Chapter 2

The woman in the mirror slowly turned her head, those ash-gray eyes fixing on me.

“Blair, look at me.”

Her voice was hoarse, like sandpaper grinding.

“I'm you, ten years from now.”

In that instant, the blood in my veins seemed to freeze.

Ten years from now? How could I ever turn into something this ghastly?

“V… Victor is a monster!”

The woman in the mirror suddenly grew frantic, thrashing against her restraints, the chains clashing with an ear-splitting screech.

“He never loved you! He loves your money!”

“You think you have the early-onset Alzheimer's that runs in your family?”

“No! He's been poisoning you!”

“Those imported ‘miracle pills’ he hands you every day — they're hallucinogens that destroy your nervous system!”

“He turned you into a madwoman who can't even remember her own name, then took legal guardianship of you and seized Kensington Group!”

I shook my head desperately, tears spilling out.

“Impossible! Victor would lay down his life for me — how could he ever hurt me?”

Years ago, when I was in that car accident, he'd shielded me with his own body, his back torn bloody by the glass.

How could he be a con artist?

“You fool!” The me from ten years later laughed, a shrill, ghastly sound.

“That accident was staged — he hurt himself on purpose to win you over!”

“And your best friend Chloe — she's been sleeping with Victor for ages!”

“While you're locked in a psych ward eating slop, the three of them — him, her, and the baby — are living in your villa, spending your money, sleeping in your bed!”

“Before the wedding tomorrow, he'll bring out a full power-of-attorney document for you to sign.”

“Don't sign it! If you do, there's no coming back!”

The image in the mirror began to flicker, the woman's voice growing fainter and fainter.

“Check his second phone… the passcode is Chloe's birthday…”

“Remember — don't drink anything he gives you…”

The glass abruptly went still.

In the reflection was only my own face, pale and terrified.