Chapter 1

I'm blind. Yet I have a billion-dollar fortune and a husband I've loved for years.

I thought this was heaven's blessing.

But on our third wedding anniversary, my guide dog — dead for a week — spoke to me.

Master, don't go near the pool. He removed the electrical breaker. The water is live. He spiked your champagne. He and that woman in the red dress want everything you have!

Our third wedding anniversary. A dinner banquet on a cruise ship.

The sea breeze hit my face, sharp with salt and moisture. I held Arthur Sterling's arm, listening to the guests around us lavish their praise.

"Arthur is so devoted to Scarlett. A dinner cruise — how romantic."

"Scarlett may not be able to see, but a husband like Arthur? She must have done something right in a past life."

I kept a polite smile on my lips. Inside, something bitter stirred.

A week ago, my guide dog Atlas was killed — struck by an out-of-control car while we were out on a walk.

He had been my eyes for five years.

"Scarls, are you tired?" Arthur's voice was warm and smooth. His palm settled gently over the back of my hand. "Let me take you to the outdoor pool on the upper deck. Get some fresh air — it's quieter up there."

I was about to nod when a bark cut through the noise — familiar, yet impossible.

Master, don't go! He removed the pool's electrical safety breaker. The water is live with high-voltage current!

My whole body went rigid. My blood ran cold.

That voice... Atlas?

I told myself it was grief. That I'd been missing him so badly my mind had started playing tricks.

"What's wrong? Is the wind too cold?" Arthur noticed the change in me. With practiced care, he slipped off his suit jacket and draped it over my shoulders.

He's lying. His jacket still smells like her perfume. The woman named Vanessa is standing at your ten o'clock right now — red dress, and your mother's diamond necklace around her neck.

Atlas's voice was sharp and furious. Every word cut straight through me.

Vanessa. My personal assistant. The person I trusted most in the world.

My grip tightened around my white cane. My knuckles went pale.

After a stunned silence, I turned to Arthur — who was already steering me toward the pool — and said, "Arthur, my stomach's bothering me. The champagne was probably too cold. I need to use the restroom."