Chapter 1

On our fifth wedding anniversary, I came out of hiding behind Holden's back to make my comeback. I wanted to surprise him.

But on the massive billboard at Lincoln Center, my spot had been given to Serena Miles, the woman who destroyed my voice with corrosive chemicals three years ago.

Through the half-open dressing room door, I heard her saccharine voice.

"Darling, you gave me your wife's most precious stage. What if she makes a scene?"

Then came Holden's low, familiar voice.

"She will never know. She is a broken has-been now who can't even hit the high notes. Where else would she go except stay home and wait for me?"

I stood outside the door, trembling all over.

So the "psychiatric facility" was a lie. He had been keeping my lifelong enemy as his mistress for three years.

All my desperate rehabilitation, and all I got was.

"Only by breaking her wings will she stay obediently by my side."

Lily's POV

On our fifth wedding anniversary, I went to Lincoln Center without telling Holden.

Three years ago, my vocal cords were severely burned by a corrosive chemical. I could never sing soprano again.

After more than a thousand days and nights of agonizing rehabilitation, from being completely unable to make a sound to finally speaking full sentences, the top medical team in England finally told me my voice had recovered. I could sing again.

I wanted to reclaim my principal position at tonight's fifth anniversary special performance and surprise Holden.

But when I walked up to the theater entrance full of anticipation, I froze in place.

On the massive electronic billboard outside, the spot that should have been mine now showed a face both familiar and nauseating. Serena Miles.

My breath caught instantly. I felt like I'd plunged into ice water.

How could Serena be here? How dare she show her face here!

Three years ago, Serena had been jealous of my status in the opera world. She put a corrosive agent in my throat spray and personally destroyed my voice, broke my wings.

The day we learned the truth, Holden's eyes were bloodshot. He grabbed Serena by the throat and said he'd make her wish she were dead.

To avenge me, Holden said he'd sent Serena to the most remote underground psychiatric facility in New York, where she'd endure inhuman torture every day. He said anyone who dared harm his woman would pay a price worse than death.

For three years, whenever I had nightmares, Holden would hold me gently, kiss the scar on my neck, and repeat: "Don't be afraid. The person who hurt you is atoning in hell."

But now, the woman who was supposed to be atoning in hell was wearing a gorgeous haute couture gown, appearing on a billboard at New York's most prestigious theater!

What the hell was going on?!

I trembled all over as I rushed into the theater in my heels. Using my familiarity with the place, I avoided the staff and walked straight to the principal's dressing room backstage.

The door was ajar. Muffled voices came from inside.

"Holden, is this dress too tight? I'm afraid I won't be able to hit the high notes tonight." It was Serena's saccharine voice.

My footsteps stopped abruptly. My nails dug into my palms.

Holden?

In all of New York, who else would dare call the cold, ruthless heir to the Chase fortune by his first name so intimately? No one but me.

Then came Holden's low, familiar voice, the voice that used to be gentle only for me.

"Tight looks good. If you can't hit the high notes, it's fine. The sound engineer will adjust it for you. Tonight you just need to stand on stage looking beautiful and enjoy everyone's applause."

"But..." Serena sounded uncertain. "Tonight is your fifth anniversary with Lily. You gave me the stage she cares about most. What if she finds out and makes a scene?"

"She won't know." Holden's tone was certain and cold. "She's a broken has-been who can't even hit the high notes anymore. Where else would she go except stay home and wait for me?"

My mind went completely blank.

So this was how he saw me.

I'd fought desperately through rehabilitation, breaking into cold sweats from pain every day, just to be worthy of him again. And all I was to him was a has-been.

"Darling, you're so good to me." Serena giggled, her voice dripping with smugness. "Three years ago I destroyed her voice, and not only didn't you send me to a psychiatric facility, you hid me in a villa in LA to live in luxury. Now you're letting me take her place for a comeback. Have you grown tired of her?"

The dressing room went quiet for a few seconds.

I pressed my hand over my mouth, tears streaming down my face. My heart felt like it was being sawed back and forth with a dull knife. The pain nearly knocked me off my feet.

So the psychiatric facility, the suffering worse than death, it was all lies.

He had kept the enemy who destroyed my life as his mistress for three years.

"Don't talk nonsense." Holden's voice was emotionless. "I love her. But she used to be too dazzling, flying all over the world, never coming home. Only by breaking her wings would she stay obediently by my side and be a Mrs. Chase who depends entirely on me."

"As for you, you helped me keep her. This is your reward."

I staggered back a step. My heel accidentally knocked against a prop box, making a dull thud.

"Who's out there?!" Holden's sharp voice instantly pierced through the door.

I didn't run.

I stood there rigidly, watching the dressing room door get yanked open.

Holden wore a perfectly tailored black suit, his posture straight, his eyes still carrying their usual coldness. But when he saw it was me outside the door, panic flashed in his eyes, though he quickly masked it perfectly.

"Lily? What are you doing here? You didn't hear anything just now, did you?"

He strode toward me, instinctively reaching to pull me close, his tone gentle but unable to hide his tension.

I stepped back, dodging his hand.

I looked at this man I had loved for five years, at his seemingly devoted face, and felt nothing but disgust.