Chapter 2

That night, I held on to Miles and slept against him until morning.

I could feel it clearly. His body stayed rigid the entire time.

When I woke up the next day, he was gone.

Grant stood in front of me in a crisp suit, smiling. "Get up. Honey, we're going to Grandfather's birthday dinner."

I stretched and complained sweetly, "Honey, you were so hard last night. You dug right into me and now my back is sore."

The smile dropped off Grant's face.

On the drive to the estate, Grant didn't say a word. Cold came off him in waves.

But the second we stepped into the great hall, he slid an arm around my waist like the most devoted husband in the world and went to pay his respects to the old man.

"Happy 80th, Grandfather. May you stay strong for many more years."

Edmund Holloway had always been fond of me. He had me sit beside him, and we talked about everything under the sun.

The room was packed, and I recognized plenty of faces. Board friends, old donors, half the people who mattered in the city.

Not only Miles, who had shared my bed the night before, but also Daphne, the woman Grant actually wanted.

Daphne stared at me, daring me, her face full of contempt and mockery.

I kept up the blind act and ignored her.

Halfway through dinner, I came out of the powder room.

I had just reached the fireplace to dry a damp sleeve when I saw Daphne coming at me, all swagger.

As she passed, she emptied her entire glass of red wine down my front.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry. My hand slipped."

Calmly, I pulled the poker out of the fireplace and laid it across Daphne's face. The red-hot iron hit bare skin with a hiss.

Daphne screamed and fell apart.

"Nora, what are you doing?"

I apologized half a beat too late.

"I'm so sorry, I'm blind. I thought it was my cane. Did I hit you?"

Daphne was covered in ash, her white gown scorched black, the skin of her face blistered raw.

She raised a hand to strike me.

I lifted the poker again and jabbed it at her.

"Stop!"

Two different voices rang out behind me.

Grant and Miles came striding toward me, a crowd of guests and staff trailing after them.

Daphne threw herself into Grant's arms, sobbing. "Grant, Nora just hit me with a fire poker! Look what she did to my face. You have to make her pay!"

Grant's voice was ice. "Nora, apologize!"

I acted as if I couldn't see and stumbled into Miles's chest.

"Honey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! I can't see anything. Please forgive me..."

Grant stood there, his face awful.

Miles patted my back gently. "Don't be scared. I'm not angry."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Grant's face go darker still.

That felt good. I sniffled and drew little circles on Miles's chest with one finger.

"Honey, I feel terrible. I'm soaked through and it's awful. Will you help me get cleaned up? A full-body massage would be even better..."

Behind me, Miles's hand went still on my back.

"Mm. Of course I will... You're my wife. Whatever you want."

"Pierce!" Displeasure and something vicious flashed at the corner of Grant's eye, and he cut us off, his voice sharp. "Take my wife upstairs and get her changed!"