart squeezed tight by an invisible hand, every breath feeling jagged.
The woman in the photo was stunning, with bright eyes, perfect teeth, curly hair cascading over her shoulders, and a glint of mischievous allure in her gaze.
But I didn't recognize her, not even a little.
What made it even creepier? She seemed to know everything about me.
On the first day, she'd listed all my prized limited-edition sneakers on a second-hand marketplace using my account.
Next, she'd splurged on expensive tips for a dance streamer with my money.
By the third day, she'd lashed out at every business contact in my WhatsApp, tearing into them without mercy.
And today, the fourth day, she'd gone so far as to set her own photo as my screensaver and leave that arrogant note.
This lunatic!
I crumpled the note into a ball and hurled it to the floor, anger and a crushing sense of helplessness washing over me.
Once, I, Alex Grant, was the heir to the Grant family of Kingston City. Now, I'd been kicked out of the family and stuck in a cramped rental apartment just under 323 square feet.
And now, a mysterious woman could take over my body without warning, ten minutes a day.
For those ten minutes, I lost all consciousness, a mere puppet on strings.
When I woke up, I was left to clean up the messes she had made.
I'd tried calling the police, but they looked at me like I was insane.
I'd turned to doctors, only to be told I should check into a psychiatric ward.
I'd even wasted 1500 dollars on some so-called "psychic" who turned out to be a fraud.
No one believed me.
Staring down at her face on the screen, I tried to spot any clue in that smile.
Who was she? Where was she? What the hell did she want?
I took a deep breath and forced myself to steady my nerves.
I couldn't sit around and do nothing. I had to find her.
I unlocked my phone, ready to change the screensaver, only to find she'd set a new password.
I tried my birthday, but it didn't work.
My ex-girlfriend's birthday. Still no.
Shit, she'd even changed my password.
Just as I was about to lose my temper, a WhatsApp message popped up.
The contact was labeled "Ryan Lynn".
It was my half-brother, now the new head of the Grant family.
The message was short and sharp. [Alex, 7 PM tonight at the Majestic Hotel. Dad's throwing you a farewell party. Be there.]
What a load of crap. It was just an excuse to humiliate me in public.
A cold smile touched my lips.
Ever since I'd been kicked out of the Grant family, Ryan and his mother had never missed a chance to kick me while I was down.
This so-called farewell party was nothing more than their victory parade.
I didn't want to go. But as I stared at the woman's smiling face on my screen, a crazy thought crossed my mind.
What if this mysterious woman showed up while I was at the party? What would happen?
A shiver of fear and anticipation ran down my spine.
I had no idea what she'd do, but I was certain it wouldn't be good.
And for Ryan and the others? It would be a disaster.
The enemy of my enemy was my friend, even if that friend was a lunatic.
I picked up my phone and typed three words. [I'll be there.]