Chapter 1

Alex Sterling, the golden boy of the Riverside City elite, tried to die for his number-one devotee by swallowing a whole bottle of sleeping pills.

When the news broke, I was in my cramped rental, busy packing my bags. My bank account was looking a lot healthier, thanks to the final payment of 1.6 million dollars that Alex's mother, Melissa, had just wired over.

Daniel roared through the phone, "What the hell did you do to him?"

I hung up and glanced at my phone, where a news alert about Alex's engagement to his first love popped up. I couldn't help but laugh.

What did it have to do with me? I was never his real girlfriend anyway.

I had played my part in this contract relationship for 365 days straight. Now that I'd gotten my money, it was only fair for me to walk away.

Whether he lived or died was none of my concern.

*****

The news that Alex had tried to kick the bucket by overdosing on sleeping pills came screaming through the phone via Daniel.

I was on the floor of my rental, huddling over my suitcase, with my phone on speaker atop the bed.

Daniel's voice echoed off the walls. "Sophie, what the hell did you do to him? He's in the ICU getting his stomach pumped, and the Sterling family is losing their minds."

I stuffed my last T-shirt into the suitcase and zipped it shut.

"Say something, you bitch!" Daniel yelled.

"What's it to me?" I stood up and brushed the dust off my knees. "I wasn't his real girlfriend."

The other end of the line went dead silent for a few seconds. "You—"

I hung up.

My screen flickered back to the news feed. The top trending topic was the engagement between Alex and Emily Carter.

In the photo, Alex was dressed in a sharp suit, and Emily was holding his arm, smiling gracefully.

The caption read: [The golden boy of the Riverside City elite finally settles down. His longtime crush becomes his forever.]

It was posted at 3:00 PM yesterday.

I checked my bank balance. Melissa had sent the final 1.6 million dollars thirty minutes ago. The memo simply read: [Contract terminated. Final payment settled.]

Not a single cent less.

I pulled out my SIM card, snapped it in half, and tossed it into the trash.

I rented this place six months ago. It was an old apartment with no elevator, tucked away in the city's old neighborhood.

Alex had never stepped foot here. He had no idea that, besides the hard cot in the Sterling family's servants' quarters, I had kept this little hideout for myself.

It was only 120 square feet with peeling wallpaper and rusty pipes. But I'd paid for it with my own savings. It didn't belong to the Sterlings. And it certainly didn't belong to Alex.

I dragged my suitcase to the door and took one last look around the house.

In the corner sat a pile of stuff I'd collected over the past year—a lighter Alex had tossed, a tie he'd ripped apart without a care, and a coat he'd puked on after getting drunk.

I'd salvaged the coat, washed it, and folded it neatly. I hoarded those scraps like a loyal dog guarding its prized possessions.

Now, looking at them just felt pathetic.

I crouched down, swept the pile together, and pulled a lighter from my pocket.

As the flames licked upward, the stench of scorched fabric filled the room. The designer label on the tie curled and blackened.

I'd scrubbed that coat five times just to get rid of the wine stain.

The heat from the fire radiated against my face, and I watched it burn for five minutes until everything turned to ash.

I stood up, grabbed my suitcase, and walked out the door.

A car sent by Melissa was waiting downstairs. It was a black Mercedes with a Riverside City plate.

When Jack, the driver, saw me come down, he hopped out to help with my belongings.

He glanced at the crumbling building behind me, his mouth twitching as if he wanted to speak, but he eventually held his tongue.

After we got in the car, he finally spoke. "Ms. Lane, Mrs. Sterling asked me to take you to the airport."

"Okay," I replied.

"The ticket is already booked for a second-tier city down south. Mrs. Sterling suggested you stay there for a while. Once the dust settles here, you're free to go wherever you like," Jack added.

I leaned my head against the window, staring at the passing scenery.

Riverside City in March was a sea of gray. The trees along the road hadn't even begun to bud.

Sterling Estate was in the northern suburbs, and I'd ridden in this car countless times.

Back then, I'd always hitched a ride with Alex, sitting right behind the passenger seat so I could watch the back of his head.

When Alex drove, he had a habit of keeping one hand on the wheel and the other resting on the window frame.

If he were in a good mood, he'd play music. If he weren't, he wouldn't say a word.

I used to be such a fool. If he were happy, I'd be secretly over the moon. If he were grumpy, I'd try to come up with reasons for his mood in my head.

Was he stressed about work? Did Emily say something? Did I do something to rub him the wrong way?

Thinking back now, whether he was happy or not shouldn't have meant a damn thing to me.

Jack glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "Ms. Lane, Mrs. Sterling wanted me to tell you that she appreciates everything you've endured during this time."

I didn't bother to respond.

"As for Mr. Sterling..." Jack paused. "Mrs. Sterling said she'll handle it."

"How exactly did he handle it?" I asked.

Jack blanked for a second.

"How many pills did he take?" I asked.

"A whole bottle, from what I heard," Jack said.

"Did they get it all out?" I added.

"Yeah, they did. He's under observation in the ICU now," Jack replied.

I cracked the window open, letting the biting wind whip against my face.

"If he actually dies," I said, "will the Sterlings pay me extra?"

Jack's hands jerked on the steering wheel.

I didn't say another word.