Chapter 1

Everyone in Harborlyn said Lila Wynn would be the perfect wife that all men wanted. She was gorgeous enough to steal a man's breath, yet she was gentle and soft. Dominic Steele had made headlines with 99 different scandals. It was always his fiancee, Lila, who stepped in to deal with the fallout. The first time, Dominic got caught seeing a rookie model. Lila was burning up with a fever, yet she still forced herself out of bed late at night and had someone get rid of the trending topic. The third time, Dominic was cornered at a hotel with an up-and-coming actress. Lila had just undergone surgery for appendicitis. She bit down on the pain and went to handle the reporters. The ninth time, on the day of Lila's mother, Melanie Norman's funeral, Dominic celebrated his mistress' birthday. With tears streaming down her face, Lila drafted and released a statement to clarify the misunderstanding for him. And then came the 100th scandal. This time, the woman in Dominic's bed was someone Lila had loved and protected for 20 years. Lila shook so hard she could barely stand. "Pearl Wynn, he's my fiance! He's your future brother-in-law! How could you get into his bed? Have you no shame?" Pearl nestled against Dominic's chest and let out a mocking laugh. "Brother-in-law? Please! You two aren't even married. Who knows if he'll ever actually marry you? If you can't keep him, that's on you. Don't come screaming at me about it." Lila let out a low, incredulous laugh and turned to the man who hadn't said a single word. "Dominic, of all the women throwing themselves at you, why did it have to be my sister?" Dominic showed not a hint of embarrassment at being caught. He smiled, amused. "She looks a lot like you. I didn't notice at first." He might as well have said he'd mistaken Pearl for her. But a second later, mischief flickered in his eyes. "Still, she's a lot more enthusiastic in bed than you are. You just lie there like a corpse." The blood drained from Lila's face. Heat roared in her veins, a mix of humiliation and rage. Pearl's cheeks flushed. She gave his chest a playful punch. "You're awful. How could you say that in front of my sister?" Dominic only chuckled. "Oh, now you're shy? You were the one begging me not to stop just now. Or am I remembering wrong?" "If you keep talking like that, I won't talk to you anymore," she huffed. "Alright, alright. I'll behave," he said, teasing her a moment longer before he realized that Lila was still in the room. His smile faded just a little as he said, "This time, you don't need to do any damage control. The scion of the Hawthorne family refuses to end his engagement with Pearl and keeps pestering her. Since I accidentally took her first time, I'll chase off that nuisance for her. Think of it as compensation." Lila sucked in a sharp breath and stared at him, stunned. "You're helping her get rid of a nuisance, but have you ever thought about me? What would others say about me?" Lila had barely finished speaking when Dominic cut in, impatience flashing across his face. "You're good at handling rumors. Spinning this won't be hard for you. "And Pearl is your sister. Are you really so heartless that you'd just stand there and watch that useless rich brat keep bothering her? "Come on. I'm just doing Pearl a favor. Once she's shaken that idiot off, I'll marry you." He didn't give Lila a chance to say no. He simply wrapped an arm around Pearl and walked out with her. The door slammed shut. Lila stood where she was, her face as pale as a sheet. Five years ago, her father, Kevin Wynn, had agreed to the marriage alliance between the Hawthornes and the Steeles. Back then, the Hawthorne family had been one of the top families in Harborlyn. The Steeles were only just starting their climb. Pearl had wanted the higher branch, so she chose the Hawthornes first. She had done everything she could to win Ethan Hawthorne over, even followed him overseas for studies. It had taken years for her to finally secure that engagement. Now, she was back from abroad, and she saw how the Steele family was poised to become the most powerful name in Harborlyn. And suddenly, Pearl regretted her choice. She wanted out of the engagement with Ethan, but he refused. Hence, she got into Dominic's bed. The Wynns' engagement arrangements with the Hawthornes and the Steeles were already written in stone. If Pearl backed out, the one who would be sent to marry into the Hawthornes would be Lila. Lila knew how sharp Dominic was in business. There was no way he didn't understand that. He knew exactly what it meant, but he still went ahead and did this. He'd chosen to trample her dignity in front of everyone.