Chapter 2

Austin’s icy voice cut through the air from behind me.

A jolt of cold dread ran down my spine, freezing my feet in place.

I turned around and stared at him in utter disbelief.

"What did you just say?"

I never imagined he would stoop so low as to use the orphanage to threaten me. That place was my only weakness.

It felt as though I was seeing the real him for the very first time in five years.

He slowly adjusted his cufflinks, then looked up at me with cold indifference.

"You heard me. If you walk out tonight, I pull my funding tomorrow. Every piece of equipment, every donated supply gets taken back."

My feet were rooted to the floor. In the end, I had no choice but to leave with him.

On the ride back, Austin seemed to want to say something to break the heavy silence.

I wasn't in the mood to listen. I kept my head turned toward the window, watching the city lights blur past into streaks of neon.

Gradually, those blurry lights shifted into the hopeful smiles of the children and the warm, weary face of Director Sarah.

I was an orphan. That shelter had raised me from childhood.

Director Sarah was the kindest person I had ever known in this world.

In the beginning, I had stayed by his side and taken care of him purely out of gratitude for his generous donations to the shelter.

And now, that very gratitude had become the leash he used to control me.

When we stepped into the penthouse, Austin noticed the tidy, untouched rooms.

He didn't say anything, but he rubbed his nose.

He only ever rubbed his nose when he was trying to suppress his temper.

"Sleep in the guest room."

I let out a quiet sigh of relief, nodded, and walked toward the guest room.

Thankfully, I hadn't kept many personal belongings here over the years, so he hadn't noticed that my bags were already packed.

"You’re coming with me to a gala tomorrow night," he suddenly called out.

"Mr. Hayes, you should just take Natalie. We broke up."

Austin’s face twisted in anger. He grabbed my wrist and slammed me against the wall, his grip like iron.

"Know your place. Stop saying things that piss me off."

I fought back with all my strength, twisting my wrist out of his grasp.

"This is the last time, Mr. Hayes. Even in business, making a bad deal once is enough."

Without waiting for his reaction, I turned and shut the bedroom door behind me.

The next evening, before heading to the event, I noticed the dress Austin had prepared for me.

Another white dress. The exact style Natalie Vance always favored.

I reminded myself that this was the final time. I put on the unfamiliar dress and fastened the fake designer necklace he had bought me.

On the way to the venue, Austin took a phone call, and his expression shifted abruptly.

"I need to pick someone up. Get out here and find your own way."

He hung up, turned to me, and spoke in a tone that brooked no argument.

I looked at the floor-length gown, my four-inch designer heels, and the rushing highway traffic outside, hesitating.

"Hurry up!" Austin snapped impatiently.

The moment my feet touched the asphalt, before I could even steady myself, he hit the gas and sped away.

We were on an elevated expressway; getting an Uber out here was practically impossible.

Walking in those heels was agonizing, so I took them off and carried them, walking barefoot along the emergency shoulder toward the distant exit.

Inside the grand ballroom, high-society elites mingled under shimmering chandeliers, clinking champagne flutes.

I found an inconspicuous corner and slipped into a chair. The skin on both of my heels was torn raw and bleeding.

A few minutes later, the entire room went quiet, and all eyes turned toward the entrance.

Austin walked in.

At his side was Natalie Vance.

So the person he had rushed off to pick up was her.