Chapter 4

"I need you to marry me," Johansen said.

I blinked. "Marry you?"

"Reese and Chloe are dangerous," Johansen explained. His tone was dead serious. "They have already proven they are willing to kill to protect their secrets. If you walk out of this hotel as Alicia, the orphaned diner waitress, they will crush you. They will throw you in the sea, just like Chloe said. But if you walk out of here as my wife, you become untouchable."

He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a thick, legal document.

He set it on the glass surface between us.

"This is a marriage contract," Johansen said. "It gives you my name. It gives you my legal protection. It gives you unrestricted access to my wealth. As my wife, you will have the ultimate power to execute our revenge. They took the person I loved. They stole eight years of your life. We will take everything they have."

I looked down at the contract. I did not hesitate. I did not read the fine print.

I picked up the heavy gold pen resting on the desk. I signed my name on the dotted line.

The naive, devoted girl who worked double shifts to pay for a liar's tuition died in that penthouse. A new woman was born from her ashes.

The weekend was a fast-paced blur of transformation. His team of stylists stripped away my cheap, rain-soaked clothes. They dressed me in stunning, high-end designer fashion.

I stepped into a tailored emerald-green suit that fit me perfectly. I slipped on black stilettos that clicked against the floor like loaded weapons.

My hair was styled into sleek, polished waves. I looked in the mirror and did not recognize the powerful, intimidating woman staring back at me.

On Sunday night, Johansen met me in the penthouse dining room. He handed me a sleek leather folder.

"Happy wedding day," Johansen said. A dark, predatory smile touched his lips.

I opened the folder. Inside was a stack of official property deeds.

"Over the weekend, I quietly purchased the prestigious private hospital where Reese works," Johansen said. "I bought the building, the land, and the operating licenses. As a wedding gift, I transferred the total ownership directly into your name. It is entirely yours, Alicia. You can do whatever you want with it."

I stared at the papers. A fierce, triumphant thrill raced through my veins.

Monday morning arrived with brilliant sunshine. A sleek black luxury car pulled up to the front entrance of the hospital.

The chauffeur opened the door for me. I stepped out onto the pavement.

I walked through the sliding glass doors of the hospital lobby. Two of Johansen's massive, imposing security guards flanked me. The lobby was bustling with doctors, nurses, and wealthy patients. The pristine white walls gleamed under the bright lights.

I scanned the room. I spotted him immediately.

Reese was standing near the central reception desk. He was wearing his crisp white doctor's coat. A stethoscope hung casually around his neck. He was laughing and chatting with a group of young nurses. He looked arrogant. He looked like a man who had the entire world in the palm of his hand.

I walked straight toward him. The sharp click of my designer heels echoed loudly across the polished marble floor.

Reese turned his head at the sound. His eyes landed on me.

For a split second, he did not recognize me. Then, the realization hit him. His eyes widened in absolute shock.

The charming smile vanished from his face. All the color drained from his cheeks. He looked like he had just seen a ghost.

Panic and anger flashed in his eyes. He excused himself from the nurses and stormed over to me. His face flushed a deep, ugly red.

"What are you doing here?" Reese hissed aggressively. He kept his voice low, desperately trying to avoid a public scene. "Are you crazy?"

I just looked at him. I did not flinch. I did not cry. I felt absolutely nothing for the man standing in front of me.

"You need to leave right now," Reese demanded.

His panic was escalating. He lunged forward. He reached out to violently push me toward the exit doors before anyone else noticed us.

Before his fingers could graze my silk sleeve, one of Johansen's massive security guards stepped directly into his path.

The guard raised a hand and shoved Reese hard in the chest.

The impact lifted Reese off his feet. He flew backward and crashed violently onto the polished marble floor.

A collective gasp echoed through the lobby. The bustling room went dead silent. Every single doctor, nurse, and patient stopped and stared.

Humiliated in front of his staring colleagues, Reese scrambled up from the floor.

"What is the meaning of this?" Reese shouted at the top of his lungs. He pointed a shaking finger at my guards. "I am a doctor here!"

I stepped forward. I looked down at him with a cold, triumphant smile.

"Well," I replied smoothly. "I am the owner of this hospital now."