Chapter 2 The Accident

I’d only had half a glass of champagne, yet my head felt strangely light, a soft, floating pressure settling behind my eyes. That alone should have worried me. I’d always prided myself on my tolerance.

“Mom, I think I’m going to head out,” I said, forcing an easy smile as I brushed my dark hair behind my ear. “I’m not feeling great. Maybe it’s the flu coming on. Or nerves, now that I’ve been named CEO.”

My mother studied my face, her brows knitting together. “Then why drive, Valentine? Stay here tonight.”

The warmth of the house, the glow of the chandeliers, the murmur of voices drifting from the ballroom—it all tempted me. But I knew better. I didn’t want to be here when the congratulations curdled into whispers, when my brothers began circling like sharks looking for the first sign of weakness. One wrong step, one misplaced laugh, and I’d be the punchline of a video passed around before dawn.

Besides, I needed sleep. Real sleep. I’d earned that much.

I kissed my mother’s cheek and shook my head. “I can’t tonight. Mallows is waiting for me.”

Mallows was the safest excuse I had. I could almost see my golden retriever stretched across the sofa, warm and content, her tail thumping lazily the moment I stepped inside.

She sighed, knowing better than to argue. "I'll have Leonard drive you then."

"By the time he gets back, it'll be after midnight," I pointed out. "I can drive myself. It's only ten, Mom. And I need my car tomorrow."

My father bent toward me, his hand settling on my shoulder—solid, reassuring. “Be in early tomorrow. We’ll announce your succession to the press together. The world should know who’s leading the company.”

“Yes, Dad,” I said. My smile came easily, even as excitement and dread tangled in my chest. I kissed him on his cheek. "Merry Christmas."

Outside, the cold hit me like a slap. Snow fell in slow, drifting flakes, catching in my hair as I slid into my car. The engine purred to life, and soon I was gliding down the highway, headlights slicing through the darkness.

Trees crowded both sides of the road, their bare branches reaching toward the sky like skeletal fingers. The forest seemed endless, especially with my car being the only one on the road.

It was a forty minute drive to my apartment in the city. I’d chosen it years ago for its proximity to corporate headquarters. Early board meetings. Emergency calls. Being close mattered.

People called me entitled. Maybe they weren’t wrong. Right out of NYU, I’d been handed a Vice President title without paying my dues in some windowless cubicle. I’ve spent three years proving myself, outworking everyone in the room, yet the whispers followed me anyway.

Sutton brat.

She didn’t earn it.

Born lucky.

Silver spoon.

The ache behind my eyes sharpened. I rolled my shoulders, trying to ease the tension creeping into my neck. Maybe it wasn't the champagne. Maybe it was the weight of what tonight had changed.

My vision blurred—just for a second.

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. 

Pull over. 

Just for a minute.

I pressed the brake.

Nothing.

I frowned and pressed harder. The pedal sank uselessly beneath my foot.

“No—no, no,” I whispered.

The car began to fishtail, tires screaming as they fought the ice. The world spun sideways. My stomach lurched. I tried to correct, hands jerking the wheel, but the road was gone—nothing but white and black and the sickening knowledge that I was no longer in control.

The impact was brutal.

Metal screamed as the car slammed into a tree. My body surged forward, the air knocked from my lungs in a sharp, burning gasp. The airbags exploded with bone-jarring force, slamming into my face and chest. Pain ripped through my ribs, stealing my breath, leaving me dizzy and gasping.

For a moment, everything was silent.

Then the cold seeped in.

My hands shook as I fumbled for my phone, fingers numb and clumsy. The screen was spider-webbed with cracks.

“Nine-one-one,” I breathed. Nothing. I cleared my throat and spoke louder. "Nine-one-one."

The screen lit up.

But a sudden sound made my head snap up.

Footsteps.

Three figures emerged from the trees, all in black with ski masks hiding their faces, and they headed straight for my car.

My blood turned to ice.

This wasn’t just an accident.

One of them raised a hammer and brought it down hard against the window. Glass shattered inward, spraying across my lap. Cold air rushed in, sharp and biting. A gloved hand grabbed my coat, fingers digging into the fabric at my throat. Another reached inside, unlocking the door.

“Out. Now.”

I didn’t argue. I couldn’t.

I stumbled from the car and dropped to my knees in the snow, the cold burning through my gown instantly. My chest ached with every breath.

The biggest man—the Muscle—grabbed the back of my head while the shortest, leanest one—the Brain—lifted his phone and angled it toward my face.

"It's her. Valentine Sutton," the Brain said calmly, stepping closer. "She's wearing the necklace like she said." He pocketed the phone, his eyes drifting to the car. "Looks like Mario did a fine job on your brakes. Not perfect though—you're still alive."

“What are you talking about— What are you going to do to me—” My words tangled, useless.

"You've pissed off a lot of people, Valentine," the Brain said. "We're here to make sure that stops. With you gone, everybody's happy."

Panic surged, hot and dizzying. “I can pay you. I can pay you whatever you want. Just let me go—please.”

They laughed.

“You carrying a million dollars on you?” the fattest one, clearly a tag-along meant to keep watch—the Scout—asked. "Like sitting in a vault or somethin'."

“No,” I said quickly. “But I will. When I’m CEO—”

The Muscle yanked my hair back, pain flaring across my scalp. “You’re talking about your future while we’re holding your present. What do you take us for—fools?"

The Brain checked his phone. “Hey, enough talking. You know what to do. Make it look like an attack. So the cops can blame that serial killer everyone’s so afraid of.”

"No, no, no," I pleaded. "Please, don't do this!"

Hands closed around my arms.

I screamed as they dragged me toward the nearest tree. The car’s headlights faded with each step. The trees drew closer, and the space around me tightened as they pulled me farther from the road.