The next evening, the sound of the lock turning made Davina's blood run cold.

She was in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for a stir-fry. The knife paused mid-air as the front door swung open.

Kash stepped inside.

He wore a charcoal suit that fit his broad shoulders perfectly, the fabric crisp and expensive. In the dim, cramped living room of her cheap apartment, he looked like a shark swimming in a puddle. His cold gaze swept over the mismatched furniture, the peeling wallpaper, before landing on her.

His lip curled slightly when he saw the knife in her hand. "Planning to use that?"

"I was making dinner," Davina said, setting the knife down on the cutting board. "You can't just walk in here."

"I have a key." He pulled a silver key from his pocket and tossed it onto the entryway table. "I own the lease. And I own you."

He reached inside his coat and pulled out a folded document. He walked over to the coffee table and threw it down. The paper slid across the surface, the sound sharp in the quiet room.

"Sign it."

Davina walked over slowly, her legs stiff. She looked down at the document. It was a supplementary agreement to the prenup.

She scanned the first few lines. Her stomach dropped.

Clause 4: The Party of the First Part (Kash Daniel Montgomery) shall retain sole and exclusive custody of any child born of this union.

"You want me to sign over my baby," she said, her voice trembling with rage. "Before I'm even pregnant."

"It's standard procedure." Kash unbuttoned his suit jacket, his posture relaxed, but his eyes were hard. "It's a condition in my grandmother's will. She wants to see the next generation before she goes. The child must be a Montgomery. Fully and legally."

"You're taking my rights as a mother!" Davina snapped, looking up at him. "You can't just buy a child and throw the mother away."

Kash took a step closer, his large frame crowding her space. The scent of his cologne-sandalwood and something sharper-filled her nostrils. "That's exactly what you're here for, isn't it? A womb for hire. A warm body to carry a meal ticket."

"I am not a surrogate!" Davina shouted, her chest heaving. "I'm your wife!"

"On paper," Kash said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "You saw an opportunity, and you took it. You got your fifty thousand dollar advance. You'll get the remaining four hundred and fifty thousand at the end. Don't pretend you have morals now."

"I didn't marry you for the money," Davina said, the words spilling out before she could stop them. "I needed-"

"Save it." Kash held up a hand, his face twisting in disgust. "I've heard every excuse in the book. The dying relative, the mounting bills, the sad story. I'm not interested."

He turned away, running a hand through his dark hair. For a split second, the arrogant mask slipped. His shoulders tensed, and he stared out the window at the city lights.

"My grandmother is dying," he said, his voice rough. "She wants to see the next generation before she goes. That's the only reason I'm doing this."

Davina saw the pain in his profile, the tight line of his jaw. He was trapped, just like she was. But the moment of vulnerability vanished as quickly as it appeared.

He turned back to her, his eyes freezing over again. "But don't think for a second that I trust you. I know exactly what you are."

"I'm not what you think," Davina said, her voice barely above a whisper. She bit her lower lip, tasting copper as she bit down too hard.

"You're a gold-digger," Kash said flatly. "And I'm the gold. Sign the paper."

He picked up his coat from the chair, slipping it back on. "You have until Friday."

He walked toward the door without looking back.

Davina stared at the document on the table. Her hands shook as she picked it up. The paper was heavy, the legal jargon blurring before her eyes.

The edge of the paper was sharp. It sliced into her index finger as she gripped it too tight. A drop of dark red blood welled up, falling onto the white page next to the signature line.

Kash paused at the door, his hand on the knob. He didn't turn around.

"Don't try the blood act," he said coldly. "It won't work on me."

The door slammed shut behind him. The sound echoed through the apartment, rattling the thin walls.

Davina sank down onto the couch, the agreement clutched in her hands. The cut on her finger stung, but the pain in her chest was worse. She felt hollowed out, scraped clean.

The phone rang at 6:00 AM, ripping Davina from a fitful sleep.

She fumbled for it, her eyes crusted with exhaustion. "Hello?"

"Davina, it's Dr. Coleman." The doctor's voice was grim, lacking its usual bedside manner. "I'm calling about Daisy."

Davina sat up, the blanket falling to her waist. "What's wrong? Is she okay?"

"She's developed a pre-operative complication," Dr. Coleman said. "An infection. We need to start aggressive treatment immediately, or we lose the window for the surgery."

"How much?" Davina asked, her voice cracking. She already knew the answer.

"Fifty thousand. Upfront. By three o'clock this afternoon." The doctor paused. "I'm sorry, Davina. Hospital policy. Without the payment, we can't proceed."

"I'll get it," she whispered. "Just give me a few hours."

"I'll do what I can, but the board is strict. Three o'clock."

The line went dead.

Davina dropped the phone on the bed. The room spun around her. Fifty thousand dollars. In nine hours.

She grabbed her phone and scrolled through her contacts. She called everyone. Distant cousins, former coworkers, acquaintances from school.

Voicemail. Rejections. Laughter.

She threw the phone across the room. It hit the wall and bounced onto the floor, the screen cracking further.

She buried her face in her hands, her breath coming in short, painful gasps. There was no one. Nothing.

Her eyes fell on the coffee table. The supplementary agreement lay next to a black-and-white photocopy of a credit card. Kash had left it there last night, a reminder of his control.

Sign the paper, and the money is yours.

Her phone buzzed from the floor. A voice message from Daisy.

She crawled over and hit play, pressing the phone to her ear.

"Aunt Vina," the little girl's voice was weak, barely a whisper. "I had a bad dream. Can you come hold my hand? I miss you."

The sound broke something inside Davina. A tear slipped down her cheek, then another. She pressed a hand over her mouth, choking back a sob.

Dignity. Pride. They were luxuries she couldn't afford. Not when Daisy's life was on the line.

She picked up a pen from the table. Her hand was steady now. The fear was gone, replaced by a cold, hard resolve. She would not let Daisy die because of her pride.

She signed her name.

She stood up, her legs shaky. She grabbed her car keys from the counter and ran out the door.

She drove like a maniac, weaving through the morning traffic, running yellow lights. The trip to Manhattan that usually took forty minutes took twenty.

She pulled up to the high-rise apartment building, her heart pounding in her ears. She pressed the buzzer for the top floor, her finger trembling against the button.

A crackle of static. "Yes?" Kash's voice was irritated, rough with sleep.

"It's Davina. Let me up."

A long pause. The buzzer sounded, and the glass doors clicked open.

She rode the elevator up, watching the numbers climb. She caught her reflection in the mirrored walls. Pale face, wild eyes, hair a mess. She looked desperate.

The elevator doors opened onto a quiet, carpeted hallway. She walked to the end of the corridor, stopping at a heavy oak door. It swung open before she could knock. Kash stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame. He wore a black silk bathrobe, loosely tied. His hair was wet, droplets of water trailing down his neck.

He looked dangerous. And he knew it.

"Change your mind?" he asked, a smirk playing on his lips.

Davina stepped out of the elevator. She reached into her purse and pulled out the signed agreement. She held it out to him, her hand shaking.

He took it, glancing at the signature. The smirk widened into a cold smile. "Smart girl."

He stepped closer, the heat of his body radiating toward her. He reached out, his fingers brushing her jaw, tilting her chin up. "So, you're finally ready to earn your keep."

Davina flinched away from his touch. Her eyes burned, but she forced herself to look at him. She had come here for a reason.

She raised her hands, her fingers trembling, and wrapped them around the back of his neck. She pulled him down.

Kash froze for a second, surprised. Then his eyes darkened, and he took control.

He backed her up against the wall, his hands gripping her waist. He kissed her hard, punishingly, his teeth grazing her lower lip.

Davina closed her eyes. A tear leaked out, sliding down her temple into her hair. She thought of Daisy's pale face, and she let the darkness take her.

Kash lifted her without breaking the kiss, carrying her down the hallway. He kicked open a door and threw her onto the massive bed.

The mattress dipped under her weight. Before she could catch her breath, he was over her, his heavy body pinning her down. He yanked at her jacket, pulling it off her shoulders, his hands rough and impatient.

His mouth moved down her neck, hot and demanding. Davina's body betrayed her, a traitorous heat pooling in her stomach. Her back arched off the bed, her fingers digging into the sheets.

It was too much. It was too fast.

Daisy's face flashed in her mind. Pale. Fragile. Waiting.

"Kash, wait." She grabbed his wrist, her fingers tight around his tendons. "Stop."

He froze, his breath coming in heavy pants. His eyes, dark with desire, narrowed in frustration. "What now?"

She swallowed, the lump in her throat painful. She forced the words out, her voice barely a whisper. "I need an advance. Fifty thousand dollars."

The change was instant. The heat in his eyes vanished, replaced by a cold fury that made her flinch. He pulled back, staring at her like she was something filthy.

"Fifty thousand?" he repeated, his voice low and deadly. "Now? While we're in bed?"

"It's for Daisy," she pleaded, sitting up and clutching her shirt closed. "Her surgery."

"Don't," Kash snarled, cutting her off. He scrambled off the bed, putting distance between them as if she were contagious. "Don't feed me that bullshit."

"It's the truth!" Davina cried out, tears streaming down her face. "The hospital called this morning. She needs the money by three."

"I said shut up!" he roared. He paced the room, his hands clenching into fists. "You planned this. You waited until I was vulnerable to extort me."

"No, I didn't."

"You're worse than I thought." He stopped pacing, his chest heaving. He looked at her with pure disgust. "Using sex as a weapon. Using a sick kid as a prop. You make me sick."

He stalked over to the nightstand, yanking open a drawer. He pulled out his wallet, flipping it open.

He pulled out a sleek black credit card. He walked back to the bed and hurled it at her.

The card struck her cheek with a sharp sting before falling onto the blanket. The humiliation of the act was worse than any physical pain. She gasped, her hand flying to her face, feeling the heat of the welt rising on her skin.

"Take it," Kash said, his voice devoid of any emotion. "Take the money and get out."

Davina stared at him through a blur of tears. The man she had forced herself to touch, to kiss, was looking at her like she was a cockroach he wanted to crush.

"Kash, please listen to me."

"Get out!" he shouted, pointing at the door. "Before I call security and have you thrown out."

He turned his back on her, walking over to the window. He stared out at the city, his shoulders rigid.

Davina sat on the bed, her body numb. The card lay on the blanket, resting near her trembling fingers. She picked it up, her fingers closing around the hard plastic.

It was done. She had the money. Daisy would live.

But the cost was a piece of her soul.

She buttoned her shirt with shaking hands, grabbed her jacket, and ran. She didn't look back as she fled the apartment, the elevator ride down a blur of tears and pain.

Up in the apartment, Kash stood at the window, watching her tiny figure run out of the building and into the street. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lit one, the smoke curling around his face.

"Fifty thousand," he muttered, his eyes cold. "Just the appetizer."

He pulled out his phone, his thumb moving swiftly across the screen as he set up real-time transaction alerts for the supplementary card. "I'll be watching every notification," he muttered, his eyes cold. "Every store, every penny. I'll know exactly where that money goes."

He pocketed the phone, a grim smile on his face. He thought he had her figured out. He thought he knew exactly what kind of woman she was.

He had no idea he had just destroyed the only chance he had at the truth.