Chapter 4

Dean looked at the blood on my forehead and took a photo with his phone.

I knew what he was doing—sending it straight to Erica again.

Slap!

Without a word, I stepped forward, knocked the phone out of Dean's hand, pulled him over my knee, and gave him a hard spanking.

Before Hilda could lose it, I raised my hand and pointed at the security camera.

"This morning, I put his coat on him right under that camera. The boy lied, Mother. So tell me—do I, his mother, have the right to discipline him?"

My fist clenched, and I looked ready to swing at Hilda any second.

Her lips moved, but in the end she said nothing.

Even so, my punishment came fast.

That night.

The bedroom door was kicked open with brutal force.

Four hulking men knocked me out cold before I could react.

When I opened my eyes again, I was in an unfamiliar hotel room.

Nicholas's face was black as coal. He grabbed my wrist and nearly hauled me off my feet.

"Lindsay, have you lost your mind? Who gave you the nerve to pull this?"

I fought against him with everything I had.

The harder I struggled, the tighter he gripped, until my wrist felt ready to snap.

Fighting through the pain, I looked at him and gave a cold laugh.

"Nicholas, funny—I never saw you care this much about Dean before."

Dean was eight this year.

Nicholas couldn't even tell you what day his birthday fell on.

And now, just because I disciplined the boy, he wanted to turn on me?

"Dean?"

Confusion crossed his face, then hardened again into something vicious.

"I'm asking how you dared to post Erica's photos online."

"What Dean? Lindsay, quit playing dumb!"

Hah.

So that was what this was about.

Made sense.

One afternoon was more than enough time for those photos to catch fire online.

Young billionaire cheats with rising young model.

That kind of story always went over well with people online.

"Oh, those photos?" I gave a small smile. "Not flattering enough?"

"You let Erica send me her bedroom pictures as an anniversary gift, just to taunt me. I figured the two of you had no shame left at all."

"Lindsay!"

His eyes went red. "She's your own sister, the most promising model in the country—you've ruined her!"

I ruined Erica?

I twisted free of Nicholas, lifted the hem of my dress, and showed him the ugly scar down my thigh.

"Back then, the agency picked me."

"Erica was jealous. She dumped an entire brazier of coals over me. That's how she made her own opening."

Nicholas had known about this scar for years.

The first time I told him about it, he'd kissed every inch of the scar, aching for me.

"It must have hurt so much back then," he'd said, almost choking on the words.

"It doesn't hurt anymore." He'd held me and sworn it. "Lindsay, it'll never hurt again."

But now Nicholas just turned away, impatient to the bone.

"How many more times are you going to keep dredging up this ancient history?"

"Lindsay, you've been too disobedient. Looks like I'll have to teach you a lesson today."

He pinned me down and forced a full glass of drugged water down my throat.

He watched as the flush crept over my face, bit by bit.

Nicholas stroked my cheek, gentle now.

"Don't worry, Lindsay. I'm only going to take some photos."

"As long as you can be good like before—no fighting, no grabbing, and just stay by my side—no one else will ever see these pictures."

My whole body had gone limp, and I looked up at him, my eyes begging.

But Nicholas acted as though he didn't see it, slowly changing me into a flame-red nightgown.

He arranged me into one pose after another.

The shutter clicked again and again, without pause.

When the last click ended, Nicholas dressed me, tucked the blanket over me, and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.

"Sleep now, wife. Goodnight."

The door closed, and Nicholas was gone.

Ten minutes later.

Erica walked in with the four hulking men who'd kidnapped me, and stood over me.

"Sister, since you made me suffer such a huge loss, I have to treat you to something nice too."

She waved the four of them forward. "Take her together. Do whatever you want."

My eyes went wide.

The strength I'd barely clawed back was only enough for one scream.

"Help!"

As the cry faded, a man rushed in, dragged the brute off me, and drove a fist into him.

His eyes turned cold, and he barked out low, "All of you, get out!"

This man—I had seen him before.