The yellow cab idled outside the red-brick apartment building in Brooklyn.

Kaia handed the driver a crumpled twenty-dollar bill and stepped out into the pouring rain.

She walked up the wooden stairs. Every step groaned under her weight, a familiar sound that now made her skin crawl.

She pulled her keys from her pocket and unlocked the chipped front door.

The dim overhead light flickered on. It illuminated the cheap, second-hand sofa and the wobbly coffee table she had bought to save money for Kasen's "art supplies."

Kaia stared at the framed photo on the wall. It was the two of them at Coney Island, smiling like idiots.

Bile rose in her throat.

She walked straight into the bedroom and dragged a battered black suitcase from under the bed.

She threw the suitcase open on the mattress.

She didn't touch the TV. She didn't touch the microwave.

She only grabbed her cheap work suits and a few basic t-shirts.

She walked into the bathroom, grabbed the cheap sterling silver necklace Kasen had given her for their anniversary, and dropped it straight into the trash can.

As she zipped the suitcase shut, the phone on the bed lit up.

The screen flashed with Kasen's name, accompanied by a heart emoji.

Kaia stared at the screen. Her eyes were as cold as dead ash.

She took a slow, deep breath, expanding her tight lungs. She swiped the screen and tapped the speakerphone button.

"Hey, baby," Kasen's voice drifted out of the speaker. It was thick with fake exhaustion and gentle concern. "Are you still working? You must be so tired."

Kaia dug her fingernails into her palms.

"Where are you?" she asked. She forced her voice to sound small.

"I'm in a basement gallery in Soho," Kasen lied effortlessly. "Helping a buddy set up an exhibit. It's freezing down here."

Through the speaker, Kaia clearly heard the clinking of ice against crystal glass. She heard Lex's muffled, arrogant laughter in the background.

The last microscopic shred of hope in Kaia's chest died.

She stood up straight. She looked at the peeling paint on the ceiling.

"Kasen," she said, her voice flat and devoid of any warmth. "Let's break up."

There was no dramatic pause on the other end, only an audible, patronizing sigh. The background noise didn't even stop.

"Are you throwing a tantrum over the rent again?" Kasen's voice was laced with weary annoyance. "Come on, Kaia, don't be a child. Call me when you've cooled off."

Kaia didn't yell. She didn't cry. She hit the red button.

She immediately blocked his number.

She grabbed the handle of her suitcase and pulled it off the bed. She looked around the tiny, pathetic cage she had built for a man who despised her.

She walked to the entryway. She unclipped the brass key from her keychain.

She slammed the key down onto the wooden shoe cabinet. The metal clattered loudly in the empty apartment.

Kaia opened the door and walked out. She didn't look back.

She stepped out into the freezing Brooklyn night. The rain instantly soaked her hair, pasting it to her cheeks.

She dragged her suitcase down the cracked sidewalk toward the subway station.

The cold wind sliced through her thin coat. She shivered violently, her mind racing.

She had exactly forty-two dollars in her checking account.

She had no home. She had no safety net.

The only thing keeping her from sleeping on the streets was her job at Vantage Group.

The roar of the approaching subway train drowned out her heavy exhale. She stepped into the brightly lit, empty car.

The next morning, Kaia stepped out of the Wall Street subway station.

Dark circles bruised the skin under her eyes. She blended into the sea of rushing, gray-suited professionals.

She walked into the towering glass headquarters of Vantage Group and swiped her badge at the silver security turnstiles.

The moment she sat at her cubicle, a massive, heavy client file slammed onto her desk.

Her coworker, Leo Foster, leaned in close.

"Good luck tonight," Leo whispered, his eyes darting around nervously. "Eric Donovan is the client. The guy is a known predator. "

Kaia opened the file. Eric Donovan's greasy, smiling corporate headshot stared back at her.

Her stomach twisted into a tight knot.

She stood up and marched to her director's office. She begged to be swapped off the account.

The director didn't even look up from his monitor. "Close the deal, Kaia, or kiss your year-end bonus goodbye. We don't pay you to be comfortable."

Kaia walked back to her desk. She opened her banking app.

The red numbers glared at her. She needed that bonus to survive.

She pulled open her bottom drawer and took out an old, cracked backup phone she kept for emergencies. The screen suddenly lit up, and the device buzzed violently against the wood.

An unknown number flashed on the screen.

I'm giving you three days to cool off. Then you're coming home. - K

Kaia stared at the arrogant text. Her jaw clenched so tight her teeth ached.

She blocked the number and shoved the phone into her drawer.

She spent the next six hours memorizing every financial loophole in Eric Donovan's company.

At five o'clock, Kaia went to the employee restroom.

She changed into a severe, high-necked black blouse and a thick pencil skirt. She buttoned it all the way to her collarbone.

She stared at her pale, exhausted face in the mirror. She splashed freezing water on her cheeks until they stung.

She applied a sharp, aggressive slash of red lipstick. She locked her emotions behind a blank mask.

Kaia took the elevator down and walked two blocks to the upscale French restaurant.

The hostess led her up a velvet-lined staircase and pushed open the heavy mahogany door of a private dining room.

Eric Donovan sat at the head of the table. He was smoking a thick cigar.

His eyes immediately dropped to her chest, then slowly dragged down to her legs. The look made Kaia's skin crawl with physical revulsion.

She forced a tight, professional smile and extended her hand. "Mr. Donovan. I'm Kaia Gibbs from Vantage Group."

Eric grabbed her hand. His thumb intentionally stroked the bare skin of her knuckles.

Kaia yanked her hand back instantly.

She pulled out the chair furthest away from him and sat down.

She opened her tablet. "If we look at the Q3 margins-"

"Relax, Kaia," Eric interrupted. He snapped his fingers at the waiter. "Pour the Bordeaux."

Eric leaned forward, resting his heavy arms on the table. "If you make me happy tonight, I'll sign the Vantage contract tomorrow morning."

Kaia kept her smile frozen in place. "The contract terms are highly favorable to your bottom line, Mr. Donovan. Let's focus on the numbers."

Eric's fake smile vanished. A dark, predatory glint appeared in his eyes.

He intentionally knocked a stack of printed spreadsheets off the table. The papers scattered across the carpet.

"Pick those up for me," Eric commanded. His voice was thick with implication.

Kaia did not move. She sat perfectly still in her chair, staring at him with dead eyes.

The temperature in the private room plummeted. The silence was suffocating.

Eric's face turned red. He opened his mouth to shout.

Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway.

The heavy mahogany door was violently shoved open from the outside.

A blast of cold air swept into the suffocating room.

Camden William stood in the doorway.

The CEO of Vantage Group looked like a god of death in a bespoke charcoal suit. Several terrified executives hovered behind him.

Alex, Camden's executive assistant, stepped forward, his expression completely devoid of warmth. "Mr. Donovan," Alex said, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "Our executive board is conducting a highly sensitive meeting in the adjacent suite. The disruptive noise level emanating from your private dinner has become entirely unacceptable. Mr. William decided to personally ensure that our corporate partnerships were being... adequately managed."

Camden's eyes-cold, bottomless, and terrifyingly sharp-instantly locked onto Kaia sitting in the corner.

He saw her rigid posture. He saw her defensive distance.

Eric Donovan leaped out of his chair. His predatory sneer morphed into a pathetic, fawning grin.

"Mr. William!" Eric practically tripped over the carpet, extending his hand across the table. "What an honor!"

Camden ignored the hand completely.

He walked into the room. The sheer physical dominance of his presence sucked the oxygen out of the space.

He stopped near the head of the table. He glanced at the untouched wine glasses and the papers on the floor.

Alex, Camden's executive assistant, stepped forward. "Mr. Donovan, why are you occupying this room?"

"Just having a deep business discussion with your lovely employee here," Eric chuckled nervously.

Camden's gaze shifted to Kaia's hands.

He noticed the microscopic tremor in her pale fingertips against the dark wood of the table.

Camden turned his back to the table. He looked at his executives. "Move the meeting next door. The air in here is filthy."

As Camden turned, Kaia's phone buzzed on the table. It was a text from her director demanding an update.

Kaia looked down at the screen for exactly three seconds.

In that tiny window of time, Eric Donovan flicked his wrist.

A pinch of white powder dropped directly into Kaia's glass of ice water. It dissolved instantly.

Camden saw it.

He caught the distinct movement in the reflection of the decorative mirror on the far wall.

Camden's boots stopped mid-step.

The muscles in his broad back locked tight. The air around him turned to absolute ice.

Kaia finished typing her text. Her throat was painfully dry from the adrenaline.

She reached out and wrapped her fingers around the condensation-slicked glass of ice water.

She lifted the rim toward her lips.

Before the glass could touch her skin, a massive, warm hand clamped down on her wrist like a steel vice.

Kaia gasped and jerked her head up.

She crashed straight into Camden William's eyes. A terrifying, violent storm raged behind his dark irises.

Camden's fingers dug into her skin. He violently ripped the glass out of her hand.

In the chaotic fraction of a second as the heavy crystal was wrenched from her trembling grip, the glass tilted sharply. A small splash of the icy, tainted liquid sloshed over the rim, hitting Kaia's chin. She instinctively gasped at the sudden cold, and a single, fatal drop slipped past her parted lips.

He slammed the glass down onto the table.

Water exploded outward, soaking the sleeve of Eric Donovan's expensive suit.

Eric stumbled backward, his face turning pale.

Camden towered over Eric. His voice was a deadly, quiet whisper.

"Vantage Group is terminating all contracts with your firm. Effective immediately."

Eric's jaw dropped. "You-you can't do that! There's a process!"

Camden let out a dark, cruel laugh. "I am the process. Get out of my sight before I have you thrown out a window."

Two massive men in black suits stepped into the room. They grabbed Eric by the armpits and dragged him out the door while he sputtered and begged.

The heavy door clicked shut.

The room was completely empty except for Camden and Kaia.

Kaia opened her mouth to thank him, but the words died in her throat.

Her vision suddenly swam. The edges of the room blurred.

A bizarre, terrifying heat bloomed in the pit of her stomach, spreading rapidly through her veins.

Kaia gripped the edge of the table. Her knuckles turned bone-white. She tried to stand, but her legs felt like liquid.

She swayed violently to the side. Gravity pulled her toward the floor.

Camden lunged forward.

His strong arm wrapped securely around her waist, catching her before she hit the carpet.

A wave of intense, masculine cologne and pure heat enveloped Kaia's senses.