Chapter 1 Into the Chaos

I had been with the gang leader, Blake Sullivan, for a decade. The day he left the underworld, his men took someone else as his girlfriend. He used the same hands, which had once held weapons and harmed people, to help her into a pair of shoes. "Zoey, she's different from you. You can be in this mess with me without a title, but that's not the case for her." I walked on without looking back that day. Blake wasn't aware, but my family knew I hadn't been thinking straight. As such, they had arranged for a good man so that I could marry him. The day Blake decided to wash his hands of the underworld, we had sex for the entire night. I stared at the bra that had been shredded into pieces, and I was speechless. "Blake, is the world ending or something?" The thirst in his eyes almost convinced me we wouldn't live to see tomorrow. After a passionate night, he lit a cigarette. His eyes were half-closed, lost in a haze of smoke and satisfaction. "Zoey, if I cut things off with you, you won't go off the rails and threaten to die, right?" The way he bit down on his cigarette made it sound like a joke, but every word froze me to the bone. I had known Blake for ten years, so I knew him better than anyone. He liked obedient women who also had a rebellious streak. Just like now, I took the remaining half of the cigarette from his fingers. I held back the emotions welling up in me and arched an eyebrow lazily. "Blake, do you still see me as that 18-year-old young lady?" If Blake had walked away from me when I was still that 18-year-old young lady in sneakers, I would have stormed into his turf without hesitation like my life didn't matter. However, I was 28 now. I choked up, and the rest of the words were caught in my throat. Blake came close, ruffled my hair, and stubbed out the cigarette that nearly burned his fingers. "Zoey, let's just end it here. We should quit smoking. We shouldn't treat our bodies like they're disposable. We're not kids anymore, and we can't keep living like this." At that moment, I was completely stunned. Breaking up at 28… The first one to cry would lose everything. My makeup was smudged, and I looked miserable. I forced a casual smile, reached under the bed for my jacket, and turned to leave. However, Blake hooked his long arm around me, pulling me straight back into his embrace. Outside, the clouds were thick and dark, and rain was pouring. The storm was about to break. Blake kissed my back, then adjusted my dress strap like it was second nature to him. Then, like he used to, he nipped gently at my earlobe and murmured, "Got it?" I didn't answer, but he didn't press further. He spoke like he had full control over me. "It's going to rain soon. Just stay a little longer, yeah?" We had spent a decade smoothing things over until it seemed like everything was fine. Blake must have forgotten that my temper was never an act. When I cut someone off, I cut clean. I straightened my back and pushed his good-looking face away. Then I gave him a faint smile. "How long do you think this rain will last?" If there was already someone else in his heart, how long did he think he could keep me around? For a split second, Blake's brow twitched, but he pulled himself together in an instant. He just briefly introduced that woman. "Zoey, you're not dumb. Her name's Lily Hawkins, and she's different from you. You can be in this mess with me without a title, but that's not the case for her. She's just way too innocent." I swallowed hard. I looked down at the mess around me and suddenly didn't know how to respond. What the hell did he mean by I could stay without a title? Pantyhose, stilettos, and slip dresses. For years, Blake dressed me in clothes that suited his taste. Now that I had gotten used to being the sultry woman, he suddenly found it cheap. At that moment, I wanted to ask him why, but he pressed a finger to his lips, signaling me to stay quiet. It was a call from that woman, Lily. "Blake, didn't you say you were coming to pick me up? I'm by myself, and I'm really scared…"