Chapter Five

I'd barely turned around when someone grabbed my wrist with crushing force.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Richard's face was livid, his knuckles white. With his other hand, he crushed the little box to pieces. He was holding his anger down, but there was a storm churning in his blue eyes.

On the sofa, the corner of Jane's mouth curved, so faintly you'd almost miss it. But when she spoke, her voice was pitiful. "Please don't get the wrong idea. Richard was just being kind and walked me up. Apologize to him, okay? Don't let me be the reason you two fight."

Richard gave a cold laugh and let go of my hand.

"You're always playing these stupid games. It's honestly disgusting." He looked down at me, his voice full of impatience. "Go read a book sometime. Stop spending every minute on these cheap little schemes."

Then he walked back to the sofa without looking back, knelt on one knee, and took Jane's ankle in his hand again.

What a lovely picture. I didn't argue. I gracefully closed the door behind me for them.

That night, I slept badly.

My dreams dragged me back to cold, damp London. After my father remarried, my stepmother's children took everything, and I curled up in the attic like I was invisible. It wasn't until I worked myself to the bone winning Richard over and became the young lord's favorite that my father finally looked at me properly, and my stepmother put on a fawning smile.

From the age of ten, I understood that my worth depended on how many chips I could get from the people above me. Richard was like an expensive luxury item. As long as I kept him by my side, he could buy me privilege and respect.

My feelings for him had long since been tangled up with too much calculation and desire. But compared to my future, none of that counted for anything.

The next morning, Richard still hadn't come home.

Lady Cavendish's transatlantic call came right on time. After asking about Richard as usual, she changed the subject. "You're a clever girl, and you've taken very good care of him. But sooner or later, he has to take over the family. A man settles down first and then builds his career, and a suitable match is the Cavendish family's bottom line. I hope he won't do anything foolish at such an important moment."

Her tone was gentle, but every word was lethal.

I understood immediately and gave her exactly the answer she wanted. "Don't worry, my lady. I'll break up with him right away. I'll never stand in the way of his marriage."

Lady Cavendish gave a satisfied little laugh, then said a few soothing things she didn't mean.

Just as the call was about to end, the front door of the house made a faint sound. Someone pushed it open a crack from outside, then slowly closed it again.

Whoever was outside seemed to have been standing there for a long time.