The air inside the ballroom was thick with the scent of lilies and the kind of perfume that cost more than a month of my old rent. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, dripping with light that made the diamonds on everyone's necks sparkle like ice. In my first life, I would have been hiding in a corner, hoping Marcus would come find me. Tonight, I stood in the center of the room and let them look.

I saw Alistair Thorne before he saw me. He was standing by a marble pillar, a glass of dark amber liquid in his hand. He wasn't talking to anyone. He didn't need to. He had this gravity about him-people stayed a few feet away, whispering about him, too afraid to actually step into his circle.

He was exactly how the rumors described him. Cold. Dangerous. Like a wolf that had walked into a room full of sheep and was just deciding which one to eat first.

I felt a flutter of fear in my stomach, but I crushed it. I had died once. There was nothing this man could do to me that was worse than the pavement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats," the auctioneer's voice boomed.

I sat in the third row. Alistair was in the front, his back to me. I watched the back of his head, the way his shoulders stayed perfectly still while everyone else was fidgeting. He was a statue.

The auction started with small things. Gold vases, paintings, a set of pearls. I waited. I knew what was coming. It was the piece Marcus had obsessed over in my first life-the Cursed Emerald. It was a deep, blood-green stone the size of a pigeon's egg, rumored to bring nothing but ruin to whoever owned it.

"And now, Lot forty-two," the auctioneer announced. Two men in white gloves brought out a velvet cushion. "The Midnight Emerald. Starting bid, two million dollars."

The room went quiet. Two million was a lot, even for this crowd.

"Two million," Alistair said. His voice was deep, smooth, and carried a weight that made the hairs on my arms stand up.

"Two point five," a man in the back called out.

"Three million," Alistair said immediately. He didn't even look back.

The room stayed silent. No one wanted to outbid Alistair Thorne. It wasn't just about the money; it was about the fact that if you crossed him, he'd find a way to take everything else you owned the next morning.

The auctioneer raised his hammer. "Three million going once. Three million going twice-"

"Five million."

The entire room gasped. People actually stood up to see who had spoken. I felt every eye in the building land on me. My heart was thumping so hard I thought it would burst out of my chest, but I kept my face as cold as stone. I didn't look at the crowd. I looked at the back of Alistair's head.

For the first time all night, Alistair Thorne moved. He turned his head slowly, looking over his shoulder. His eyes were like dark glass-unreadable and sharp. He looked at me, his gaze lingering on my face, then down at the emerald silk of my dress, then back to my eyes.

He didn't look angry. He looked... curious.

"Six million," he said, his eyes never leaving mine.

"Seven," I replied. My voice didn't shake. I had the money. It was my father's "emergency" fund, the one Marcus didn't even know existed yet.

Alistair tilted his head. A tiny, almost invisible smirk touched the corner of his mouth. "Ten million."

The room was buzzing now. People were whispering my name. Isn't that the Vane girl? Where did she get that kind of money? Is she crazy?

"Ten million going once," the auctioneer said, his voice trembling with excitement. "Ten million going twice..."

I stayed silent. I didn't bid again. Ten million was exactly what I wanted him to pay. I wanted him to see me, to remember me, and to know that I was a player who wasn't afraid of him.

"Sold! To Mr. Thorne for ten million dollars!"

The hammer came down. Alistair kept looking at me for a long beat before he finally turned back around.

The rest of the auction was a blur. My skin felt hot, and the adrenaline was humming through my veins like an electric current. As soon as the event ended and people started moving toward the bar, I made my move. I didn't wait for him to find me. I walked straight toward him.

He was standing by the exit, leaning against the wall, waiting. It was like he knew I was coming.

"That was an expensive game for a girl who doesn't even want the stone," Alistair said. He didn't turn to look at me, but his voice was loud enough for only me to hear.

"I wanted to see if the rumors were true," I said, stepping up beside him. I could smell him now-cedarwood, expensive tobacco, and something cold like rain. "They say you always get what you want, no matter the cost."

He finally looked at me. Close up, he was even more terrifying. There was no warmth in him, just a heavy, dark power. "And what do you want, Clara Vane? Besides making me overpay by seven million dollars?"

"I want a partner," I said. I didn't flinch. "I have information about a merger that's going to happen in three months. A merger that will ruin your shipping empire if it goes through. I can stop it. But I need your protection to do it."

Alistair stepped closer, entering my personal space. He was so tall I had to tilt my head back to look at him. He looked down at me, his eyes searching mine for a lie, for fear, for anything.

"Why should I trust a girl who was, until yesterday, the shadow of a man like Marcus Reed?" he asked. His voice was low, a dangerous growl.

"Because the girl you're talking about died," I whispered. "And the woman standing in front of you is the only person in this room who isn't afraid of you."

Alistair stared at me for a long time. The silence between us was like a taut wire. Then, he reached out. I expected him to grab my arm or push me away, but his hand stopped just an inch from my cheek. He didn't touch me, but I could feel the heat from his skin.

"You're playing a very dangerous game, Clara," he said. "If you lie to me, I won't just ruin you. I'll make sure you disappear."

"I know," I said. "That's why I'm here."

He dropped his hand and stepped back. "My car is outside. You have ten minutes to convince me not to leave you on the curb."

He turned and walked away without checking to see if I was following. I took a deep breath, smoothed my dress, and followed the monster into the night.

The interior of Alistair's car smelled like expensive leather. It was silent, the kind of silence that feels heavy in your ears. Outside, the city lights blurred into long streaks of neon, but inside the blacked-out windows, it felt like we were in another dimension.

Alistair sat in the corner of the seat, his long legs crossed. He didn't look at me. He was staring out the window, his jaw set in a hard line. He looked like he was thinking about a thousand things at once, and none of them were good.

"You have eight minutes left," he said. He didn't check his watch. He just knew.

My heart was doing a frantic dance in my chest, but I kept my hands folded neatly in my lap. "In three months, Marcus Reed is going to announce a partnership with the South-Side Port Authority. He told you he's building tech for them, right?"

Alistair's eyes flicked to mine. They were cold and sharp, like the edge of a knife. "How do you know what he told me?"

"Because I was the one who wrote the proposal in my first-" I caught myself just in time. I couldn't tell him the truth yet. He'd think I was insane. "I mean, I saw the files on his desk. But Marcus is lying to you, Alistair. He isn't building tech. He's using that partnership as a front to smuggle high-end emeralds out of the country without paying the Vane estate taxes. And he's going to frame Thorne Industries as the primary investor when the feds show up."

Alistair didn't move, but the air in the car seemed to get colder. "That's a very specific accusation. If you're wrong, or if you're trying to use me to settle a lover's spat, you'll regret the day you ever learned my name."

"I'm not wrong," I said, leaning forward. I let the anger I felt for Marcus show in my eyes. "He's been planning this for a year. He needs my inheritance to pay the bribe for the port director. That's why he's so desperate for me to sign those papers."

Alistair finally turned his whole body toward me. He reached out, his large hand grabbing my chin. He didn't hurt me, but his grip was firm, forcing me to look directly into his dark gaze.

"You're a Vane," he whispered. "You've been protected your whole life. Why are you suddenly turning on the man you were supposed to marry? What did he do to make you this desperate?"

I felt a lump in my throat. I couldn't tell him that Marcus had pushed me off a roof. I couldn't tell him that I had felt my life end in the dark.

"He showed me who he really is," I said, my voice trembling just a little. "And I realized that if I don't kill his ambition now, he'll kill me later. Literally or figuratively, it doesn't matter. I want him gone, Alistair. And you're the only person who can help me do it without getting my hands dirty."

Alistair searched my face for a long time. I didn't look away. I didn't blink. I let him see every bit of the jagged, broken parts of my soul.

Slowly, he let go of my chin. He leaned back and let out a short, sharp breath.

"The Midnight Emerald I bought tonight," he said, his voice low. "People say it's cursed. They say whoever owns it finds ruin. Do you believe in curses, Clara?"

"I think people make their own ruin," I said. "Marcus made his when he decided I was an easy target."

Alistair looked at me, and for the first time, I saw a tiny glint of something that wasn't coldness. It was respect. "I'll look into the port deal. If I find even a grain of truth in what you said, I'll give you the protection you want. But understand this: if you work with me, you belong to the Thorne circle. That means no more Marcus. No more games. You do what I say, when I say it."

"Deal," I said immediately.

The car pulled up to the curb in front of my apartment. Alistair didn't get out to open the door for me. He just sat there, a shadow in the corner of the seat.

"One more thing," he said as I reached for the door handle. "That emerald stone... the one I overpaid for because of you? It's sitting on the seat next to you."

I looked down. The small velvet box was sitting right there.

"Consider it a warning," Alistair said. "It's beautiful, but it's heavy. If you aren't strong enough to carry it, it will crush you. Just like this world will."

I picked up the box. It felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. "I'm stronger than I look, Alistair."

"We'll see," he replied.

I got out of the car and watched the black sedan disappear into the night. I stood on the sidewalk, clutching the "cursed" emerald to my chest. I had done it. I had made a deal with the devil.

But as I walked into the lobby of my building, I saw a familiar figure sitting on the velvet sofa, waiting for me.

It was Marcus. And he looked like he was about to explode.

Marcus stood up the second he saw me. He looked a mess. His tie was loosened, his hair was pushed back like he'd been running his hands through it all night, and his face was a dark, angry red. He looked at the velvet box in my hand, then at my dress, and then finally at my eyes.

"Where have you been?" he demanded. He didn't even try to lower his voice. The doorman looked away, pretending to polish a brass railing. "I've been sitting here for four hours, Clara. Your phone went straight to voicemail. Do you have any idea how worried I've been?"

I didn't stop. I walked right past him toward the elevators. I didn't feel like the girl who used to apologize for being five minutes late. I felt like I was made of iron.

"I told you I needed space, Marcus," I said. My voice was calm, which I knew would make him even angrier. "I went to an auction. It was a private event."

"An auction?" He followed me into the elevator, his shoes squeaking on the marble. As the doors shut, he grabbed my shoulder and spun me around. "With what money? You told me your accounts were frozen! You told me you couldn't move a dime, but here you are, dressed like a widow at a funeral, carrying a jewelry box that probably costs more than my car!"

I looked down at his hand on my shoulder. I didn't scream. I just looked at it until he felt uncomfortable enough to let go.

"The accounts are for new business transfers, Marcus," I lied. I made sure to sound bored. "Personal spending is different. Besides, I didn't buy this. It was a gift."

"A gift?" He let out a sharp, ugly laugh. "From who? Who gives a girl a ten-million-dollar emerald just for showing up?"

"Someone who values my time more than you do," I said.

The elevator dinked at my floor. I stepped out, leaving him standing there with his mouth open. I knew I was pushing him, poking the bear, but I didn't care. I wanted him to be off-balance. I wanted him to go running to the one person he always turned to when things went wrong.

I opened my apartment door and walked inside. I didn't even look back to see if he was following. I knew he was.

"Clara, wait! I'm sorry," he said, his voice suddenly changing. He was doing the "soft" Marcus now. The one who begged for forgiveness. "I'm just stressed. The startup is falling apart without that deposit. I feel like I'm losing you, and it's making me crazy."

I walked into the kitchen and set the emerald box on the counter. "You are losing me, Marcus. Because you don't respect me."

"That's not true! I-"

He was interrupted by a knock at the door. Not a loud, angry knock, but a soft, timid one.

I smiled to myself. I knew exactly who it was. I had seen the text on Marcus's phone in my first life. Sienna was supposed to come over tonight to "check on me" while Marcus pressured me about the money. They were a tag team.

I walked over and opened the door.

Sienna stood there, looking like a drowned rat. It was raining outside, and her cheap coat was soaked through. She was holding a bag of takeout, trying to look like the sweet, struggling friend who just wanted to help.

"Oh, Clara! Thank god you're home," she said, her voice trembling. "Marcus called me and said you weren't answering. I was so worried about you!"

She stepped inside, but then she saw Marcus standing in the kitchen. She froze, her eyes darting between the two of us. "Oh... I didn't know you were here, Marcus."

I watched them. This was the moment. In my first life, I would have hugged her and thanked her for the food. I would have felt bad that she was wet and cold. But now, I just saw the way her eyes immediately went to the velvet box on the counter.

"Sienna, perfect timing," I said. I walked back to the kitchen and picked up the box, opening it so the deep green stone caught the light. "I was just showing Marcus my new gift."

Sienna's jaw dropped. She couldn't hide the greed. She wanted this stone so badly I could practically see her fingers itching to touch it. This was the girl who would eventually kill me for a fraction of what this was worth.

"It's... it's beautiful," she whispered. She looked at Marcus, and for a second, a look of pure confusion passed between them. He didn't know where it came from, and she was mad he hadn't told her about it.

"Marcus thinks I should sell it to fund his business," I said, watching Sienna's face. "What do you think, Sienna? Should I give up this one-of-a-kind jewel for a tech company that doesn't even have an office yet?"

Sienna was trapped. If she said yes, she'd look like she was taking Marcus's side. If she said no, she'd be going against their plan.

"I... I mean, Marcus is so smart, Clara," she stuttered. "But that stone... it looks like it belongs on a queen."

"Exactly," I said. I snapped the box shut. "Now, Sienna, you look exhausted. And Marcus, you've said enough for one night. I think you both should leave."

"Clara, come on-" Marcus started.

"Out," I said. I pointed to the door.

I watched them leave together. I stood at the window and watched them walk toward Marcus's car. They were arguing. I couldn't hear them, but I could see the way Marcus was waving his arms and Sienna was pointing back at my apartment.

They were turning on each other. The pressure was working.

I sat down at my desk and opened my laptop. I had a lot of work to do. If I was going to use Sienna to destroy Marcus, I had to give her a reason to betray him. And I knew exactly what she wanted more than anything.

She wanted to be me.

So, I was going to help her. I was going to give her a job at Marcus's biggest rival company. I was going to give her a taste of the high life. And then, I was going to watch her take Marcus down just to keep it.