Unwanted Pet, Undeniable Power

My life was a meticulously groomed arena, flawless and secure, all thanks to Ethan Blackwood.

He rescued me, an orphaned girl clutching a lead rope and a trembling colt, after the fire took my parents and everything else.

He was my protector, my world. I believed he loved me unconditionally.

Then, the faint, expensive scent of Isabelle Thorne' s jasmine perfume clinging to his suit.

A physical manifestation of the lie he lived.

I pulled away from his embrace, the disgust a physical thing in my throat.