Chapter 1

The juiciest scandal of the year at Kaverton University was the leaked sex tape of Elizabeth Fisher from the Art Department. The video had been filmed in the presidential suite of a five-star hotel. Elizabeth was completely naked, pressed against the floor-to-ceiling window by a man a full head taller than her. The sounds of their bodies moving in sync echoed steadily through the room. When they finished, the man leaned close to her ear and murmured, "Good girl." That phrase hit the group chat like a bomb, sending shockwaves across campus. "That voice… No way! Is that Daniel?" "Elizabeth's got serious game if she landed one of the university's board members. No wonder all the girls who used to bully her suddenly shut up." "I always thought Elizabeth was some innocent girl. Turns out she's a calculating bitch—like mother, like daughter." When the news reached Elizabeth, she was in her dorm, knitting a scarf for Daniel Woolridge. Her roommate blasted the video at full volume, passing the phone around with a mocking grin. She stretched her voice in exaggerated glee. "Elizabeth, you're moaning like a pro. How much practice have you had?" Laughter exploded around the room. Elizabeth froze, her face draining of color. The half-finished scarf slipped from her hands as she bolted out the door. She stumbled to Daniel's office, desperate to confront him, to ask what was going on. But just as she reached the door, she heard a voice inside—sarcastic and biting. "Daniel, you didn't leave Elizabeth a shred of dignity, huh? You made sure her face was crystal clear in the video. She doesn't even have a chance to deny it." Elizabeth's mind went blank. A deafening roar filled her ears as cold dread swept through her body. "She brought it on herself. Messing with the woman Daniel loves most? She got what she deserved." "Yeah, poor Daniel. Not only did he have to spread rumors about Elizabeth's mom being a homewrecker, but he also had to play the hero, pretending to protect her from bullies and acting like he was madly in love." "By the way, Daniel, when are you planning to tell her the truth? If she finds out the guy she's been in love with is actually her future brother-in-law, she's going to pass out on the spot!" Daniel lounged on the couch, looking utterly at ease, a cigarette dangling between his fingers as he tapped the ashes into the tray. His face was unreadable behind a thin haze of smoke. Noticing the silence, one of his friends quickly added, "Feeling sorry for her? Don't forget that she went all out to get Cheryl exiled abroad for two whole years. Do you think we should just let her off the hook after that? Cheryl was starving and freezing out there!" At the mention of Cheryl Fisher, Daniel finally stirred. He stubbed out the cigarette and said calmly, "We'll wait until Cheryl's back. That day also happens to be a special anniversary that Elizabeth has been looking forward to. I'll give her a little 'surprise.' She'll pay back everything she owes Cheryl." Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat. Through the smoke, her eyes locked onto Daniel's cold, sharp profile. Something inside her cracked wide open. The pain in her chest nearly knocked her off her feet. So, all those disgusting rumors about her mother—they'd come from him? His affection—his protection, it had all been part of his revenge. The woman he truly loved was Cheryl, her half-sister. She couldn't bear to hear another word. Heart pounding, she turned and fled, stumbling blindly down the hallway. But she didn't get far. A group of girls stepped into her path. "Well, well, look who it is. The star of the sex tape!" "Just came out of his office—what, couldn't wait to offer yourself up again?" Elizabeth's face turned ghostly pale. She tried to push past them, but they shoved her back and forth like a toy. Then, suddenly, Daniel's low, icy voice cut through the chaos. "Laying a finger on Elizabeth right in front of me? You must have a death wish." No one knew when Daniel had left his office, but now his tall, broad-shouldered figure was striding calmly toward them. The girls scattered like startled birds the moment they saw him. Daniel walked up to Elizabeth and gently smoothed her windblown hair. As he bent down and looked into her eyes, his fingers brushed lightly across her cheek. "Didn't I tell you? If anyone messes with you again, just say my name." The sharp, acrid smell of tobacco assaulted Elizabeth's senses, instantly irritating her eyes and making her throat feel tight and scratchy. The Daniel standing before her blurred with the one from her memories—the man who had protected her time and time again. It felt like a dream from another life. Back when her mother, Julia Bennett, had taken her own life, her father, Samson Fisher, had gone back to his first love, Wanda Payne, leaving Elizabeth in a home where she wasn't quite an orphan—but it sure felt like one. Then the rumors began to spread at school that Julia had been a mistress, and that Cheryl was the rightful daughter of the Fisher family. As "the mistress' daughter", bullying became her daily reality. It was Daniel who had pulled her out of that hell. With nothing more than the weight of his name as a board member, he carved out a small, warm corner of the world just for her. Just yesterday, on Daniel's birthday, the two of them had slept together, tipsy from too much wine. That night, Daniel had shed his usual refined, aloof image and pinned her against the floor-to-ceiling window with a hunger that left her trembling from nerves and fear. In that moment, when he took her for the first time, Elizabeth had felt like a lost bird finally finding its way home. She had no idea that "home" was nothing more than a carefully laid trap. Her mind swirled in a daze. By the time she came back to her senses, Daniel was already leading her out of the administration building. She slid into the front passenger seat of his car without a word.