Chapter 1

Emily Powell was the quintessential goody-two-shoes. The wildest thing she'd ever done was sleep with her fiance's best friend. The door to the presidential suite on the 72nd floor of the Ivory Hotel clicked open. A large, veined hand yanked Emily inside before she could react. "Em, when will you call off the engagement?" Ezra Newman murmured, his lips brushing against her earlobe. Despite his tentative tone, his arms held her tightly. Emily leaned weakly against the floor-to-ceiling window. "Ezra, just a little longer…" Ezra's shoulders shrugged impatiently as he lifted her skirt. "I can't wait anymore. I want you all to myself. To be with you every moment. Can you really live with me as your secret lover forever?" Tears blurred Emily's vision. She had never imagined Ezra as a mere secret. Emily, the eldest daughter of the Powell family, was often overlooked. Three years ago, she had been a pawn in an arranged marriage for social climbing. Her half-sister, Clara Powell, was relentless in sabotage, even once drugging her to frame her. And it was Ezra who saved her. He respected her and loved her. How could she bear for Ezra to remain her secret lover forever? Emily had told her fiance, Tristan Walker, she wanted to end their engagement. Once her father, Alan Powell, gave the final approval, she could be with Ezra officially. But she planned to tell Ezra only when everything was certain—she didn't want to raise his hopes in vain. "Ezra, give me more time. I love you too," Emily kissed him gently, trying to soothe him. "How long?" "Give me a month, okay?" Ezra was silent. Worried he was upset, Emily turned—only to feel his grip tighten around her waist. Suddenly, he bit her shoulder hard. She bit back her pain. "Em, you're mine. I've marked you. You can't escape me." His husky voice sent shivers down her spine. She felt her pleasure building up to its peak. She raised her aching legs higher, hoping to please him. "I'd never leave you. You're the only one I love. I belong to you…" Ezra was an extremely busy man. He could only accompany her on Friday nights because he spent the rest of his time fighting Adrian Newman for the family fortune. They clung to each other through the night, desire thick in the air. At dawn, Emily stirred and saw Ezra already dressed, clasping his cufflinks. She reached for a royal blue velvet box in her bag and pulled out the sapphire cufflinks she'd picked for him. With practiced hands, she replaced his. "I'll see you tonight. Don't wear yourself out. I'd feel bad." Ezra smiled, brushing his fingers gently against her swollen lips. "Em, once you break off your engagement, I'll come to your house and ask you to marry me, okay?" Emily paused briefly before wrapping her arms tightly around Ezra, nodding happily. After Ezra left, she caught a little more sleep. By the time she woke up, it was already afternoon. There were several missed calls from Alan, but she didn't bother to call back. She surmised that her father was furious after Tristan proposed calling off their engagement. After freshening up, Emily checked out of the hotel. She decided to head to Newman Group to see Ezra. In the lobby, she overheard guests chatting about last night's stock market drama in the energy sector. Walker Corporation and Newman Group came up, but she paid no mind. Emily parked her car under the tree to the left of Newman Group. She didn't want to attract any unwanted attention, as it was best that they kept their relationship a secret. She was about to give Ezra a call when she looked up and spotted him outside the building. She opened the car door so she could run over to greet him, but the words "Bluetooth Connected" flickered across the center display. Suddenly, the screen lit up with an incoming call from "Sweetheart". Emily was taken aback for a few seconds. By then, Ezra had already answered the call. Ezra's voice filled the car, sounding unusually pleased. "Clara, your plan worked perfectly. Tristan took Emily's call last night and missed a crucial meeting with Marcus Knott. "Now the Walkers are stuck overseas! Adrian and Tristan made a bet—the loser has to exit Arton's energy market for good. "The result was clear last night. We Newmans won. Adrian promised to give me 24% of the company shares. He'll be CEO, I'll be vice CEO, and we'll run Newman Group together." Clara's sweet voice teased, "Ez, how will you thank me?" Ezra chuckled. "Do you want to be Adrian's wife or mine? Your choice!" Ezra smiled as he waved at Emily from the building. He sounded extremely smug and somewhat flippant on the call. It was a stark contrast to his gentle smile. Emily didn't catch Clara's answer, and the call suddenly ended. Ezra didn't come to the car but sent a text about Newman Group's celebration banquet held that night. What had he meant? How did her call cause Tristan to miss that meeting? Emily's mind was a mess. She felt hollow inside, and her heart ached slightly. Trembling, she scrolled through her call log and found a ten-minute international call from 10:00 pm last night—when she was definitely with Ezra. A chilling realization gripped her, making it hard for her to breathe. She played the recording. The first thing she heard was Tristan saying, "Hey, Emily. What's up?" Then came a series of embarrassing sounds. Of course, she knew right away those were the sounds of her and Ezra making love. Emily couldn't move at all. Her mind went numb. Ezra had sabotaged Tristan, making the call from her phone so Tristan would overhear their intimacy. Emily threw her phone on the seat and buried her face, crying uncontrollably. Humiliation, shock, and betrayal crushed her. She wanted to confront Ezra, but memories flooded her mind. Three years ago, at a banquet, Clara drugged her. Trembling in a storage room, she was saved by Ezra, who wrapped his cedar-scented blazer around her and took her back to her villa. It was Emily's first time. The drug had overwhelmed her completely, making it hard for her to control herself. The antidote was ineffective. She wrapped her arms around Ezra and begged him to help her. Blushing, he'd undone his shirt buttons. That night, they slept together. The next day, Ezra held Emily in his arms as he vowed to take responsibility. But at that time, she was already engaged. "I'm already engaged to Tristan. Thank you for last night. Let's pretend it never happened." Tristan wasn't just anybody. He had been Ezra's best friend since childhood. Emily thought the madness had ended. But a week later, a drunken Ezra appeared, wrapping his arms around her. "To tell you the truth, I fell in love with you the moment I first saw you at the banquet. I want to take responsibility. Em, please don't leave me…" Emily was completely shaken. No one had called her "Em" since her mother, Barbara King, died. Ever since her mother, Barbara King, passed away, no one called her Em again. After Barbara's funeral, Alan remarried Julie Snow and brought Clara home. She was only a few months younger than Emily. Lowering her eyes, Emily said firmly, "No way. I don't want to ruin your friendship with Tristan." Ezra lifted her chin and kissed away her tears. "I'm willing to be your secret lover, even if it means betraying my best friend. Since your wedding won't happen for another three years, I'll work hard to establish myself in Arton's energy industry. When the time comes, I'll think of something." Three years passed in a blur. Now, with leverage to end her engagement, Emily discovered Ezra had used her all along. Just then, Tristan's call came through. He sounded exhausted. "I'm sorry, Emily. Grandpa suddenly fell critically ill. With the company's stocks plummeting like crazy, I can't call off our engagement yet." "Tristan, I'm sorry…" Emily covered her tear-filled eyes. "If you're still up for it, the wedding next month goes on as planned." "I'm up for it, Emily."