The cab hit a massive pothole on the broken streets of Queens, sending a harsh jolt up Chelsea's spine.

She pulled the vibrating burner phone from her bag. She pressed the green button and held the cold plastic to her ear. She didn't say a word.

"I know you're back in the city, you little rat," a woman's voice sneered through the speaker.

It was Deidre Brooks. Jackson's mother. The matriarch of the Brooks family. Her voice carried the distinct, arrogant drawl of old money.

Chelsea instantly altered her breathing. She made her inhales short and ragged, projecting the exact sound of a terrified, lower-class girl caught in a trap.

"Mrs. Brooks," Chelsea stammered, her voice shaking. "I... I didn't mean to-"

"Shut up," Deidre snapped. "If you breathe the same air as my sons again, I will make sure those pathetic siblings of yours rotting in the slums disappear permanently. Do you understand me?"

Chelsea's fingers clamped around the phone. Her knuckles turned bone-white. The threat against her fake family ignited a dark, violent rage in her chest.

"Please," Chelsea begged, forcing a sob into her throat. "I won't go near them. I swear."

Deidre let out a disgusted scoff and ended the call. The dial tone hummed in Chelsea's ear.

Chelsea lowered the phone. She looked out the rain-streaked window at the decaying storefronts. There was no fear in her eyes anymore. Only a bottomless, pitch-black intent to kill.

The cab pulled up to a brick building with peeling paint. Chelsea paid in cash. She dragged her suitcase up three flights of narrow, mold-smelling stairs.

Inside the cramped apartment, she sat on the edge of a mattress with broken springs. She pulled a plastic ice pack from the mini-fridge and pressed it hard against her lower abdomen, waiting for the surgical pain to subside.

The next morning, Chelsea walked into the bustling midtown office of Starburst Public Relations. She wore a cheap, off-the-rack navy suit.

She sat down in her tiny cubicle and booted up her computer.

Her coworker, Chloe, rolled her office chair over. She slammed a copy of the New York Post onto Chelsea's keyboard.

"Look at this," Chloe whispered excitedly, pointing to the gossip column. "The Brooks Family Foundation just fired their PR agency. They're looking for new representation. It's a ten-million-dollar account."

Chelsea glanced at the grainy paparazzi photo of Jackson's sharp profile. Her stomach tightened.

"I don't care about billionaires," Chelsea muttered, pushing the paper away.

The glass door of the corner office flew open. Arthur Jennings, the agency owner, clapped his hands loudly.

"Emergency meeting in the conference room! Now!" Arthur yelled.

Chelsea followed the herd of employees into the room. Arthur stood at the head of the table. The massive Brooks Group logo glowed on the projector screen behind him.

"We got an invite to pitch for the Brooks Foundation," Arthur announced, his face flushed with greed.

His assistant passed out thick stacks of background dossiers to the project managers.

"Jackson Brooks is a monster," Arthur warned, pacing the room. "He eats PR teams alive. He fired the last three agencies for minor typos. Who wants to lead the pitch?"

The room fell dead silent. Everyone stared at their shoes.

Arthur's eyes scanned the room and locked onto Chelsea, who was trying to shrink into the back row.

"Perez," Arthur barked. "You handled that psycho hedge fund manager last year. Word on the street is that guy was a major thorn in the Brooks family's side, and your campaign completely neutralized him. The Brooks team specifically dropped your name during the initial screening. They want to see the person who pulled that off. You're the lead on this. It's an order, not a request."

Chelsea's jaw clenched. She cursed Arthur's relentless corporate ladder-climbing in her head. She stood up slowly.

"I'll do my best, Arthur," she said, keeping her voice meek.

After the meeting, Chelsea walked back to her desk. She rubbed her throbbing temples. Her phone buzzed on the desk.

It was a massive block of text from Cason. He was begging for her forgiveness. He pleaded with her to come to his thirtieth birthday party tonight at an exclusive rooftop lounge in Manhattan.

Chelsea looked at the Brooks Foundation dossier on her desk. Then she looked at Cason's text. Jackson would absolutely be at his own brother's milestone birthday.

She needed to maintain her hold on Cason, and she needed to test Jackson's limits.

She typed a single word: Okay.

She locked her phone. The gears of her revenge were spinning faster now. The collision between her fake personal life and her new professional mandate was inevitable.

The night air was crisp as Chelsea stepped out of the elevator onto the rooftop lounge.

She wore a simple black slip dress she had bought from a thrift store. It looked inexpensive, but the thin fabric clung perfectly to the curves of her hips and waist.

Cason was pacing near the entrance. The moment he saw her, his face lit up with desperate relief.

He rushed forward and pulled her into a crushing hug, ignoring the stares of the wealthy socialites milling around the bar.

"I thought you wouldn't come," Cason breathed into her hair.

Chelsea stiffened her spine. She cast her eyes downward, playing the role of the intimidated outsider perfectly.

"I shouldn't be here, Cason," she whispered.

Cason grabbed her hand. "You belong with me."

He pulled her through the crowd and into the center VIP booth. A group of his old college friends sat around a table covered in expensive champagne bottles.

A blonde woman dripping in diamonds stared at Chelsea. Her eyes narrowed in recognition.

The blonde covered her mouth and let out a loud, theatrical gasp.

"Oh my god," the blonde said, her voice carrying over the music. "Aren't you that psycho girl who faked a suicide attempt at the frat house five years ago?"

The music seemed to stop. The air in the VIP section turned to ice. A dozen pairs of judgmental eyes locked onto Chelsea.

Chelsea immediately dropped her gaze to the floor. Her shoulders began to shake. She dug her fingernails into her palms, forcing herself to look utterly humiliated and broken.

Cason slammed his champagne glass down on the glass table. The crystal shattered.

"Shut your mouth, Amanda!" Cason roared. "Apologize to her right now!"

Before the blonde could respond, the crowd surrounding the VIP area suddenly parted like the Red Sea.

Jackson Brooks walked through the gap.

He wore a dark grey, subtly pinstriped suit. He radiated a dark, suffocating energy that instantly silenced the entire lounge.

Jackson didn't look at Cason. His cold, dead eyes locked onto Chelsea's face like a sniper finding his target.

Cason immediately stepped in front of Chelsea, shielding her with his body.

Ignoring Chelsea's frantic tugs on his jacket, Cason reached over and grabbed the DJ's microphone from the nearby stand.

"Listen up!" Cason's voice echoed through the massive speakers, bouncing off the surrounding skyscrapers.

Every head in the lounge turned.

"Chelsea Perez is my girlfriend," Cason declared loudly, his voice vibrating with protective fury. "And anyone who dares to disrespect her is disrespecting me, Cason Brooks. If anyone here makes her feel unwelcome today, I will personally ensure you never set foot in another high-end establishment in this city again!"

A heavy, suffocating silence fell over the rooftop.

Jackson picked up a glass of whiskey from a passing waiter's tray. He swirled the amber liquid, the ice clinking loudly in the quiet night. A cruel, razor-sharp smile touched his lips.

He took slow, deliberate steps until he was standing toe-to-toe with his brother.

"A touching display of loyalty, Cason," Jackson said, his voice low but carrying perfectly. "But are you really going to wage war on your own social circle over a used-up whore who fakes pregnancies for a living?"

Cason let out a guttural scream. He lunged forward and grabbed Jackson by the lapels of his suit.

Chelsea let out a high-pitched shriek. She grabbed Cason's arm, pulling at his sleeve.

"Cason, stop! Please!" she cried, tears streaming down her face.

Jackson didn't even try to break Cason's grip. He just stared over Cason's shoulder, his eyes fixed on Chelsea's crying face. His expression was a terrifying mix of absolute disgust and uncontrollable, violent obsession.

Security guards rushed in from all sides. They grabbed Cason's arms, dragging him backward.

The VIP section erupted into chaos. Glasses smashed. People shouted.

Using the distraction, Chelsea let go of Cason. She lowered her head and slipped backward, disappearing into the panicked crowd.

She power-walked down the long, dimly lit hallway leading away from the party. She pushed open the heavy door to the women's restroom.

She walked to the marble sink and turned on the cold water. She splashed her face, washing away the fake tears. She looked up at the mirror. Her eyes were dead, cold, and calculating.

She reached for a paper towel.

The restroom door behind her was violently kicked open.

Before Chelsea could turn around, a massive hand clamped hard over her mouth. A thick, muscular arm wrapped around her waist like a steel vice.

Her feet were lifted off the ground. She was dragged backward, pulled out of the women's room. The deafening bass of the party's music completely swallowed her muffled protests. The hallway lighting had conveniently flickered and died at this end, cloaking them in heavy shadows. Using the momentary distraction of a passing waiter pushing a clattering bus tub in the opposite direction, her captor shoved her brutally through an unmarked door leading to a cramped, unused maintenance closet.

Chelsea's high heels scraped harshly against the concrete floor as she was hauled into the pitch-black storage space.

A heavy boot kicked the solid wood door shut. The loud crack echoed off the narrow walls. A hand reached up and twisted the brass deadbolt, locking them inside.

Jackson spun her around. He grabbed both of her shoulders and shoved her hard.

Chelsea's back slammed into the cold marble wall. The impact knocked the breath out of her lungs. She let out a muffled gasp and instinctively brought her hands up to push against his chest.

It was like pushing against a concrete pillar.

Jackson stepped into her space. He pressed his heavy forearm horizontally across her collarbone, pinning her flat against the wall.

In the dim light filtering through the frosted window, Jackson's eyes were bloodshot. His chest heaved with ragged, furious breaths.

"What kind of drugs did you pump into him to make him publicly claim you like that?" Jackson hissed, his voice vibrating with raw rage.

Trapped in the dark, isolated space, Chelsea dropped the terrified victim act. She glared up at him, her eyes burning with pure defiance. She kept her mouth shut.

Her silence snapped the last thread of his control.

Jackson's free hand shot up. His long fingers clamped around her jaw, squeezing hard enough to bruise. He forced her head up, making her look directly into his eyes.

Chelsea gritted her teeth against the pain.

"Cason is ten times the man you will ever be," she spat out, the words dripping with venom.

Jackson's pupils blew wide open. The muscles in his neck strained. His grip on her jaw tightened dangerously.

He leaned his entire body weight against her. His chest crushed her breasts. His thighs pressed flush against hers. There was absolutely no space left between them. Chelsea could feel the frantic, violent pounding of his heart against her ribs.

"You think you're going to use my family's money to pay off your junkie father's debts?" Jackson growled, his face inches from hers.

Hearing him insult her fake family made her blood boil. Chelsea violently jerked her head to the side, trying to break his grip on her jaw.

As she turned her head, her hair swept back. The pulse point on her neck was exposed.

The faint, sweet scent of cheap vanilla perfume-the exact same perfume she wore five years ago-drifted up and hit Jackson's senses.

Jackson froze.

His rigid posture faltered for a fraction of a second. A look of profound, agonizing confusion flashed across his face. The pure hatred in his eyes warred with a sudden, violent surge of buried lust.

Chelsea felt his muscles relax slightly. She instantly brought her knee up, aiming straight for his groin.

Jackson reacted with the speed of a predator. He shifted his weight and drove his knee hard between her legs, spreading her thighs and pinning her completely to the wall. Her escape route was dead.

He lowered his head. He buried his face in the crook of her neck. His hot, ragged breath washed over her sensitive skin.

A violent shiver ripped through Chelsea's body. Panic, real and suffocating, finally clawed at her throat.

"If Cason finds us in here, you won't be able to explain this," she warned, her voice trembling with genuine fear.

The mention of his brother's name in this intimate, twisted position destroyed Jackson's sanity.

He pulled his head back. His eyes were completely unhinged. He tilted his head. His lips brushed roughly against her cheek.

He opened his mouth and clamped his teeth down hard on her right earlobe.

It wasn't a kiss. It was a brutal, punishing bite, designed to inflict maximum humiliation without breaking the skin.

A sharp, piercing pain shot through the side of Chelsea's head. She let out a loud, agonizing cry. Tears spilled from her eyes. Her hands flew up, her nails digging desperately into the fabric of his suit jacket.

Jackson felt the soft cartilage yield dangerously under the pressure, leaving a deep, dark purple indentation. He slowly released his bite, his hot breath ghosting over the throbbing, bruised flesh.

He pressed his lips against her aching ear.

"Leave Cason," Jackson whispered, his voice sounding like a demon crawling out of hell. "Or I will personally destroy every single thing you care about."

He let go of her abruptly. He took a large step back, his chest heaving as he adjusted his crooked tie.

He turned, unlocked the deadbolt, and walked out of the restroom without looking back.

Chelsea's knees buckled. She slid down the cold marble wall and collapsed onto the floor. She pressed her trembling hand against her bleeding ear, her body shaking violently with rage and humiliation.