Chapter 1

Ethan Prescott signed the last page. The lawyer from Life Erase Inc. watched him. "Everything is in order, Mr. Prescott." The man’s voice was flat, like his gray suit. "The 'sailing accident' off Montauk is scheduled. Twenty-eight days." Ethan nodded. He felt nothing. Or maybe he felt too much. "The payment has cleared." "Excellent. We pride ourselves on discretion and success." Ethan stood. The office was too clean, too quiet. Like a tomb.

He was at a charity gala in the Hamptons later that night. His penthouse apartment felt empty before, so he came here. Izzy Rossi was on his arm. She looked perfect. A designer dress he’d bought. Jewels he’d chosen. Prescott Holdings sponsored this table. Prime view of the stage. He sipped champagne. It tasted like ash. Izzy smiled at someone across the room. A polite, distant smile. The kind she always gave.

Later, in the limo, she unpinned a diamond clip from her hair. She placed it carefully in its velvet box. "A successful evening, Ethan." Her voice was professional. Like an assistant reporting to her boss. She turned to him, her eyes cool. "Shall we head back to your place?" It was part of the routine. Part of their "arrangement." Three years of this. He usually said yes. Tonight, he said, "No." She paused, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. Just a flicker. "Are you sure? The contract specifies..." "I'm tired, Izzy." He cut her off. "I know what the contract specifies. Companionship. Intimacy. I paid for it." Her face tightened slightly. "Yes. You cleared my family's medical debts. Five hundred thousand dollars. I agreed to your terms." "And I'm not requesting your services tonight." She looked out the window. Manhattan's lights blurred past. "As you wish."

She picked up her phone. Her fingers flew across the screen. "Project Nightingale needs me. A server issue." Project Nightingale. Her social justice app. Her baby. He knew it was her passion. He also knew Liam Vance, her childhood friend, was involved. He imagined her talking to Liam, animated, excited. Not the cool professional he got. The thought was a dull ache.

He wanted to say something. Something real. "Izzy, about us..." She glanced at him, impatient. "Can it wait, Ethan? This is critical." He swallowed the words. "Right. Business before pleasure." She didn't catch the bitterness in his tone. Or didn't care. The limo pulled up to her modest Queens apartment building. She was out of the car in a second. "Goodnight, Ethan." No backward glance.

He watched her go. Alone in the vast, silent car, he finally spoke. "Goodbye, Izzy." He knew she wouldn't hear. It wasn't for her anyway. It was for him. A promise.

He remembered the day it all began. Three years ago. NYU. She was a brilliant scholarship student. Her father was dying. The medical bills were crushing her family. He’d seen her desperation. He’d seen an opportunity. He was Ethan Prescott. He always got what he wanted. He’d offered her a deal. A contract. Her family's salvation for her companionship. He’d hoped she would fall in love with him. She hadn't. She’d just fulfilled her obligations. With cold, perfect precision.

Then, the polo accident. Six months ago. A stupid fall. A sharp pain. Darkness. And then the vision. Hyper-real. Terrifying. He saw his life. A cheap novel. Izzy's app, Project Nightingale, would launch in 28 days. Massive success. She’d pay him back immediately. Every penny. Then she’d leave him. For Liam Vance. Her true love. He, Ethan Prescott, the villainous ex, would become unhinged. Harass them. Drink. And die in a fiery car crash. A "drunk driving accident." Everyone would believe it. A pathetic end. The vision seared into his brain.

He’d tried to dismiss it. A concussion-induced nightmare. But small things from the vision started happening. Tiny details. Unsettling coincidences. Then Izzy mentioned a breakthrough with Project Nightingale. "We're on track for a beta launch in about a month," she’d said, a rare spark of excitement in her voice. Exactly 28 days. The cold dread had solidified in his gut. He wasn't going to be a disposable character. He wouldn't follow their script. He would write his own ending. That’s when he found Life Erase Inc. Survival. That was his new motivation. Even if it meant giving up Izzy. Giving up everything.