Lucia's hand tightened on the handle.

She had saved him. How did Alice steal that too?

Then came Alice's soft, shy voice.

"Jared only went after the white fox because of me. Saving you was the least I could do, but..."

Her tone shifted—just a little darker.

"You didn't have to bring me a white fox to cheer me up. I know the truth... You've always loved Lucia. That's why you risked everything to save her from the kidnappers back then..."

"That's not true!" one of Jared's friends snapped, voice sharp. "That whole kidnapping? Jared planned it!"

"What?" Alice gasped.

But Jared's buddies kept going.

"Yeah, Jared set the whole thing up to make the Lynches realize which of their daughters they love more. He paid people to stage the kidnapping, grabbed both you and Lucia."

"That rescue stunt? Totally planned. He saved Lucia on purpose—played the hero so she'd fall for him and say yes to the marriage."

"But don't stress, Alice. Jared only married her for the family deal—and to get revenge for you. He's already got the divorce lined up. Right, Jared?"

Silence. Heavy.

Then Jared's voice came through, flat and sure.

"That's right."

Outside the door, Lucia staggered back.

Even the kidnapping—one of the only things she thought was real—had been a setup.

Her phone buzzed, snapping her out of the spiral.

She answered. Francesca's voice came through.

"Sweetheart, the jet I arranged takes off tomorrow at noon. Make sure you're at the airport on time."

"Got it, Mom."

She hung up and glanced back at the hospital room door, lips twisting into a bitter smile.

Maybe this was how it was always meant to end.

She didn't owe Jared a thing. Not after this.

Nothing between them but a useless piece of paper.

There never had been.

And there never would be.

***

Lucia had stuff to wrap up before she bounced.

First stop? Her lawyer—divorce papers signed, sealed, done.

Next, she hit a downtown club to meet Cole Carter, an old classmate. Italvian guy, but he'd been killing it in Khelmark's asset game for years.

Back when Lucia first moved there, Giovanni and Francesca had low-key freaked out she'd get screwed over. So they stashed a bunch of assets under her name—like that massive hunting estate. And yeah, turns out the biggest clients of Lynch Corp and Dawson Corp were actually hers. She just never said anything.

Now that she was peacing out, someone had to take the wheel. Cole was it.

Catching up with old friends meant drinks, obviously.

Cole got a little buzzed before he finally leaned in. "You seriously cutting off Lynch Corp and Dawson Corp? They're still big names, but let's be real—they've been sinking. If you pull out, they'll bleed."

Lucia didn't hesitate. "I'm sure."

He let out a low whistle. "Then let 'em bleed. Should've known what they had."

She had a flight to catch, so they wrapped things up early. But on their way down the stairs, Lucia suddenly stumbled. Cole caught her.

"Sorry," she muttered.

They were standing close—like, really close—when she looked up and froze. Jared and his crew were walking out of a nearby private room.

His friends spotted her and immediately started mouthing off.

"Yo, what's this? Jared, your girl's got a new guy?"

"No way! And a guy like him? Lucia, really? Didn't know you were into that."

Jared's face darkened, but his buddies were too busy running their mouths to notice.

"C'mon, Jared's the full package—no way Lucia's not satisfied."

"Nah, man, she's clearly not getting any at home. Gotta get her fix somewhere! Hahaha!"

Their laughter cut sharp through the air.

Jared didn't flinch. He just walked straight up to her.

"Lucia." His voice was cold. "Who is he?"

Lucia stayed cool. "Not your business."

Jared's eyes lit up with rage. He grabbed her chin, leaning in way too close.

"Lucia." His voice dripped with venom. "Can't survive without a man, huh?"

The insult should've burned—but she felt nothing.

Cole jumped in, trying to defuse it. "No, it's not like that. Lucia and I—"

She shut him down fast. "Yeah." Her smile was ice. "What can I say? My own husband couldn't get the job done. What was I supposed to do—die frustrated?"

The whole hallway froze.

Jared's crew just gawked.

Everyone knew Jared had never touched her. Lucia had been hopelessly loyal, and the jokes were just that—jabs to humiliate, not actual suspicion. No one thought she'd ever cross the line.

But now?

Jared's face went ice-cold. "What did you just say?"

Lucia's smile only sharpened. "Did I lie? If you can't satisfy me, what's wrong with grabbing a little something on the side—ah!"

She didn't get to finish.

Jared suddenly threw her over his shoulder like it was nothing and stormed off.

Next thing she knew, she was tossed into a car.

The chauffeur sensed the tension and bolted from the car.

The door slammed. Inside, it was just the two of them.

Jared dropped his weight on her, pinning her down.

Lucia's calm cracked. "Jared, what the hell?!"

He sneered, ripping off his tie. "Didn't you say I couldn't satisfy you? Let's fix that."

Then he kissed her—hard. Outta nowhere.

Wasn't their first. They'd kissed before the wedding. Not once since.

His lips froze. He forgot her taste—soft, a little sweet. Threw him off.

He flipped her, bent her back like he couldn't help it.

"Ah..." She almost screamed, almost shoved him off—

Then his phone buzzed.

He froze, glanced at the screen, answered quick. "What?"

His face changed.

"Alice is in the ER?"

Just like that, the heat vanished.

On the way to the hospital, Lucia finally got the tea.

Someone outed Alice online—not Michael and Joanne's real kid. Just a poser heiress.

Even though the parents scrambled to explain, the leaker dropped a paternity test. Solid receipts.

The internet? Lost its mind.

Alice had over ten million followers. Her whole brand? Rich girl energy. Now she was exposed as a fraud, and people were pissed.

The comments went feral. She'd never faced hate like this—and snapped. Tried to end it with poison.

By the time they rolled up to the hospital, Jared had just wrapped a call with PR.

He didn't move. Just turned to Lucia.

"Lucia." His tone was all command. "You need to go public. Say Alice is your sister."

She let out a dry laugh. "Why would I?"

"Because it works better coming from you." He sounded fed up. "If I say it—or your parents—no one buys it. They'll think we're covering for her and feel bad for you. But if it's you, they'll believe it."

She got the logic. Didn't mean she liked it.

She sneered. "I said—why would I?"

She was the real daughter, but her parents picked Alice every time.

She was the wife, but Jared's heart? Always Alice's.

She lost everything—yet somehow Alice stayed the victim, shoving her out of her own life.

Jared's expression turned cold. "Fine. I get it. You don't do favors for free."

He tugged at his tie. "How about this—help Alice, and I'll finally do my husbandly duty."

Lucia stiffened. "What duty?"

"To sleep with you," he said flatly. "Don't act like I didn't notice what you pulled with that foreign guy. Trying to bait me into your bed."

Now that he'd cooled off, it all clicked.

Lucia didn't really want someone else. She loved him too much.

Everything she said at the club? Just a ploy to get a rise out of him.

The worst part—it nearly worked.

That pissed him off even more. He kept going, annoyed. "So yeah. Help Alice, and I'll sleep with you. Regularly. That good enough?"

Lucia went pale.

She looked up at him, voice shaking.

"Jared Dawson... what do you think I am?"

He'd actually tried to trade sex like it was some deal.

Was that all she was to him? That worthless?

Jared saw her pale face—and something twisted in his chest. Sharp. Unfamiliar. It made him twitchy.

He snapped. Patience gone, he grabbed her and kissed her hard.

If he could just break her in bed, she'd stop fighting him.

With that sick thought, he gave in—crushing her lips, stealing every breath—until—

Pain ripped through his tongue. Blood hit his mouth.

He pulled back, stunned.

"You bit me?"