The plan that had cost me everything. I felt a surge of disappointment and anguish. We had been partners in crime since we were kids—inseparable in our mischief and dreams. But somewhere along the way, after she married into wealth and luxury of a business investor to James's company, something had changed in Kate. She had become someone unrecognizable, consumed by ambition and greed. I never imagined she would stoop so low as to manipulate James—and, by extension, me—in such a twisted way.
Even as my heart broke over the loss of trust and the betrayal of our past, a deeper despair began to take root. I had already lost so much, and now it seemed that the truth behind my parents’ mysterious death—a death that left behind a massive company and a legacy tainted by whispers implicating James—would forever remain buried in lies and deceit.
A few weeks later, I managed to vanish into a safe house far from prying eyes. I had barely begun to settle into my new hiding place when, on the day of my planned escape, I was startled by a presence. I barely had time to react before I saw Damon emerge from the shadows, a cold determination in his eyes and a gun pointed directly at me. I froze, every instinct screaming to run.
“Did Kate send you to kill me?” I managed to ask, my voice barely a whisper.
DANG! Damon’s expression softened, and he slowly shook his head. “No, Zoey, I’m not here to kill you. I’m here because I can’t live with what I did. I needed to stop you from running away—to convince you to join me in getting even with those who’ve wronged you.”
His words were laced with guilt and a strange sort of urgency. I refused at first, suspicion and hurt mingling in my gut, but Damon’s eyes held a promise of redemption that I couldn’t entirely ignore.
“I’m willing to help you make things right,” he insisted.
And so, with a heavy heart, I agreed.