News articles popped up one after another — investors pulling out, stock prices crashing, and reporters camping outside Travis’s house. Madison’s name trended alongside his, their pictures plastered everywhere like a public execution.
Zoe’s lips curled into a faint smile.
She shut the laptop, slipped on her sunglasses, walked out of the apartment and stepped onto the dock. The boat rocked gently beneath her as she climbed aboard, the salt air sharp and freeing.
She took one last look at the distant city skyline, her past burning to the ground.
I am dead to the whole world ..
She exhaled shakily.
“Rough night Zoe?”
Zoe’s body stiffened. She turned slowly, her heart pounding against her ribs.
Standing on the deck was an incredibly handsome man — sharp jaw, dark eyes that seemed to pierce straight through her, and a confident stance that screamed power.
“I don’t know who Zoe is,” she said, her voice sharp and controlled. “My name is Emily.”
The man’s mouth curved into a faint smirk.
“I own the company that made you disappear,” he said, slipping his hands into his pockets like he had all the time in the world. “Preston Urie. Madison’s ex-boyfriend. And Travis’s biggest competitor.”
Her breath caught she wasn’t expecting to see him .
Her pulse spiked. “Why are you here, Preston? Do you stalk all your clients?”
His smile deepened, eyes glinting with something unreadable. “No, I don’t,” he said, stepping closer, voice low and smooth. “But you… you’re different. I want something from you.”
Her chest tightened. “What?”
“I want you to be my wife.”
She blinked, her heart stumbling over itself. “What? why?”
“ For my own personal reasons,” he admitted, his gaze unwavering. “I can’t tell you why. Not yet. But I can promise you this — I’ll protect you. I won’t hurt you.”
Zoe’s throat burned, her defenses slamming up like a wall. “I don’t want anything to do with my past,” she said, voice sharp. “And I’m done with marriage out of convenience.”
Preston’s expression didn’t change, but something flickered in his eyes, like he understood her more than she realized.
“Zoe,” he said, voice low and deliberate, “I’m offering you power and connection. Let me destroy them for you. I know you don’t need it, but I can help. Let me be your backbone.”
He pulled out his phone and held it up to her.
Headlines flashed across the screen.
“Murdered for Madison? The Shocking Truth Behind Zoe’s Mother’s Death.”