Chapter 1

That night, Maya Reed slogged through the pounding rain to the club where Cole Hale liked to hang out. She paused outside his private room, wrung out her hair, and decided she'd wait until he wrapped up and then surprise him. A teasing voice drifted through the cracked door. "Cole, your wedding to Maya is in a week. Got your big surprise ready?" "Yeah," Cole said in a cool voice warmed by liquor. "I'm going to give her something she'll remember for the rest of her life." Maya's hand stilled in her hair. She couldn't help but smile. For three years, Cole had cherished her like she was the most precious thing in his life. Just then, another man laughed. "If Maya finds out I've been pretending to be you this whole time, she'll lose her mind." "Please." Someone else snorted. "As if she'd ever guess Cole has a twin!" "She always acts so high and mighty. Just wait until she finds out she's been sleeping with Cole's brother for three years. I want a front row seat for that reaction!" Hearing the cruel laughter, Maya froze as her blood ran cold. She couldn't believe what she'd heard. She edged closer and peered through the crack. Cole sat on one end of the couch. Beside him lounged his mirror image, down to the haircut and the tiny mole at the corner of his eye. Carter Hale let out a derisive laugh and lounged lazily against the couch. "She crossed Valerie, and Valerie is the one Cole loves most. This is what she gets! Watching her fall from cloud nine right into hell will make it all worth it!" The same guys who used to butter Maya up whenever she showed up were now sneering at her. "Carter, you did the heavy lifting!" "If I looked like you two, I'd volunteer for that too!" "Right? She's gorgeous. If she goes crazy after the wedding, why not let us have a taste?" "Cole plotted this whole thing for Valerie and never once touched Maya in these three years. What a faithful man!" Cole Hale, Carter Hale, and Valerie Cross... The names whirled in her head until Maya could barely breathe. Her body shook uncontrollably, tears spilling from widened and bloodshot eyes. The love she'd staked her future on was a con—a trap laid to please Valerie, the woman who used to bully her. On those nights she woke up shaking from nightmares of Valerie tormenting her, it was Cole who held her and told her she was safe. When she finally told him what she had been through, he soothed her and arranged for her to see a therapist. She couldn't believe it, nor did she want to believe it. The moments when she felt loved were so vivid. How could they be fake? The conversation inside the suite carried on. "Valerie's flying back next week. Cole, you can stop living on planes every weekend." "I've been acting for three years. Now, I can finally drop the act," Carter said with a smirk. "Every time Cole went abroad, I had to keep Maya company." "You two sound different. Didn't she ever notice?" Carter laughed. "She isn't bright. I lowered my voice and told her I had chronic laryngitis. She bought it and even got up at dawn to make me honey tea." The suite erupted into laughter. "Enough," Cole cut in. "After the wedding, I'll write her a check. She'll be set for life." "Are you going soft?" Someone needled him. Maya's chest tightened. She held her breath and stared at Cole. He gave a scornful laugh. "Not a chance!" "What about you, Carter? After sleeping with her for three years, don't you feel anything?" Carter quickly shook his head. "I'm over it. If you want a go, be my guest." Cole sneered. "Hard pass. She's dirty. "She begged for this wedding. The money is just to keep her from clinging to me. We're on a tight timeline, so get it set. "A week from now, I'll propose to Valerie right after I drop the truth bomb on Maya!"