Chapter 1

The grad school spot I'd fought for all year was stolen by someone else.

When I found out that, I was getting up from Lucas Carter's bed.

I stared at the notification, my heart sinking when I saw my guaranteed grad school application had been revoked.

Then I glanced over at Lucas, who sprawled across the sheets, a self-satisfied grin on his face.

"Did you withdraw my grad school application?" I asked.

Lucas didn't even bother opening his eyes. He just drawled lazily, "Yeah. Next competition, I'll bring you with me. Trust me, you'll skip straight to a PhD."

I froze and then shoved his hand away.

He finally opened his eyes, irritation flickering across his face.

"Janet, are you picking a fight with me? Do you want that spot or your biggest supporter? I thought you knew how to weigh your options," he said, his tone cold and dismissive.

Lucas's words hit me like a bucket of ice water, leaving me completely frozen.

I scrambled up, grabbing my scattered clothes off the floor.

Lucas scoffed.

With a swift move, his long arm hooked around me and dragged me back onto the bed.

His warm chest was pressed tightly against my cold back.

His voice came out rough and utterly commanding, leaving no room for argument. "Quit it. Do as I say."

I bowed my head, barely realizing how much my voice was shaking. "Lucas, that spot means everything to me. I spent an entire year preparing for it."

He'd had enough. He gripped my jaw, forcing my gaze up to meet his.

Those striking eyes, usually clouded with lazy amusement, were now sharp and merciless, silently judging me from above.

"Janet, know your place," he said coldly. "Without the Carter family, you wouldn't even be in college. Do you really think you have the right to bargain with me?"

It felt like my veins just froze over.

I didn't speak for what felt like ages, and when I finally did, my voice came out hoarse and dry.

"I'm not here to bargain," I muttered. "I only want to know who you gave that spot to. Let me guess, another one of your little groupies?"

Lucas let go of me, lounging against the headboard and motioning for me to pass him his shirt lying at the foot of the bed.

His gaze drifted toward the window, and for once, a rare, almost gentle smile curled on his lips. "Hazel Young."

He paused for a moment and added, "You know her, Richard's daughter. She wants to keep going, and her family's hoping she'll stick around campus. Obviously, she gets the best shot."

My hand trembled as I held the shirt.

Hazel Young.

I remembered that campus princess clearly.

The first time I ran into her was back at the student council's welcome party.

She managed to spill red wine all over my only evening dress.

She just grinned and said, "Sorry, guess my hand slipped."

And what did Lucas say about it back then? He said, "Hazel's just been pampered by her family all her life. She can be pretty spoiled, so don't let it get to you."

I didn't say a word, just swallowed every ounce of frustration and anger.

But for once, Lucas actually explained, "There's a meeting tonight to announce who gets the spots. Hazel'll be on stage, so try not to make any trouble for me, alright?"

Lucas continued, "Our families have been working on a partnership lately, and tying the knot is just a matter of time. I don't want her upset."

It felt like I'd just been sucker-punched out of nowhere, my ears ringing.

"You two are getting married?" I blurted out.

My voice was shaking badly, and even though the room was warm, I felt like I was trapped in an icebox.

Lucas threw off the covers and got out of bed.

He fastened the last button of his shirt with a careless flick of his fingers.

Then he looked back at me, eyes cold and distant. "What else did you think would happen, Janet? Did you believe whatever this is between us could last?"

"I thought we had an understanding. I brought the resources and connections," He said as he turned, his gaze raking over me with a brazen, mocking edge. "And you keep me company.

"As long as you stay obedient, you don't need to worry about anything. Even after I'm engaged, I won't just toss you aside. Whatever's promised to you, you'll still get it. Just don't go make a scene in front of Hazel."

I couldn't even hear the rest of what he said.

"I'm heading to the counselor's office for the withdrawal form," I said.

I practically bolted out of there.

When I was fifteen, Lucas offhandedly said a few words that changed my life.

His words gave me the chance to stay in school.

By the time I turned eighteen, he coaxed me into his bed.

I foolishly believed all along that there was something more between us.

I always thought we were more than just something casual.

He'd pull all-nighters with me at the library, working through piles of problems together.

Whenever someone tried to give me a hard time, he'd always have my back and shut them down.

When I got the scholarship, he'd take me out on his bike for those wild midnight rides across the empty campus, and we'd just laugh like idiots under the stars.

Our thing was an open secret, and for a long time, I really let myself believe I was different.

Until he made it painfully clear just where I stood.

I lingered on the rooftop of the classroom building, cold wind numbing my face for who knew how long, until my best friend Tina Fields finally tracked me down.

"Janet, what are you doing up here? You haven't answered a single call." Tina hurried over and grabbed my arm, worried all over her face.

"Did you and Lucas get into a fight? Is this about the grad school recommendation?" she pressed.

I shook my head, my throat tight. "He's marrying Hazel. And Hazel gets the spot."

Tina gently patted my back, clearly wanting to say something but hesitating. "So, Hazel's going to be at the announcement meeting tonight, huh?"

I closed my eyes, letting the cold wind slap my face, hoping it'd snap me out of this mess. "Yeah, she's going. And I have to show up, too.

"Lucas told me to put on a good show and just accept it. Tina, you know how hard I fought for this chance."

Tina put her hand on my shoulder and pulled me into a tight hug, her voice thick with worry. "But Janet, are you just going to give up now? You always said—"

I shook my head, that heavy, hopeless feeling washing over me. "Maybe this is just fate. There's no way I can win against them. If my mom were still alive, she wouldn't want to see me this messed up because of some guy."

Tina didn't push me anymore, just let out a quiet sigh. "Will you be okay at the meeting?"