Chapter 1

Zach Cole lost a fortune playing high-stakes poker against Ian Mercer.

He threw in every last cent he had on him, but it still wasn't enough to clear his debt.

Someone in the room jokingly suggested using me―his loyal sidekick who had been hopelessly in love with him for seven years―as collateral.

Without a second thought, Zach agreed and pushed me straight into Ian's arms.

I begged him through tears not to hand me over to another man.

He just sneered, "You claim you love me, don't you? Then you do whatever the hell I tell you to do."

"Besides, a billionaire like Ian will get tired of you in no time. You can come crawling back once he's done."

What Zach never saw coming was that Ian would soon become his big boss.

And I became the boss's wife.

1.

Inside a sprawling luxury penthouse in downtown Seattle, a group of wealthy young socialites gathered around a poker table.

"Fuck! My luck is total garbage tonight. Lost again!"

Zach slammed his cards down in frustration.

I sat right beside him, completely clueless about poker, but seeing how much cash he was hemorrhaging, I quietly pushed my own stack of bills toward him.

He scowled and violently shoved my hand away.

"Get your hands off my chips! You're ruining my mojo."

Sitting on his other side, Trina Hollis let out a mocking laugh.

"Oh, Nora, don't you know anything? You can't use someone else's money at a card table―it jinxes your entire run."

The whole room erupted into loud laughter.

"Haha, you can tell this chick has never seen a real game in her life."

"Since when did your taste get so basic, Zach? Dragging a clueless plain Jane here?"

"LMAO, she looks so lost it's pathetic."

Everyone laughed at my expense, and Trina wore a smug grin of victory.

Zach looked at me with pure disgust and snapped, "Go sit somewhere else."

Burning with embarrassment, I pushed my chair back to leave.

"If you're here to play cards, play," a deep, commanding voice suddenly cut through the noise. "Cut the crap and shut your mouths."

The man sitting at the head of the table finally spoke.

The moment I walked in tonight, he was the first person I noticed.

He wore a crisp white designer shirt, his dark hair falling effortlessly over a chiseled, aristocratic jawline.

He looked like a cold, untouchable modern prince.

Zach had mentioned earlier that his name was Ian Mercer, the heir to an elite empire, someone half the city desperately tried to butter up.

Zach had only crossed paths with him once at a charity gala.

Tonight, Ian had hosted an exclusive poker night and tossed Zach an invitation.

Zach showed up eager to kiss his ass and score some lucrative business deals.

And because I loved Zach, I followed him everywhere like a shadow.

I never expected to end up as the laughingstock of the room.