Chapter 2

The plane descended over a glittering, endless New York City.

Lily pressed her face against the window, captivated.

"Wow, Mommy! It' s so big!"

I held her small hand, my own clammy.

First-class. It felt alien.

Ethan' s money was everywhere, even in this. A reminder of the chasm between his life and mine.

A sleek black car waited for us, a silent driver holding a sign with my name.

The hotel was opulent, a palace of marble and gold.

Our suite was larger than our entire apartment.

Lily ran around, exploring, her laughter echoing slightly.

I felt a knot tighten in my chest. This wasn' t my world.

Ethan was supposed to meet us here, according to Eleanor' s email.

A soft knock on the door.

My heart leaped.

I opened it, and there he was.

Ethan Vance.

Older, lines around his eyes I didn' t remember, but still him.

Still the man who had been my guardian, my secret teenage obsession, the man who had coldly exiled me.

His eyes, a startling blue, widened almost imperceptibly when he saw Lily, who peeked out from behind my legs.

"Sarah," he said, his voice deeper than I recalled.

He looked from me to Lily, a flicker of something unreadable in his gaze. Confusion?

"This is…?"

"This is my daughter, Lily," I said, my voice even. I pulled Lily forward gently. "Lily, this is Mr. Vance."

Lily, usually shy with strangers, offered a small, hesitant wave.

Ethan' s gaze lingered on Lily, then returned to me.

"I wasn' t aware… you were married."

It wasn' t a question, more a statement, a conclusion he' d jumped to.

I didn' t correct him. Let him think what he wanted.

"It' s been a long time, Ethan."

"Indeed." He seemed to recover quickly, the polished CEO persona clicking back into place. "Welcome to New York. I trust your journey was comfortable."

"It was, thank you." The words felt stiff, formal.

Then, a voice from behind him, smooth as silk, sharp as glass.

"Ethan, darling? Are you going to invite your guest in?"

Victoria Sterling. Or Victoria Vance, now.

She glided into view, every inch the society queen.

Perfectly coiffed blonde hair, a dress that probably cost more than my annual income, a smile that didn' t reach her cold, assessing eyes.

Her gaze swept over me, lingering on my simple dress, then dropped to Lily.

A tiny, almost imperceptible sneer.

"So this is Sarah," Victoria said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "And her… little one. How charming."

Lily instinctively pressed closer to my leg.

"Victoria, this is Sarah Miller. And her daughter, Lily," Ethan said, a touch of formality in his tone.

"A pleasure," Victoria purred, extending a perfectly manicured hand.

Her handshake was brief, cool.

"Ethan has told me so much about you," she lied.

I doubted Ethan spoke of me at all.

"It' s… nice to meet you," I managed.

"The gala is tonight," Ethan interjected, perhaps sensing the immediate frost. "A car will pick you up at seven. Eleanor has arranged for a sitter for Lily, if you wish."

"Thank you, but Lily will be with me," I said firmly. I wasn' t leaving her with a stranger in this city, in this situation.

Victoria raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "At the gala? It' s not really an event for children, Sarah."

Her tone was condescending, a clear dismissal.

"She' ll be fine," I said, meeting her gaze.

Ethan looked uncomfortable. "Of course. As you wish."

He glanced at his watch. "We should be going. We have some final preparations."

He looked at me, a strange intensity in his eyes for a moment. "I' m glad you came, Sarah."

Then he was gone, Victoria' s arm linked through his, her perfume lingering in the air like a warning.

I closed the door, leaning against it, my legs weak.

Lily looked up at me. "Mommy, I don' t like her."

"I know, sweetie," I whispered, pulling her into a hug. "I don' t either."

This was a mistake. A huge, terrifying mistake.