The blinding surgical lights in the top-floor VIP suite of Mercer Hospital burned Hayden's eyes.

The doctor held a pair of tweezers, carefully swabbing the deep, jagged cut on her left wrist with iodine.

The chemical burn of the antiseptic hitting raw flesh made Hayden's stomach roll. A cold sweat broke out across her forehead. Her entire body trembled.

She bit down hard on her lower lip, tasting the metallic tang of her own blood. She refused to make a single sound. She was terrified of angering the man standing in the corner.

Alois stood near the heavy wooden door. His arms were crossed over his chest. He stayed in the shadows, his dark eyes fixed on the bloody mess of her arm.

The doctor finished the last stitch and snipped the black thread. He let out a long breath.

"You're lucky it missed the main vein," the doctor said, tossing the bloody gauze into a metal bin. "Keep it completely dry for at least a week. And absolutely avoid any severe emotional fluctuations or physical exertion that could spike her blood pressure and tear the sutures wide open again."

Alois gave a single, stiff nod.

"Get out," Alois said. His voice had zero inflection.

The doctor and the two nurses felt the crushing pressure in the room. They didn't say a word. They quickly pushed the metal cart out into the hallway.

The heavy door clicked shut. The lock engaged with a loud, metallic thud.

They were alone.

Alois pushed off the wall. His leather shoes clicked against the polished linoleum floor. Each step was slow, deliberate, and heavy with threat.

He stopped at the foot of her hospital bed. He gripped the metal railing with both hands, leaning his weight forward as he stared down at her pale face.

The smell of bleach and fresh blood hung in the air, making it hard to breathe.

"The pity play is over," Alois said, his lips curling into a cruel sneer. "Let's talk terms."

Hayden froze. She looked up at him, her chest tight with confusion.

"What exactly does Erick want this time?" Alois demanded, his voice rising in volume. "The development rights for the harbor plot? Or five percent dry shares in the group?"

Hearing Erick's name made Hayden's throat close up. A violent wave of nausea hit her stomach.

She scrambled to sit up straight, desperate to explain. The sudden movement yanked her freshly stitched wrist.

She let out a sharp gasp of pain.

Alois's eyes flickered, his fingers tightening on the metal rail, but he didn't move an inch to help her. He kept his defensive posture.

Hayden ignored the pain. She looked straight into Alois's cold eyes. Her own eyes were red and wet.

"I don't want anything," she said, her voice shaking but completely clear.

She took a deep, ragged breath. "I will say it again. I am absolutely not marrying Erick."

Alois narrowed his eyes. He looked at her like she was a cheap, counterfeit painting he was trying to appraise.

He suddenly let go of the rail. He walked around the side of the bed and leaned over her.

His large hand came up, not to touch her, but to hover inches from her face. His fingers didn't make contact, yet she felt the menacing heat radiating from them. He tilted her chin up with the sheer force of his proximity. His face was mere inches from hers. She could feel the heat of his harsh breaths hitting her skin.

The violent madness Alois had been suppressing all night finally cracked through his calm facade.

"Hayden," he whispered, his voice dropping to a terrifying, gravelly pitch. "Do you have any idea what will happen to you if you're lying to me?"

Hayden didn't try to pull away. She stared right back into his dark, obsessive eyes.

A single tear slipped from her eye and dropped onto the back of his hand.

"If I ever go back to him," Hayden said softly, her voice filled with absolute conviction, "I give you the right to take my freedom. To ruin me completely."

The words hit Alois like a physical blow to the chest.

His pupils dilated rapidly. His breathing completely stopped.

He jerked his hand back as if her skin had burned him. He stood up straight, his chest heaving as he turned his back to her, desperately trying to hide the violent, possessive thrill that had just ripped through his blood.

The Maybach rolled smoothly through the empty, dark streets of Boston. The orange glow of the streetlights flashed rhythmically through the tinted windows, washing over the backseat.

Alois sat on the right side, leaning his head against the cold glass. His eyes were shut tight, and a deep crease marked his forehead.

Hayden sat on the far left side. She kept her hands folded neatly in her lap. The thick white bandage wrapped around her left wrist practically glowed in the dim light.

The air conditioning in the car was blasting. Hayden was still wearing her thin silk evening gown. A violent shiver ripped through her shoulders.

She turned her head and looked at Alois's broad, stiff shoulders.

She bit the inside of her cheek. Slowly, she began to slide across the leather seat toward him.

The expensive leather squeaked under her weight. In the dead silence of the car, the sound was deafening.

Alois's thick eyelashes fluttered for a second, but he didn't open his eyes. He didn't tell her to stop.

Hayden finally closed the gap. She took a deep, shaky breath and reached out, wrapping both her arms around his thick left bicep.

She rested the side of her head against his shoulder, absorbing the solid, radiating heat coming through his suit jacket.

Alois's entire body went rigid. His lungs froze. He didn't push her away.

Suddenly, the front tires hit a deep pothole.

Rudy slammed his foot on the brake. The heavy car jerked violently forward.

The momentum threw Hayden off balance. Her body pitched forward, and her left wrist slammed hard against the hard plastic backing of the front seat.

The fresh stitches ripped open instantly.

A blinding flash of white-hot pain exploded behind her eyes. Her vision went completely black for a second.

She bit down on her lip so hard she tasted copper. She swallowed the scream building in her throat. She was terrified that if she made a sound, he would push her away and ruin this rare moment of closeness.

Hayden quickly sat back up. She shoved her left hand behind her back, hiding it against the seat cushion. Cold sweat poured down her neck.

Alois had opened his eyes the second the car jerked. He turned his head and looked at her.

He instantly saw the sickeningly pale color of her face. He saw the way her right shoulder was awkwardly pushed forward to hide her left arm.

Then, the smell hit him.

The sharp, metallic scent of fresh blood began to fill the enclosed cabin.

Alois's face darkened. A terrifying, violent storm gathered in his eyes.

He reached out and grabbed her right shoulder, physically twisting her body so she was forced to face him.

"Bring your hand out," he ordered. His voice was deadly cold. "Don't make me say it twice."

Hayden shook her head frantically. Tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm fine. It really doesn't hurt."

Alois's patience snapped.

He reached behind her back and forcefully yanked her left arm out into the open.

The pristine white bandage was already soaked through with a massive, spreading stain of dark red blood.

Alois stared at the blood. His chest he heave up and down. Raw fury and agonizing panic warred in his dark eyes.

"Are you out of your mind?" he roared, his voice shaking the windows. "You're bleeding! Don't you know how to say it hurts?"

Hayden flinched violently at his shout. The tears she had been holding back finally spilled over her cheeks.

"I was afraid," she sobbed, her voice a tiny, broken whisper. "I was afraid if I cried, you would think I was annoying and kick me out of the car."

That sentence hit Alois like a sledgehammer to the ribs.

All the explosive anger drained out of his body in an instant, leaving him hollow.

He let out a heavy, defeated sigh. His large hands moved with agonizing gentleness as he cupped her bleeding wrist.

He lifted his head and glared at the back of the driver's head.

"Drive steady," Alois snarled. "Are you trying to kill us?"

The Maybach pulled to a smooth stop in front of the massive stone fountain of the Wyatt Estate.

The head butler was already standing at the top of the wide marble steps, his hands clasped behind his back.

Rudy opened the rear door. Alois stepped out first. He turned around and held his large, calloused right hand out to Hayden.

Hayden looked at his hand. A painful lump formed in her throat. Without a second of hesitation, she placed her uninjured right hand into his palm.

Alois's fingers closed around hers. He gave a gentle pull, guiding her out of the car. The cool night wind whipped her thin skirt around her legs.

They walked side by side through the massive double doors into the brightly lit foyer. The butler and a line of maids immediately bowed their heads.

Hayden looked around the grand hall. In her past life, she had fought tooth and nail to escape this place. Now, the sight of the crystal chandelier and the dark wood paneling made her chest ache with relief.

She took a deep breath. She needed to break down the cold wall Alois was still keeping between them.

As they approached the sweeping marble staircase that led to the second floor, the physical toll of the night finally caught up with her.

She lifted her foot to step onto the second marble stair, but a sudden, violent wave of dizziness crashed over her brain. Her vision swam with dark spots. Her legs, completely drained of strength from the blood loss and sheer exhaustion, simply gave out beneath her. She let out a sharp, breathless gasp as her body pitched uncontrollably backward into the empty air.

Alois was walking half a step behind her. His eyes had never left her.

Alois, clouded by his own deep-seated paranoia, immediately assumed it was another one of her clumsy, manipulative tricks. The corner of his eye twitched in irritation. But his body moved faster than his brain. His long arm shot out, wrapping securely around her narrow waist before she could hit the hard stone.

Hayden immediately spun around in his grip. She grabbed the lapels of his suit jacket with both hands and buried her face into his solid chest.

She tilted her head up. She widened her eyes, making them look as innocent and wet as a frightened deer's.

"My legs are like jelly," she whispered, her voice soft and sweet. "I can't walk. Will you carry me up?"

A few feet away, the butler stared at the floor, completely expressionless. He subtly waved his hand, silently ordering all the maids to disappear from the hall.

Alois looked down at her. A cold, mocking light flashed in his dark eyes.

He knew this girl better than anyone. She was arrogant and selfish. She would never lower herself to act this pathetic unless she wanted something massive.

She's doing this for Erick, Alois thought, his jaw clenching. She thinks this cheap acting will lower my guard.

Alois sneered internally. If you want to play this game, let's see how far you're willing to go.

He didn't call out her lie. He bent down and scooped her up into his arms, carrying her up the marble stairs with steady, heavy steps.

Hayden rested her head against his shoulder. The corner of her mouth curled up into a small, relieved smile. She thought her plan was working.

She leaned closer to his ear. "Alois," she whispered. "I promise I'll be really good and obedient from now on."

Alois's footsteps faltered for a fraction of a second. His Adam's apple bobbed hard.

He carried her down the long second-floor hallway and kicked open the door to her bedroom.

He walked over to the massive bed and dropped her onto the soft mattress. The second her back hit the sheets, he stepped back, putting three feet of distance between them.

"Go to sleep," he said coldly. "Stop playing games."

He turned and walked out of the room.

The heavy wooden door clicked shut, sealing her inside. Hayden lay frozen on the massive bed. She gripped the silk bedsheets so tightly her knuckles ached. She stared unblinking at the thin sliver of light beneath the door, desperately forcing her lungs to take in air. He's coming back, she repeated frantically in her head. He's just getting medicine. He's coming back. But with every passing second of dead silence, the shadows in the corners of the room seemed to stretch and crawl toward her. The walls of the luxurious bedroom felt like they were slowly, agonizingly closing in, threatening to crush her lungs.

Meanwhile, out in the hallway, Alois leaned his back against the wall. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver lighter.

He lit a cigarette. Through the thick, curling smoke, his eyes turned pitch black, filled with a dark, obsessive paranoia.