Gerrit wrapped his arms around Seraphina, lifting her gently from the carpet. "Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice thick with panic.

Seraphina buried her face in his chest. She shook her head, putting on a brave face. "It's not Kaia's fault. I just lost my balance."

That sentence was gasoline on a fire. Gerrit snapped his head around. His eyes were dead and cold as he glared at Kaia, who was still crumpled on the floor.

"If she has a single scratch on her, I will make you pay for it," Gerrit snarled.

He kept his arm tightly around Seraphina's waist. He turned his back on Kaia and walked straight out the front door.

The heavy door clicked shut. The apartment fell into a suffocating, dead silence.

Kaia pressed her hand against her bleeding waist. Her entire body shook violently. Cold sweat dripped down her forehead, stinging her eyes.

She clamped her teeth together, tasting copper. She planted her hands flat on the blood-stained carpet and forced her arms to push her body up.

She dragged her feet across the floor, limping heavily toward the coffee table. She reached out with a trembling hand and straightened the manila envelope that had been knocked askew.

Every step toward the bathroom felt like walking on broken glass. The tearing sensation in her waist mixed with the deep, gnawing ache of the cancer in her abdomen.

She flipped on the harsh bathroom lights. She peeled off the ruined white blouse. A massive, dark purple bruise surrounded a deep, jagged gash on her side.

She opened the first aid kit. She soaked a cotton pad in rubbing alcohol and slammed it directly onto the open wound. She threw her head back and sucked in a sharp breath as the burning pain ripped through her nerves.

She wrapped thick white bandages tightly around her torso. She pulled a massive, oversized black silk robe over her shoulders, completely hiding the blood and the gauze.

Kaia walked out of the bathroom. She looked at the clock on the wall. She walked into the open kitchen.

She opened the stainless steel refrigerator. She pulled out fresh vegetables and a cut of prime steak. Her hands hovered over the marble counter, staring at the ingredients she had purchased to prepare Gerrit's favorite meal. This was the dinner she had planned to make last night to seal their three-month deal. Now, looking at the raw meat, a violent wave of nausea twisted her stomach. The memory of his cruel shove and Seraphina's mocking smile echoed in her mind. Her hands trembled as she grabbed the expensive steak and the organic vegetables, hurling them violently into the stainless steel trash can. There would be no dinner. It was a funeral for their marriage. The sterile, cold smell of the empty apartment surrounded her, doing nothing to mask the faint, metallic scent of blood lingering in the air.

She dragged herself to the dining table. She didn't strike a match; she simply sat in the freezing darkness. Kaia sat in the chair next to the head of the table. She stared at the empty, unlit silver candelabra. She waited as the sky outside turned pitch black.

The clock ticked endlessly. The silence in the room grew heavy and stiff. The cold air formed a chilling film over her bare skin. The night dragged on in total, unbroken misery.

Just before midnight, the front door unlocked. Gerrit walked in alone.

He took off his suit jacket. The heavy, sweet scent of Seraphina's perfume instantly flooded the room.

Kaia's stomach violently rejected the smell. Acid rose in her throat, but she swallowed it down.

Gerrit walked past the dining area. He stopped when he saw the empty table and Kaia sitting in the shadows.

He looked at her face. Her skin was a terrifying shade of gray, and her lips were completely white.

His eyebrows pulled together. "Are you sick?" he asked, the words slipping out automatically.

Kaia slowly lifted her eyes. She looked at him. "My stomach hurts."

The slight concern in Gerrit's eyes vanished instantly. He let out a harsh, mocking laugh. "Playing the victim now? Trying to use a stomachache to get out of what you did this afternoon?"

He didn't look at the food again. He walked straight past the table and down the hallway.

Kaia sat perfectly still. She listened to the sound of the shower turning on in the guest bathroom. She reached out and closed her eyes, plunging herself into total darkness.

Kaia stood up. She ignored the empty trash can where the food lay discarded. She dragged her exhausted, aching body down the hall and into the master bedroom.

She sat on the edge of the mattress. Before she could even lie down, the bedroom door was violently shoved open.

Gerrit stormed into the room. His skin was flushed from the hot water. He wore nothing but a white towel wrapped low around his waist. Water dripped from his wet hair onto his chest. His eyes burned with aggressive, dominating anger.

Kaia instinctively shrank back. Her hand flew to her side, pressing over the black silk robe to protect her injured waist.

Gerrit crossed the room in three massive strides. He stood over her, casting a dark shadow across the bed. "What exactly did you say to Seraphina this afternoon?"

Kaia turned her face away. "I didn't say anything. She came here on her own."

Gerrit reached down and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. "You are a liar. She was crying the entire ride back to her apartment."

He leaned down. His warm breath hit her face, but his eyes were freezing cold. It was a look of pure punishment.

Suddenly, Gerrit reached out and grabbed the collar of her black silk robe. He yanked it hard, ripping the fabric open, exposing her collarbone.

Kaia gasped loudly. She thrashed backward, her hands desperately grabbing the torn silk to cover her stomach and the bandages hidden beneath.

Gerrit scoffed. "Don't act like you don't want this. Isn't this exactly why you pulled those pathetic stunts?"

He pushed her down onto the mattress. His heavy body pressed against hers, pinning her in place. He leaned in, his face inches from hers, aiming to press his mouth against her neck to establish dominance. But as his breath brushed her skin, he froze. His movements, initially rough and angry, halted abruptly. He saw the sheer terror and physical agony twisting her pale features. Disgust-both at her and perhaps a fraction at himself-flashed in his eyes. He stopped completely, refusing to cross that final line, completely devoid of any warmth or love.

A wave of absolute humiliation crashed over Kaia. Hot tears spilled from her eyes and soaked into her hair.

And then, the cancer woke up.

A pain so sharp, so agonizing it felt like a serrated knife twisting in her intestines, exploded in the center of her abdomen.

Kaia's entire body went rigid. A choked, guttural moan ripped out of her throat.

Her hands let go of the robe. Her fingers dug into the bedsheets, twisting the fabric until her knuckles turned bone-white.

Gerrit felt her body lock up beneath him. He pulled away completely. He pushed himself up on his forearms and looked down at her.

Kaia's face was the color of a corpse. Thick beads of cold sweat instantly popped out on her forehead. She couldn't pull air into her lungs. Her breathing came in short, broken gasps.

She forced her mouth open. "Pills," she choked out, her voice barely a whisper. "Drawer... please."

Gerrit stared at her twisted, agonizing expression. For a split second, doubt flickered in his eyes. But then, the image of Seraphina falling to the floor this afternoon flashed in his mind.

His face hardened into stone. He pushed himself off the bed and stood up, adjusting the towel around his waist.

He looked down at her curled up in a tight, trembling ball. "Your acting is pathetic, Kaia. This fake illness routine makes me sick."

Kaia couldn't even form the words to defend herself. The pain was eating her alive. She stared up at him, her eyes wide with disbelief and pure despair.

Gerrit didn't show a single ounce of mercy. He turned his back on her and walked toward the door.

"Have that dead look off your face by morning," he ordered. "Don't embarrass the Downs family."

He walked out. The heavy oak door slammed shut. The sound of his footsteps faded down the hallway until there was nothing but silence.

Kaia writhed on the massive bed. The pain was blinding. She rolled too far and crashed onto the floor.

She dragged her body across the carpet using her elbows. She reached the nightstand, pulled the drawer open, and grabbed the plastic bottle. Her shaking hands spilled pills everywhere. She shoved a handful into her mouth, swallowing them dry, and lay on the floor, waiting for the darkness to take her.

The morning light was a cold, sharp reminder of the bruises hidden beneath Kaia's tailored suit. She woke up on the floor. Her body was freezing, and every bone felt like it had been shattered and glued back together.

She grabbed the edge of the bed and pulled herself up. She walked to the bathroom. She applied a thick layer of foundation, painting over the deathly gray color of her skin.

She picked up her phone and dialed her best friend, Alaia Stafford. "I need you to investigate something for me right now."

She hung up the phone. She put on a tailored black suit. She slid dark sunglasses over her eyes to hide the broken blood vessels.

She walked past the living room. She didn't even glance at the manila envelope still sitting on the coffee table. She walked out the door and got into the car.

The Maybach drove down Madison Avenue. Kaia walked into a high-end luxury boutique to pick up a custom dress.

The store manager rushed over, bowing slightly, and led her to the velvet sofas in the VIP lounge.

Kaia sat down and picked up a magazine. Suddenly, a loud commotion erupted outside the glass doors.

She looked through the floor-to-ceiling window. Seraphina was running frantically down the sidewalk, constantly looking over her shoulder.

A man wearing a black baseball cap was jogging right behind her, acting suspiciously.

Seraphina suddenly changed direction. She sprinted straight toward the boutique.

She pushed the glass doors open and screamed, "Someone is following me!" She threw herself onto the carpet, landing directly at Kaia's feet.

The store clerks froze in shock. One of them scrambled to call security.

Kaia sat perfectly still. She looked down at Seraphina, who was violently shivering on the floor. Kaia's gut told her this was another cheap, staged performance.

Tires screeched outside. A black Range Rover slammed to a halt against the curb.

Gerrit threw the car door open and charged into the boutique like a hurricane.

His eyes immediately locked onto Seraphina on the floor, and then onto Kaia sitting calmly on the sofa.

Gerrit dropped to his knees. He pulled Seraphina tightly into his chest, whispering soft words to calm her down.

Seraphina buried her face in his neck and sobbed loudly. She pointed a shaking finger toward the street. "That man... he was going to attack me. I know someone paid him to do it."

Gerrit's body went completely rigid. He slowly lifted his head. His eyes locked onto Kaia, filled with a murderous, terrifying rage.

He stood up. He marched over to Kaia. A flicker of uncertainty crossed Gerrit's face. He looked from Seraphina's tear-stained face to Kaia's perfectly calm demeanor. "Kaia, what the hell is going on here?" he demanded, his voice tight but lacking its usual blind certainty. Seeing his hesitation, Seraphina let out a dramatic, breathless gasp and let her eyes roll back, faking a dead faint. Panic overrode Gerrit's logic. He reached down and grabbed the lapels of her black suit jacket, hauling her up to face his fury.

"Is there no limit to how low you'll sink, Kaia?!" he roared. "You hired a stalker to terrorize her?!"

The fabric cut into Kaia's neck, but she let out a cold, raspy laugh. "Where is your proof?"

Her defiance was the final straw. Gerrit didn't throw her this time; instead, he gripped her arms and shook her with such violent contempt that her vision blurred. The sudden, jarring motion tore through the fragile stability of her internal injuries. No impact was needed—her body simply gave up.

A thick, heavy taste of rusted iron flooded the back of her throat. A mouthful of hot blood rushed into her mouth. Kaia clamped her teeth together. She forced her throat muscles to swallow the blood back down into her stomach.

But she couldn't catch it all. A thin, bright red line of blood leaked from the corner of her lips and dripped down her pale chin.

Gerrit saw the blood. His pupils shrank. His hands froze in mid-air, a sudden flash of confusion hitting him.

Kaia raised her hand. She wiped the blood away with her thumb. She stared at him, her eyes sharper than broken glass.

"You are going to regret this, Gerrit," she said, her voice dead and hollow.

She pushed past his frozen body. She kept her spine perfectly straight and walked out of the boutique, the fire of absolute hatred finally igniting in her chest.