Chapter 1

For three years, my husband Julian Blackwood pretended to be paralyzed, confined to a wheelchair.

The night the cruise ship caught fire, a burning beam fell and shattered my leg. I screamed his name, my voice breaking, begging for help.

He sat in his wheelchair, watching me with cold eyes.

"Too far. I can't reach you. Crawl."

But the very next moment, Seraphina, his true love, fell into the water.

Julian sprang to his feet. He dashed to the edge of the deck and plunged headfirst into the dark sea.

Because of him, my leg was left mangled by fire. Because of him, my brain was deprived of oxygen, its growth halted at the age of six.

Three years later, Julian searched for me like a madman. He found me on the street, a beggar now.

He fell to his knees, his eyes burning a desperate red.

"To avoid me, you'd sink to this? Was it worth it?"

I tilted my head, studying the strange man. Then I pulled the last piece of candy from my pocket and held it out to him.

"Your legs aren't broken. Why are you kneeling like me? I only have one left. Here, you can have it."