Chapter 2

Aurora's POV

Stella was there. Right beside Samuel.

I stood there like an idiot, watching her lean in close to whisper something. He nodded and walked away toward the restroom. That's when she looked straight at me.

Her smile made my skin crawl.

She glided ove. "Aurora. Didn't think I'd see you here."

"Samuel invited me." I tried to sound confident. "He said it was time."

She laughed. "Time for what?"

"To announce us. To end things with you."

"Oh honey." She stepped closer. Too close. "I'm not ending anything with Samuel."

The words felt like someone had punched me. "What?"

"You heard me." Her eyes were ice cold. "I'm keeping my engagement."

She's lying. She has to be.

"Samuel loves me," I said. God, I sounded pathetic. "I waited three years. We had a deal—"

"Samuel says lots of things." She examined her nails. "But here's the thing, you won't be a problem much longer."

My heart started racing. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll figure it out." She tilted her head, studying me. "Enjoy tonight, Aurora. Might be your last chance to play princess."

Then she just walked away, leaving me standing there shaking.

What did she mean? What am I missing?

Samuel came back, and I searched his face for... I don't know what. Some sign this was all wrong. But he looked normal. Handsome.

"Ready?" He offered his arm.

"For what?"

"Someone I want you to meet."

He led me to this guy by the windows. Tall, black hair, sharp gray eyes.

"Aurora," Samuel said, "meet Marcus Hamilton. CEO of Hamilton Industries."

"Mr. Hamilton," Samuel continued. I held my breath. "I want you to meet Aurora. My fiancée."

He said it.

I felt like I might explode from happiness. After three years of hiding, he was claiming me, in public.

But Hamilton looked skeptical. He shook my hand, then gave Samuel this look.

"Your fiancée?" Hamilton's voice was careful. "Thought that was Stella Adams. Wasn't your engagement announcement three years ago?"

Samuel's hand tightened on my back. "Aurora and I go way back. The thing with Stella, it's business."

Hamilton laughed dryly. "I see. So which engagement should I take seriously?"

"Aurora's my real fiancée," Samuel said firmly. "Any business involving my personal life includes her."

I wanted to scream with joy. This was my dream coming true.

Hamilton stared at us both, then nodded. "All right then, Nelson. We can move forward with the land deal."

"Excellent. When do we finalize?"

"You know that one small condition." Hamilton's smile didn't look friendly. "Given your... complicated situation, I need proof you're committed."

"What kind of proof?"

"Weekend retreat next month. My wife and I host it. Couples only. Team building, trust exercises." He paused. "Including our signature skydiving."

Skydiving?

"Sounds great," Samuel said quickly. "Aurora and I would love to come."

"Perfect." Hamilton's smile got wider. "The cliffs are spectacular. Two hundred feet straight down to the ocean. Real adrenaline rush."

The blood drained from my face. Skydiving?

"Sorry," I said, my voice shaking. "Did you say skydiving?"

"Oh yes, dear," Hamilton replied. "It's tradition. All the wives participate. Shows they support their husbands' business."

All the wives.

I looked at Samuel, waiting for him to say something.

"It's safe," Samuel said, not looking at me. "Professional instructors. Safety gear. The works."

"But Samuel," I whispered, "I can't—"

"We'll talk later," he said, his hand gripping my elbow. It looked loving but felt like a warning.

Hamilton was watching us. "Problem?"

"No problem," Samuel replied. "Aurora's excited. Right, darling?"

Excited. Right.

They kept talking business, but I couldn't hear anything. My mind kept spinning around one horrible thought: Stella was right. I was about to understand.

In the car, I finally exploded.

"What the hell was that?"

"What do you mean?"

"The skydiving!"

"It's team building. Businessmen's wives do this stuff."

"Businessmen's wives don't have heart conditions!"

Samuel froze. "What?"

"My heart condition! The arrhythmia I've had since fifteen! The reason I can't do extreme sports!" My voice was getting louder. I didn't care. "The condition you've known about since college!"

His face went white. "Aurora, I—"

"You knew! You knew what conditions he would propose! That's why you brought me here!" Everything clicked into place and I felt sick. "You've known this could kill me!"

"The doctors said it was manageable!"

"With medication and no stress!" I was shaking now. "Jumping off a cliff is the opposite of managing it!"

Samuel ran his hands through his hair.

"Stella can't do it," he said.

"What?"

"Stella's terrified of heights. Can't even go on second-floor balconies." He looked at me with something like desperation. "Hamilton wants the wives to participate. If I can't deliver, I lose the biggest contract of my career."

"So you picked me instead," I whispered. "Because I'm expendable."

"That's not—"

"That's exactly what this is!" I was screaming now. "You brought me here, called me your fiancée, made me believe, all so you could throw me off a cliff!"

"Aurora, please!"

"How long have you known? How long have you been planning this?"

He didn't answer. He didn't have to.

Three years. Three years of thinking he loved me. Three years of waiting. And I was just backup for when his real fiancée couldn't do the job.

"Get away from me."

"Aurora, let me explain."

"Get the hell away from me!"

I wanted to get out of the car, to leave this suffocating place. But Samuel refused to unlock the door. He had completely changed, saying coldly, "Aurora, it's just one jump. Nothing will happen. You have to go. Your father is currently collaborating with our family. You wouldn't want the scandal of you being my mistress for three years to break out at this time, would you? Your father is getting on in years."

I sat frozen in the passenger seat. He knew perfectly well that my status over these three years had been disgraceful, yet he still made this demand. He even threatened me with my father's reputation to make me jump, even though it could cost me my life.