Chapter 2

I stood before the mirror in the stairwell and fixed my smudged makeup bit by bit.

In the reflection, I stood there in my wedding gown with the pearl necklace around my neck, wearing a soft, poised smile. Perfect. This is exactly how I need to be.

I pushed open the fire door and stepped out. William immediately pulled me into his arms, reeking of alcohol. "Honey, we’re heading to the islands for our honeymoon tomorrow. The Maldives. You excited?"

"I am." I curved my lips into a smile. "Whatever you choose is fine by me."

He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of my head, clearly pleased.

As the plane soared through the clouds, William and Aurora sat up front, chatting and laughing merrily. I settled alone by the window in business class and closed my eyes. The gaunt face of old Mr. Sinclair on his deathbed kept flashing through my mind.

"Selene, I owe your father my life."

He’d clutched my hand, his breaths shallow and ragged. "I’ve already drawn up my will. If that worthless son of mine ever betrays you or breaks his word, every single share I hold in the Sinclair Group will be yours."

"My dear child, our family owes you this much."

Back then, I’d broken down crying and told him I didn’t want any of it. All I’d wished for was for him to pull through. Now I realize, the old man had long since seen through his own son.

The plane touched down, and a briny sea breeze washed over us.

Aurora linked her arm through William’s and walked ahead. She glanced back at me with a grin. "Selene, you don’t mind me tagging along, do you? William said he worried you’d get bored, so he asked me to keep you company."

"Not at all." I dragged my suitcase behind me, watching as William’s hand rested firmly on her waist, never moving an inch.

A wave of sorrow crashed over my heart, but I forced it down in an instant.

Aurora wasted no time making trouble that very first night.

William had gone to take a shower. She curled up on the sofa scrolling through her phone, then suddenly looked up. "Hey, I heard they stripped you completely naked when you got kidnapped? Is that true?"

I kept my face cold and stayed silent.

"Whoa, relax, I was just curious!" She batted her eyelashes. "At least William doesn’t hold it against you, right?"

The next morning at breakfast, William had barely sat down when Aurora’s eyes welled up with tears.

"William, did I make a mistake coming here? Selene won’t say a word to me. Does she hate me?"

William turned to look at me, and the warmth in his eyes vanished in an instant. "Selene, Aurora came all this way to keep you company on our honeymoon. Why are you giving her the cold shoulder?"

I set down my fork. "I’m not."

"Not?" He let out a cold snort. "Do you take me for a fool? You were never this bitter and sharp-tongued before. What’s gotten into you?"

On the third night, a group of William’s deadbeat friends dragged him out for drinks. Bored out of her mind, Aurora gathered everyone in the villa’s living room to watch a movie.

"Guys, check out something fun I found." She pulled out a tablet, wearing a sweet smile.

The screen lit up.

On it was a woman, blindfolded with her hands tied behind her back and a gag stuffed in her mouth. She huddled on the floor, trembling. Someone tore at her clothes, and she screamed. A slap landed across her face, and she convulsed, sobbing uncontrollably.

Whistles rang out across the room.

"She’s got a great figure," one man hooted. "Who is this girl anyway?"

Aurora tilted her head. "Beats me. A friend sent it over, said it was wild stuff."

On the screen, rough hands trailed across the woman’s face, then lower, grabbing at her chest. She thrashed around, begging repeatedly in a hoarse, unrecognizable voice.

I knew that voice.

It was mine.

My hands began to shake violently.

"Wow, she’s crying her heart out," Aurora laughed. "Wait till you see what happens next—this gets even better."

I lunged forward to snatch the tablet away.

Aurora twisted her wrist at the last second. I missed completely and crashed onto the carpet. She held the tablet high above her head, the screen still glowing. I stared at my own disheveled figure, tears streaming down my face, frozen on display for everyone to see.

"Selene, why are you crying?" She looked down at me with a perfectly innocent expression. "Wait a second… is that you on screen?"

The room fell dead silent for a heartbeat.

Then someone burst out laughing. "No way, seriously?"

My face burned hot, as if I’d been slapped over and over again. I lay sprawled on the carpet, my fingers digging hard into the fabric. I could even hear the sharp crack of my fingernails breaking.

"No…" I gasped, the words barely squeezing past my throat. "Turn it off… please, just turn it off."

Aurora clapped a hand over her mouth in feigned shock. "Oh my gosh, it really is you! I’m so sorry, I had no idea—"

The tablet stayed on. I heard my own terrified screams echoing from the speakers. More whistles sounded from the crowd, men jeering that the footage was thrilling. My teeth chattered uncontrollably.

Just then, the front door swung open.