Chapter 5

Claire's POV

Slap.

The crisp sound of the slap echoed through the empty office.

My palm stung, my chest heaving violently as I stared in disbelief at the man before me.

Damien's face turned to one side, five red finger marks quickly rising on his pale skin.

He ran his tongue over his cheek, then slowly turned his head back.

There was no anger in his eyes-instead, there was a frightening kind of madness.

"You hit me?"

He advanced step by step, backing me against the floor-to-ceiling window with no escape.

"Damien Barrett, you bastard!"

I cursed with reddened eyes. "I have a boyfriend! I won't be a homewrecker! And I definitely won't be your mistress!"

"Boyfriend?"

Damien looked like he'd heard the funniest joke. "Ashton Reid? You think he'd actually want a woman as tainted as you?"

"That's my business!"

I tried to push past him and run, but he grabbed my wrist and pinned me hard against the cold glass window.

Behind me was the city nightscape from thousands of feet up; before me was a man as dangerous as a beast.

"Claire, stop pretending to be virtuous."

Damien stared into my eyes, his voice hoarse. "Three years ago you could abandon me for money. Now what's so hard about being a mistress for money? Isn't money your only bottom line?"

"I didn't!"

I screamed, breaking down. "Back then I had my reasons..."

"Reasons?"

Damien sneered. "What reasons? Was it your gambling addict father who owed debts, or was your sickly mother about to die again?"

"Shut up! Don't you dare talk about my mother!"

I struggled desperately, tears finally spilling from my eyes.

He had no idea.

Three years ago, that gambling father hadn't just owed debts-he'd owed lives.

Those people held knives to my mother's throat, forcing me to come up with money.

And Damien at that time-because he refused an arranged marriage for my sake-had been cut off financially by the Barrett family. He couldn't even afford fever medicine without borrowing money.

What choice did I have?

Tell him the truth and make him beg the father he hated most? Make him spend his whole life unable to hold his head up in front of his father?

I couldn't do it.

So I took the million dollars Natalie offered, played that scene, and became the villain.

"Hit the nail on the head, did I?"

Seeing my tears, a flash of satisfaction crossed Damien's eyes, mixed with an indescribable pain.

He released me and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his fingers with disgust.

"Take the money or don't-I don't care."

"But let me remind you, your grandmother's hospital happens to be funded by Barrett Corporation."

My head snapped up, my whole body shaking. "What do you want to do?"

Damien stuffed the check into my collar, the cold paper against my skin like a venomous snake.

"Tomorrow night at eight. Hillside Villa."

"If you don't come, face the consequences."

With that, he pressed the intercom. "Show her out."

I don't know how I walked out of Barrett Corporation headquarters.

Outside, the rain was still falling.

I clutched that crumpled check and crouched by the roadside, sobbing.

My phone rang at that moment.

It was the hospital calling.

"Miss Davis, please come to the hospital as soon as possible. Your grandmother's condition has deteriorated. She needs surgery immediately. Please pay the fees as soon as possible."

Despair wrapped around me like a giant net, strangling me.

I looked at the million dollars in my hand.

Dignity, or my grandmother's life?

This wasn't even a choice.

Damien Barrett, you win.

You've finally trampled me into the mud and turned me into exactly the kind of woman "who'll do anything for money" that you accused me of being.

If this is the revenge you want,

Then I'll give it to you.