Chapter 1

Olivia Clark was an art student, which meant paint was a permanent part of her wardrobe. It lived on her worn-out jeans and under her fingernails. She was in love with Liam Harrison, a charming musician who was trying to make it big. He worked as a janitor in the mansion owned by her wealthy friend, Chloe.

He told her he came from a modest background, a life that was the complete opposite of Chloe's. When he talked about his music, his eyes burned with passion. He wanted to make it, to give Olivia the world.

They had a secret.

Their world was a small, abandoned art studio in the mansion. It was dusty and windowless, a forgotten room where they could escape everyone else. They met there, again and again, the cramped single bed becoming their private universe. Olivia kept a mental count of their secret meetings, a silly game that felt important. Ninety-nine times.

He seemed to love the secrecy, the stolen moments.

"Anything for you," he would whisper, his breath warm against her ear. "It' s worth it."

He swore to her, "When I make enough money to get you a mansion like this, I'll marry you."

His words were fuel. They pushed her forward. Liam didn't know, but Olivia had taken on eight, sometimes nine, different odd jobs. She wasn't saving for a mansion. She was saving for a cutting-edge artificial cochlear implant. He had told her his hearing loss was congenital, a part of him since birth, and she was determined to give him the best technology money could buy.

One evening, she was working a shift at an exclusive restaurant, her hands deep in soapy water as she scrubbed dishes. She looked up and saw Liam. He was supposed to be at the mansion, cleaning. Instead, he was here, flashing a platinum credit card, buying a round of drinks for a table of friends. The bill would easily top a hundred thousand dollars.

Olivia was sent to clean the private room next to theirs. The wall was thin, and their voices carried through as if they were in the room with her.

"Mr. Harrison, how long are you going to keep playing with that little maid of yours? She' d probably cry herself to death if she knew you' re worth billions and don' t spend a dime on her."

Another voice, slick with amusement, chimed in.

"You don't get it. Liam's just messing with Chloe. She' s been getting close to her driver lately, so Liam' s deliberately hooking up with her maid to see who caves first."

"Otherwise, why would a guy like Liam even look at that cheap piece of trash?"

"Still, you have to hand it to our Mr. Harrison. He's such a romantic. He' d even work as Chloe' s bodyguard just to be near her. That's impressive."

"But seriously, how' s that little maid in bed? Is she any good?"

The words hit her, one after another. They were talking about her. Liam was silent, letting them mock her, letting their crude jokes hang in the air.

It all clicked into place. The man she thought was just like her, a worker in Chloe' s massive household, was one of the city's wealthiest heirs. He wasn't staying close to the mansion for her. He was doing it for Chloe. He had played with her feelings, used her body, all because she was disposable. She was just a pawn in his game with Chloe, no more important than the driver Chloe was interested in. They were ants, and he and his friends were ready to crush them for sport.

She walked back to the kitchen in a daze. She looked down and saw a deep gash on her hand. Blood was dripping onto the floor, staining the white tiles. She felt like her life force was draining out of her with every drop.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. Then she pulled out her phone and called her academic advisor.

"I' d like to apply for the exchange program in Europe," she said. Her voice shook, no matter how hard she tried to keep it steady. "Please, give me this chance."

Her advisor sounded surprised on the other end of the line.

"Olivia, are you sure? This research project is very demanding. You won't be able to come home or see your family for at least five years. Didn' t you tell me your boyfriend has a disability and you couldn' t bear to leave him?"

A billionaire with a supposed hearing impairment. He would have countless people lining up to take care of him. He didn't need her.

"I've made up my mind," Olivia said, her voice firm now. "I' m going to Europe."

"That' s wonderful!" the advisor said, her tone brightening. "I was so worried you' d pass up such a fantastic opportunity. I'll submit your application right away. Your flight is booked for two weeks from today."

She added, "If you' re really worried about your boyfriend, you can give me his number. I can check in on him from time to time."

Olivia glanced at the online order for the hearing aid on her phone screen. A bitter smile touched her lips.

"It' s okay. You don' t need to bother. We' re breaking up."

After her shift ended, Olivia collected her final paycheck and quit.

When she got back to the mansion, Liam was waiting for her in their studio.

"Why are you so late?" he asked, his brow furrowed with concern. He reached for her hand. "Olivia, what happened to your hand? You look terrible lately. What have you been doing?"

Olivia pulled her hand away before he could inspect the cut.

"Just busy with graduation stuff."

Liam seemed to lose interest in her answer. He turned and pulled a small, expensive-looking bottle of serum from his backpack. A proud smile spread across his face.

"I bought this for you when I got paid today. I heard all the girls love this stuff. Do you like it?"