Chapter 2

I turned around, sure I'd heard him wrong. "What did you say?"

I searched Adrian's face for any sign he was joking. There wasn't one. He looked down at me like a judge.

"You hurt her pride. Apologize, Evelyn."

The room went dead quiet. Everyone was listening, barely breathing.

Adrian used to treat me like I was made of glass. He couldn't stand to hear anyone say a sharp word to me. Now he was ordering me to apologize to a girl like her, in front of everyone.

Chloe caught his sleeve, shaking her head hard. "No, Mr. Sterling, please don't make her! Evie's right. I don't belong here. I've ruined your party. I should be the one apologizing."

Then she actually bowed to me. "I'm sorry, Evie. Please forgive me for showing up dressed like this."

With that one bow, she put me on the spot. She was small, pitiful and helpless. I was the arrogant, cruel one.

Adrian's face darkened. He pulled her upright and wiped her tears himself. "You've done nothing wrong. The people who think they're better than everyone else have."

He looked at me, his voice harder. "I'm going to say it one more time. Apologize."

Something slammed into my chest. It hurt to breathe. I tightened my grip on my pearl clutch.

Two years ago, someone had set a trap for me on a yacht. I'd almost died. Adrian had gone in alone and carried me out covered in blood. He sat by my hospital bed for three days and nights, his eyes red like he wanted to kill someone.

"Evelyn, if anyone ever hurts you again, I'll bury them."

I could still hear him saying it. Now he was the one hurting me.

"And if I don't?" I lifted my chin.

He let out a cold laugh. "Don't make me humiliate you in front of everyone."

He stepped closer, looming over me. "Everything you're wearing, everything you own—I gave it to you. What makes you think you get to act superior here?"

One sentence, and he'd stripped every expensive thing off me. Underneath, I was just the woman he kept.

Somebody snickered.

He was right, wasn't he? I was a bird he kept in a cage. If he wanted a new bird, what right did I have to complain?

I looked at Adrian and smiled. Not a tight smile. A dazzling one.

"You're right, Mr. Sterling. Everything I have, you gave me."

I reached behind my neck and unhooked the clasp. The pink diamond slid off my throat, and I let it dangle from my fingers like it was nothing.

I stepped forward and held it out to Chloe. "Since you feel underdressed, Miss Ellis, take this. Consider it my apology."

She stumbled back, waving her hands. "No, no, I can't take that. It's way too expensive!" She looked at Adrian, terrified.

He stared at the necklace, his brows pulled into a hard knot. "Evelyn, what the hell are you doing?"

He'd flown home from Zurich to put that necklace on me himself.

"Nothing crazy," I said evenly. "You said I was too harsh with her. Is a nine-figure necklace a sincere enough apology for you?"

He looked at me for a long moment. Something flickered in his eyes.

But he didn't stop me.

Instead, he turned to Chloe and said gently, "If Ms. Vale wants you to have it, take it. It'll go nicely with your dress."

Chloe took it with shaking hands. The pink stone glittered against her rough palm, so bright it was hard to look at.

"Thank you, Evie," she whispered, eyes down.

I let my hand drop. It felt strangely empty.

"Necklace given. Apology made. Anything else, Mr. Sterling?"

His eyes went to my bare neck, and something like irritation crossed his face. Still, he only said, "No."

"Good." I nodded. "Then, since I've given the jewelry away—you always said anything you gave me was mine to keep or cash out. I'd like the cash."

The room erupted. Adrian's expression turned dark.

"What did you just say?"

"I said I want the money."

I looked him in the eye and said it slowly. "That necklace belongs to Miss Ellis now, which means I'm down one nine-figure asset. Have your finance people wire the full value to my personal account tomorrow."

I paused. "Cash. Not another piece of jewelry."

He stared at me like he was seeing me for the first time. "When did you get so money-hungry?"

I almost laughed. "What else is a kept woman supposed to talk about? Love?"

I turned and walked toward the doors without looking back, my heels clicking on the marble. Behind me, the room had gone ice-cold.

"I'd better see that money in my account by nine tomorrow morning," I said without turning around.