Chapter 1

• KAIDA REED POV
• My husband was killing me.
• I blinked, then forced a smile as my gaze locked onto those of Lucien in the mirror.
• "You look as beautiful as ever, Kaida," he said, stopping behind me to press a quick kiss to my cheeks. "I brought you your tea. Just a week more and you should be back to normal."
• I nodded, taking the drink from him. "Thank you. You treat me so well. I am so lucky to have you by my side, aren’t I," I asked while searching his face for any trace of regret. All I saw was his practiced perfection.
• I stared into the cup, my heart beating erratically. I knew the tea was poisoned. I’d seen him with my very eyes pouring the powdered substance in, and yet...
• I raised the cup to my lips and gulped down the bitter contents.
• He watched me drink, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled softly.
• "That’s my good girl," he praised, then wrapped his arms around me. "Have you stopped coughing yet?"
• I nodded, my gaze dropping to his hand, the ring on his finger glinting in the light.
• It was our promise of forever. Too bad it was all a lie.
• If I knew it was going to end like this, would I have vowed to love him until death do us part? It was too late for regret, especially since I was dying.
• "Yes. I feel so much better," I lied.
• "I’m glad to hear that," he kissed the corner of my mouth, then sighed. "You don’t know how bad I’ve had it without you these past few weeks. I was so scared, you know. If I lose you, I don’t think I can ever move on. I’ll probably die too."
• I rubbed at his hand, heat burning behind my eyes. "Don’t say that. I’m going to get better, and we’ll be happy just like we’ve always been."
• He nodded, then straightened.
• "I have to leave right now. Will you be okay all by yourself?"
• I nodded. "Yes. I’ll be fine."
• His gaze softened. "I love you. Always."
• I fought the tears that threatened to spill. "I love you too. Always."
• He smiled, gave a little wave, and walked out of the room.
• I exhaled sharply, the tears I had been trying to hold back spilling down my cheek.
• "You love me? You want me to go back to how I was? So why the hell are you trying to kill me!"
• My chest felt stuffy, and the bitter taste of the tea lingered in my throat.
• I wiped at the tears, my movement jerky and furious.
• No, I was the fool.
• I’d literally thrown myself at him from the moment I set eyes on him. He was my out-of-the-ordinary. My first and only love.
• I gave up everything for him. And even when he treated me horribly, I bore it all, because I was willing...willing to love him even if he never loved me back.
• Then like an answer to prayers, he changed. He started to treat me well. He was everything I’d dreamed of, and more. And because of that, I forgot all the hurtful things he’d ever done.
• I should have known better.
• Lucien only started to treat me well as soon as I got sick.
• But I only got sick because he was poisoning me.
• Seeing it with my own eyes for the first time had been demoralizing. So much that I thought I hallucinated it.
• I told myself, there was no way a man who loved and treated me so well would want to kill me. Then I started to get sicker and sicker after each tea he served.
• I tried to go to the doctor, but despite showing his worry, he vehemently refused. He said he was going to take care of me and that I probably just had the flu.
• I loved and trusted him, so I agreed until I got worse. Then I went to the doctor behind his back—I shouldn’t have.
• Just as I suspected, Lucien had really been poisoning me. The doctor said I wasn’t going to make it unless I started treatment immediately.
• I didn’t.
• Now, I drank the poison willingly. If I were destined to die, it would be perfect to go by the hands of the man I loved and lived my whole life for.
• But I needed to know why. I needed to know why he was killing me when he said he loved me with such fierce passion in his eyes.
• I needed to know where I went wrong—What I did wrong. I needed to know why he was breaking his promise to love me forever.
• I got up, noticing how much thinner I’d gotten. "How did you let it come to this..." I asked myself, my gaunt red eyes staring back at me. I sucked in a breath then raised my chin, my hands clenching.
• Yes, I was a shadow of the girl I was once, but I was still Kaida Reed; I should at least hold my head high.
• Grabbing my purse, I walked out of the room.
• The driver was waiting at the door.
• "Ma’am?" He looked surprised to see me, but I couldn’t blame him. For some months now, I haven’t gone out anywhere.
• "Take me to the company. I don’t feel like staying home today."
• "What?" He stuttered, his eyes darting around wildly. "Sir Lucien told me to make sure you stay home and rest. He said you’re very sick".
• "I’m not, so let’s go."
• He hesitated, his eyes darting around before locking onto mine. "I am sorry ma’am, but you can’t go to the company."
• I scoffed. "What? I can’t go to my own company?"
• Sweat dotted his hairline. "Sir Lucien said—"
• "It seems you forgot that I am your employer, and not Lucien, Mason," I cut in, then exhaled. "Are you really going to stand there and tell me what I can or cannot do?"
• "You really can’t go to the company, Miss Kaida. Lucien would kill me if I took you there. But—but, I can take you anywhere else. If you need some fresh air—"
• "Fine!" I snapped, cutting him off. It wasn’t his fault for not listening to me. I was the one who put Lucien in charge of everything. I was the one who told all my workers that his word was law and never to be disobeyed. I was the one who gave him the power to imprison me.
• "Take me to Helena’s, or am I also not allowed to visit my sister?"
• He scratched at his neck. "Of course you are ma’am, but—"
• "I don’t want any excuses. Let’s go," I said, and he hurried to get the car door.
• I entered, then stared off into the distance, my blood boiling hot in my veins.
• God, I hated that my life had come to this. How did everything go so wrong?
• The drive was short, and as Mason pulled into Helena’s driveway and stopped, I couldn’t help but notice that something was off.
• Yanking off my seatbelt, I got out of the car and then walked toward the familiar-looking car parked in the driveway.
• I stared at the house in front of me, then back at the car.
• What the hell was Lucien doing in my sister’s house?