Chapter 1

The day my ex-boyfriend ran away with the billionaire's delicate little flower, I received the billionaire's Black Card.

He was chewing on a cigar, looking down at me. "I'll give you two choices."

"Either take the money and be my accomplice, or wait to receive your boyfriend's third leg in a box."

I pinched the hot edge of the credit card and suddenly laughed out loud.

"Mr. Vance, there is actually one thing you might not know—"

"The helicopter your precious Lily used to escape your wedding? My boyfriend stole it."

As the metal lighter clicked shut, a predatory smile finally flashed in his eyes.

"What a coincidence. I’m hunting down both of those thieves."

My phone wouldn't stop vibrating on the couch. Tyler's name was flashing on the screen.

I didn't pick up. Last night, he stumbled over his words, claiming he had to go on a "business trip" today. I could smell the stench of his lies right through the phone.

A business trip?

More like cheating. He was running away to the end of the earth with that delicate little flower, Lily.

Fine. It saved me the breath of breaking up with him.

The doorbell rang suddenly. It was loud and startling.

I looked through the peephole. Several men in black suits stood outside like iron towers. They were silent and menacing.

My heart sank. Before I could even react, the lock made a soft electronic beep—they actually had a way to bypass my security lock.

My heart skipped a beat. I immediately reached for my phone to call the police.

The leader of the men glanced at me, snatched my phone away, and stepped aside.

A tall man walked in behind him. It was Christian Vance.

His name was practically engraved in gold on the city's financial and gossip headlines. He was Lily's billionaire keeper.

He didn't look at me. His gaze swept around my small rented apartment like a searchlight.

He examined everything with blatant judgment before his eyes finally landed on me.

I stood there like a scared sparrow, not daring to make a sound.

I fully believed that the terrifying Christian Vance could make me disappear from this world with a single wave of his hand.

But what was he here for? Sex?

I was wearing faded loungewear, my hair was a messy bun, and I was standing barefoot on the floor. I probably looked like a wet, pathetic bird.

Did I even look like target material?

"Chloe?" he spoke. His voice was flat and cold.

I nodded, clutching the hem of my shirt tightly.

He sat down on my single armchair. He did it so naturally, like a movie scene, as if he owned the place.

A bodyguard silently presented a silver briefcase, opened it, and pushed it onto the coffee table in front of me.

It wasn't a gun, and it wasn't drugs.

There was only a thin, gleaming American Express Black Card.

Christian leaned forward. He pulled out a cigar but didn't light it. He just played with it between his fingers.

"Tyler ran off with my woman," he said. His tone was as casual as if he were talking about the weather. "I'll give you two choices."

"Take this," he tapped the Black Card with his cigar, "be my accomplice, and help me 'invite' her back."

He paused, his lips curving into a cold, sharp smile. "Or, you can keep your useless sympathy and wait to receive your ex-boyfriend's... disassembled parts. I highly suggest keeping his third leg."

Ex-boyfriend.

He used that term. It seemed he knew everything.

I looked away from his expressionless face and stared at the Black Card on the table.

It lay there quietly, yet it felt burning hot, capable of melting away all hypocrisy and hesitation.

Tyler's betrayal was like a poisoned needle, stabbing into the softest part of my heart.

Running away together? What a romantic adventure.

He used the downpayment we had saved for two years to fund someone else’s fairy tale.

Why should he get away with it?

I reached out. My fingertips touched the cold edge of the card, and I slowly picked it up.

I looked up at the powerful man sitting across from me.

"Mr. Vance," my voice was surprisingly steady, "there's actually one thing you might not know."