Wren sat in front of the vintage vanity mirror inside the bridal suite of St. Patrick's Cathedral. Three stylists hovered around her. They pulled and pinned her blonde hair, forcing a heavy, diamond-encrusted tiara onto her head. The metal dug into her scalp.

The custom lace wedding dress was pulled so tight around her ribs she had to take shallow, rapid breaths. She reached up and yanked at the high lace collar, her fingers trembling.

The door opened. Her mother, Eleanor, walked in. Her eyes were red and swollen. She held a velvet box. She walked up behind Wren and clasped a heavy sapphire necklace around her neck. The stones felt like ice against Wren's collarbone.

Eleanor let out a quiet sob. She whispered an apology, her hands shaking as she touched Wren's shoulders.

Wren swallowed the hard lump in her throat. She reached up and grabbed her mother's hand. She squeezed it hard. She forced her voice to stay flat and told her it was just a business transaction.

A deep, loud bell rang from the bell tower. The sound vibrated through the floorboards. Arthur, the Ainsworth family butler, knocked twice on the door and announced it was time.

Wren stood up. She took a deep breath, forcing her lungs to expand against the tight corset. She locked her jaw. She wiped all the fear from her face, replacing it with a blank, perfect smile.

The heavy wooden doors of the cathedral slowly pulled open. A blinding wall of white light hit her face. Hundreds of camera flashes exploded at once. Wren narrowed her eyes against the sting.

She wrapped her hand around Harold's arm. She stepped onto the thick carpet of white rose petals. The loud, vibrating chords of the pipe organ filled the massive church.

Wren looked straight ahead. At the end of the long aisle stood Pierce. He wore a perfectly tailored black tuxedo.

He turned to face her. His lips were curved into a handsome smile, but his dark eyes were completely dead. They looked like frozen glass.

Harold stopped at the altar. He took Wren's hand and placed it into Pierce's.

Pierce's palm was freezing. The second his fingers wrapped around hers, he squeezed. He squeezed so hard her knuckles ground together.

A sharp pain shot up Wren's arm. She kept her smile perfectly frozen for the cameras. She curled her fingers inward and dug her sharp acrylic nails directly into the back of Pierce's hand.

They stood side by side in front of the priest. The cameras clicked frantically from the pews, capturing the fake perfection.

The priest began reading the vows. The words echoed off the high stone ceiling. Wren felt sick to her stomach.

It was Pierce's turn. He turned his body toward her. He looked deeply into her eyes. He leaned in close, his lips almost brushing her ear.

He whispered that if she messed up this photo op, he would tank Vance stock before lunch tomorrow.

Wren ground her teeth together. Her jaw ached. She tilted her chin up, looked him dead in the eye, and said "I do" loud enough for the entire church to hear.

The best man handed Pierce the ring. Pierce grabbed the massive diamond. He shoved it onto Wren's ring finger. The size of the ring was completely flawless, tailored perfectly by his team, yet he treated it like a weapon. He shoved it down her finger like he was locking a prisoner in iron shackles. He pushed it violently, slamming the hard metal band against the base of her finger with a sharp, stinging pain that radiated up her arm.

Wren sucked in a sharp breath through her nose. She grabbed his gold band. She shoved it onto his finger with as much force as she could manage, hoping it hurt.

The priest smiled and told Pierce he could kiss the bride.

The entire church went completely silent. Pierce stepped forward. He raised his hand and wrapped his fingers around the back of Wren's neck. His grip was like a steel vice, locking her head in place so she couldn't pull away.

He crashed his mouth down onto hers. His lips were hard and cold. There was no softness, only a brutal assertion of control.

The sharp scent of cedar and expensive cologne filled Wren's nose. Her stomach rolled with intense nausea. She kept her hands clenched in the fabric of her dress.

The camera flashes reached a blinding peak. Pierce pulled back. He raised his hand and gently tucked a stray blonde hair behind her ear.

Wren immediately turned her head, breaking the contact. She faced the crowd and stretched her lips into a painful smile.

They turned around. The crowd erupted into applause. Underneath the massive skirt of her dress, Wren stepped away from him, leaving a foot of space between their bodies.

As they walked down the steps of the altar, Wren shifted her weight. She brought the sharp heel of her shoe down hard onto the top of Pierce's leather shoe.

Pierce's jaw twitched. A tiny muscle feathered in his cheek.

They reached the heavy doors. The wood slammed shut behind them, cutting off the noise and the cameras. Instantly, the smiles vanished from both of their faces.

Wren and Pierce stood in the center of the Grand Ballroom at The Plaza. The massive crystal chandeliers poured bright light over them. The master of ceremonies called for the first dance.

Pierce stepped forward. He wrapped his arm around Wren's waist. His fingers dug into her ribs through the silk of her dress. The pressure was hard enough to leave bruises.

Wren was forced to step closer. Her chest bumped against his solid chest. The string quartet started playing a slow waltz. She took her first step and intentionally drove her heel toward his foot.

Pierce shifted his weight instantly. He dodged her heel. He grabbed her hand and spun her out hard. The force whipped her heavy skirt around her legs. She stumbled, her ankle wobbling in her high heels.

Wren clenched her jaw and caught her balance. She kept the bright smile plastered on her face. She leaned in and whispered that he was a classless bastard.

Pierce let out a low, mocking laugh. He pulled her back in. He whispered against her ear that her parents clearly hadn't paid enough for her etiquette lessons.

The music stopped. They bowed to the clapping crowd. As soon as they stood up straight, they dropped each other's hands like they were on fire.

Pierce's older brother, Julian Ainsworth, walked up to them. He held a glass of champagne and a warm, disarming smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Three reporters from major financial networks followed right behind him.

Wren forced herself to loop her arm through Pierce's. She pressed her side against his.

A reporter shoved a microphone forward and asked where they were going for their honeymoon.

Pierce didn't blink. He smiled warmly and described a romantic, two-week ski trip in Aspen.

Wren's stomach churned at the smooth lie. She reached her hand around his bicep. She pinched the skin on the back of his arm as hard as she could.

Pierce sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth. He turned his head and glared at her. His eyes promised violence. Wren widened her eyes and gave him a sweet, innocent smile.

The reporters moved on. Two older men from the Ainsworth board of directors walked over and pulled Pierce away to talk business.

Wren let out a long breath. She grabbed the heavy fabric of her skirt and walked away from the crowd. She headed toward the dark, quiet balcony at the edge of the room.

She reached the heavy velvet curtains blocking the balcony doors. Suddenly, a large hand shot out from the shadows. Long fingers wrapped around her upper arm. She was yanked violently behind the thick fabric.

Wren gasped. Her back slammed into the cold plaster wall. She looked up. Pierce was standing inches away from her. His eyes were burning with anger.

He slammed his hand against the wall right next to her head. He trapped her in the tiny, dark space. He demanded to know what the hell she was doing in front of the cameras.

Wren didn't look away. She tilted her chin up. She laughed and asked how he planned to run a billion-dollar company if a little pinch made him cry.

Pierce's eyes dropped to her collarbone. He leaned closer. His voice was a low, dangerous whisper. He told her to remember she was nothing but a purchased accessory.

The word "accessory" made Wren's blood boil. She raised her hand and swung it toward his face.

Pierce's reflexes were faster. He caught her wrist in mid-air. He twisted her arm behind her back and stepped into her space. Their bodies pressed completely together.

The darkness behind the curtain was suffocating. Wren's chest he heave up and down, brushing against his suit jacket with every breath. The air crackled with pure hatred and a heavy, unwanted heat.

Footsteps clicked on the marble floor outside the curtain. A waiter asked loudly if anyone needed champagne.

Wren and Pierce froze. They stopped breathing.

Pierce leaned his mouth next to her ear. He whispered a final warning for her to behave. He let go of her wrist, pushed the curtain aside, and walked back into the bright light.

Wren stayed in the dark. She rubbed her red, aching wrist. She took three deep breaths to calm her racing heart before stepping back out.

It was time to cut the cake. They stood behind a massive five-tier cake. They both wrapped their hands around the handle of a long silver knife.

Pierce's large hand covered hers. Wren twisted her wrist, angling the sharp blade slightly toward Pierce's stomach.

Pierce felt the shift. He clamped his fingers down on hers, crushing her knuckles. He forced the blade down into the cake. The sudden force caused the bottom tier to crack. A huge chunk of cake collapsed onto the table.

The crowd gasped. Pierce laughed smoothly. He grabbed a microphone and said they were breaking old traditions.

Wren watched him charm the room. Her chest felt hollow. She dreaded the moment this party ended and they were finally alone.

The elevator doors slid open. Wren stepped into the massive penthouse on Billionaire's Row. She didn't wait for Pierce. She grabbed the heavy, torn fabric of her wedding dress and marched straight into the living room.

She kicked her foot out. The expensive Jimmy Choo heel flew off her foot and slammed into the floor-to-ceiling window with a loud thud. She kicked the other one off.

Pierce walked in behind her. He pushed the heavy door shut and locked it. He reached up and yanked his bowtie loose. He stood in the entryway, watching her with cold, dead eyes.

Wren walked to the marble wet bar. She grabbed a crystal decanter and poured three fingers of amber whiskey into a glass. She tipped her head back and swallowed it. The alcohol burned a path down her throat, but it didn't stop her hands from shaking.

Pierce walked over to the leather sofa. He opened his leather briefcase. He pulled out an iPad. He tapped the screen a few times, his face hard.

He walked up behind the bar. He slammed the iPad down onto the marble counter right in front of Wren. The loud crack made her jump.

A splash of whiskey spilled out of her glass and dotted the screen. Wren snapped her head up. Her chest heaved. She glared at him.

Pierce pointed a long finger at the screen. His voice was low and commanding. He told her to look at it.

Wren dropped her eyes to the screen. It was a complex Nasdaq trading chart for the Vance family enterprise.

The green and red lines spiked violently. In the week before their engagement was announced, massive amounts of unknown capital had bought Vance stock at its lowest point. Then, the stock price had exploded upward.

Wren stared at the numbers. Her brain felt slow. She didn't work in the finance department. She didn't know what she was looking at.

Pierce let out a harsh, cruel laugh. He leaned over the counter. He told her the Vance family was guilty of massive insider trading and market manipulation.

He sneered. He said this whole marriage was just a dirty trick for her father to cover up a black hole of debt and cash out illegally.

Wren's eyes widened. Her heart hammered against her ribs. She shook her head. She couldn't believe her father would do that. She couldn't accept Pierce's words.

Pierce stepped closer. He looked her up and down. He told her she was just a bargaining chip her father sold to the highest bidder. He called her a gold digger playing the victim.

The words hit her like a physical slap. Wren's vision went red. She dropped her glass. She grabbed the iPad with both hands and hurled it directly at Pierce's chest.

Pierce didn't even flinch. The heavy metal hit his sternum and crashed onto the hardwood floor. The glass screen shattered into a spiderweb of cracks.

Wren pointed her finger right at his face. She screamed that the Ainsworths were the real thieves. She yelled that they were corporate raiders who destroyed families for sport.

Her throat felt raw. She screamed that she would rather die than look at his face, and she only signed the paper to save her family's legacy.

Pierce's eyes went completely black. He reached across the counter. He grabbed her pointing finger and bent it backward.

Pain shot up Wren's arm. Her knees buckled slightly. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, but she clamped her teeth down on her lower lip. She refused to make a sound.

Pierce looked down at her. His voice was ice. He told her that since her family took his money, she was going to fulfill every single obligation of a wife.

Wren jerked her hand free. A wild, desperate panic took over her brain. She spun around and grabbed a sharp silver fruit knife sitting on the cutting board.

She whipped back around. She pointed the tip of the blade directly at the hollow of Pierce's throat. Her hand shook violently. Her breathing was loud and ragged in the quiet room.

Pierce looked down at the knife. He didn't step back. A dark, twisted excitement flashed in his eyes.

He took a step forward. The sharp tip of the blade pressed into the skin of his neck. He tilted his chin up. He whispered for her to do it.

Wren stared at his crazy, fearless eyes. The heavy weight of reality crashed down on her. She couldn't do it. She let out a broken sob and threw the knife.

The blade flew dangerously close, slicing through the air just millimeters past Pierce's ear. It clanged sharply against the wall, leaving an ugly, jagged scratch across the expensive silk wallpaper before dropping harmlessly onto the thick carpet.

Wren's legs gave out. She slid down the marble counter and hit the floor. She pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face in her hands. The penthouse was completely silent.