Chapter 1

Liam had recently become obsessed with a girl who already had a boyfriend.

She was fierce and stubborn --- she would rather die than give in.

But Liam never failed to get what he wanted.

The day they finally slept together, he bought out every billboard in the city to wish her a happy birthday.

I found all this out from the nurses gossiping at the hospital.

Through tear-blurred eyes, I spotted Liam's figure in the doorway.

He looked at me, his expression completely unreadable.

"As long as you behave yourself and stop interfering with her, your position as Mrs. Liam stays yours. And your brother's debts --- I'll keep covering those too."

I looked at him, thinking of the endless collection calls I'd been getting. I nodded.

What he didn't know was that just yesterday, a nurse had mentioned that the girl he'd fought so hard to win over had a boyfriend who was HIV-positive.

So he was cheating. Fine. I could live with that.

After all, when he dies, everything goes to me.

The moment I pushed open the bedroom door, used condoms were scattered all over the floor.

When he saw me walk in, Liam let out a short, contemptuous laugh. His eyes swept over the mess, his voice edged with impatience.

"What are you standing there for? Clean it up. I'm taking Cara out tonight --- don't make trouble."

My throat tightened. My fingernails dug deep into my palms.

"The cleaning service can handle this."

Liam raised an eyebrow and stepped toward me, looking down at me from his height.

"Ellie, it's a small thing. Just do it yourself."

I closed my eyes. The color drained from my face.

I knew what this was --- Liam putting me in my place.

"Your brother racked up another five million dollars in debt."

His voice came from above me.

"I can cover it. As long as you behave."

I opened my eyes and watched a check flutter down onto the nightstand.

While I cleaned up the mess, Liam stood in the doorway the entire time, watching.

I knelt on the floor, picking up the used condoms one by one, my stomach lurching with every second of it.

He watched me degrade myself, and he was satisfied.

He reached out and patted my head, the corner of his mouth curling into a smile.

"The therapy actually did some good. You're so much more sensible now, sweetheart."

I said nothing. My heart ached so badly it had gone numb.

By the time I finally finished cleaning, the sky outside had gone dark.

Liam had disappeared at some point. The check was still sitting there.

I sank down onto the floor and pulled out my phone.

Over a dozen missed calls --- all from debt collectors.

The cold glow of the screen lit up my hollow face.

During the six months I'd been locked away in that private clinic, Liam had absorbed every asset the Hartley family owned.

My parents died young and left behind a company. My brother was too young to know the ways of the world. And I, the eldest, had been locked up.

I watched from a distance as Liam's grip tightened, inch by inch, until he'd swallowed everything.

The Hartley family, once respected and powerful, was now nothing but a hollow shell buried in debt.

My brother --- once the pampered, untouchable son of the Hartley name --- had a hand broken by debt collectors. Now he worked three jobs a day just to stay afloat.

My eyes landed on the check on the nightstand. Ten million dollars.

All I had to do was be obedient, and Liam would pay me.

I couldn't refuse. There was no refusing.