CHAPTER 002

A Broken Homecoming

Ana’s Point of View

The moment Ana stepped to the gates of the mansion, her chest tightened. All her muscles were urging her to run in and scream his name, to tear this lie with her bare hands. Her foot was raised, about to charge in.

But something stopped her. She was stopped in her stride by a heavy hand on her shoulder. She was stumbling at the abrupt cessation of motion, as though she had been pushed back into a cage when she believed she was free. This was her house. She had been in these halls before. "I am one of them," she said to herself.

Why then was she a stranger at her own door? jaw clenched.

It was stuffy and oppressive, and her lungs were aching with the breath. “I am his wife.”

The guard who was next to her pushed her forward, guiding her in. The door swung open and swallowed her up. room was dark; the shadows clung to the walls as though they were living. His voice flew through the room, gentle and mocking.

The guard forced her into the middle of the room. The table scraped her hip with wood, but she hardly flinched. She was standing erect, her hands gripping on the edge of the table, and she was holding herself erect. Her heart could not believe what her mind had already known. It was not a dream.

Chase had left her. Not only abandoned her but also threw her out with divorce papers like rubbish on the sidewalk. And worse, he had chosen Lia. Her younger sister. Her blood.

Ana gulped and tasted bile. The door groaned open again. She did not see it, but she touched it. The air changed, and the scent of cologne, sharp and polished, came to her, too well remembered.

He had entered before she had so much as lifted her eyes. “Hello, Ana.” Chase had a tailor-made suit, a crisp tie, and shiny shoes. She finally looked up. However, she was able to say the words. He was all the man the world should have seen—clean, powerful, and untouchable.

But his smile told the truth. A thin, twisted smile. A glint of triumph. Her throat constricted. He closed the door after him in a negligent motion. “How could you, Chase?”

I will not be able to carry your baggage, Ana. That smile broadened, curling like a blade. His words were more harmful than anything she had had in prison. Her heart was sore, and a scornful laugh came out of her mouth.

For three years I rotted there. Three years to keep your word. You said you would wait. You said you loved me. And this is what you give me?” Her voice broke, but she did not halt. “You marry my sister?” Chase shrugged his shoulders. Casual. Careless.

She does not fit the life I am creating now. He came up, his eyes shining with sadistic pleasure. Her nails were so deep in the table that her fingers clung to it. Do you think a woman with a record and desperation painted over her face can stand besides me now? His language was as strokes, but she would not lower her eyes.“ Look at you. Pathetic. Broken. His voice was deep and venomous, and her knees were knocking against the table as he leant over.

I am a Grayson. ” Her chest tightened. She pulled, pulled, and tore at his hold, but his strength was inexorable. You have no idea what I did on your behalf. I carried it all. I kept my silence for you. I destroyed myself for us. ”He laughed, stinging and bitter.“ Us?

There was never an us. There was me—and what I needed. You were useful. That was all.” Her lips trembled. Her heart broke in places she did not know it had. “You are lying,” she whispered.

“You cared once. You loved me once. ”There was a change in his eyes. Darker. Predatory. He moved near, and the distance between them was narrowed to the point of his breath touching her cheek. "You have not yet understood," he said to himself. His hand reached out and caught her by the wrist. He pulled her nearer, and pain ran up her arm.

His presence was choking; his bulk was pressing her. “This is my gift to you. One last time. For old times’ sake. ” Her stomach dropped. Panic tore through her chest. Ana drew little, desperate breaths.

“Stop! Let go of me! ”Her voice cracked. She turned her arm, yet he only clenched his hold.“ Chase, please—”His smirk broadened, sadistic contentment cut across his face. He pushed her away, pushing her against the table. I am told your new husband is unforgiving. The guard caught her by the arm, and his hold was coarse. Her body froze, her mind screaming.

When he at last set her free, she fell against the table, her heart broken into bits too sharp to collect. Chase drew himself in, as though nothing had occurred. He pulled at his cuff, smoothed his suit, and sneered down at her. “Enjoy your new life, Ana. The guard forced her in, and the door banged behind. He is worse than me. A real monster. A perfect match for you.” Her throat burned. Her heart screamed.

But she would not have him see her weep. One of his guards entered the door, and Chase pointed with his chin. Take this rubbish to where she belongs. The engine throbbed, steady, pulling her still farther away out of the life she had once clung to. He dragged her through the hall, and she fell. Her eyes had one final glimpse of Chase. His laughter pursued her and reverberated along the corridor like the most malevolent ghosts.

Her body was heavy with pain, but she did not want to fall. She would not give him that. The car waited outside. Ana was leaning on the seat, her chest hollow, her mind shredding at the sides. Her eyes were hazy, and she tried to look.

Ryan stood outside her door, and his face could not be read. Darkness was crowding her eyes. Her eyes fluttered. Sleep was threatening, but she struggled. And then she saw him. Not Ryan. Someone else. A figure sat in the passenger seat. His outline sharp, his presence heavy. Even in her haze, she felt it. Strong. Silent. Dangerous.

She pitched out, her knees feeble, her body sore. Who was he?

The car shifted. Her eyelids grew heavier. Darkness sucked her down before she could see further. As she awoke the second time, the voice of Ryan filled the silence.“Mrs. Blackwood.”

Her eyes blinked open. The world was dim. The car had stopped. Before she could respond, a voice responded to her.

“We have arrived,” he said. A small girl was standing close, and she held a tablet in her hand, and her voice was flat and carefree. The burden of all this struck her chest again.

Ryan reached for her elbow. “Let me help you. ”He was powerful and silent but undeniable. “She looks like a maid. I do not like her hair. ”Ana’s head snapped up. He looked at Ana, and he never looked away.

The girl did not even glance at her. Ana blinked. Confusion swirled. Ryan had not yet answered when another voice filled the air. Deep. Commanding. Certain. “No, Mia.” The girl turned.

Ana followed her gaze.

And froze, He stood there. A man such as she had never seen. He was so present that he drowned out all the rest. His jaw was keen, his shoulders wide, and his dark eyes piercing through her. He was strong, and strength was silent but irresistible.

He put a powerful hand on the shoulder of the girl. “That is not a maid,” he said. His gaze was fixed on Ana, and it was not going to move. “That is Ana Blackwood. Your new stepmother.

”Ana’s heart stilled. Her lips opened, and she said nothing. His eyes were cold and intense, and there was something under them. Amusement. Challenge. Her lungs struggled for air. Her mouth stayed frozen open. And then his eyes became hard and steel-like. His jaw clenched.

The air shifted. The room tightened. Ana’s chest hammered. Who was this man? And what did he really want of her?