Chapter 1

"So, where did she go?" Ethan Stone asked, swirling the amber liquid in his glass.

The party around him was a loud celebration of his victory, the final seal on a deal that made him the undisputed king of the city's tech scene. But a strange silence had fallen over his corner of the penthouse.

Liam Foster, his business partner, looked out at the glittering city lights. He didn't turn to face Ethan. "She left."

"Left? Left and went where?" Ethan's voice held a note of irritation. He didn't like loose ends. Ava Clark was a loose end.

"Her job was done, Ethan," Liam said, his voice quiet but sharp. "The deal is signed. You have Scarlett back. The agreement is fulfilled. She's free."

Ethan scoffed. "Free? It was a hundred favors. A silly game she invented after she ruined my laptop." He took a long drink. "She was useful, I'll give her that."

Liam finally turned, his eyes cold. "She was your fiancée for six months, Ethan. She stood by you when everyone thought this deal would bankrupt you. She took all the hits for you."

"She was a stand-in," Ethan said flatly. "A placeholder. And she knew it."

The memory was still fresh, just a week old. The ink on the deal was barely dry when Scarlett Hayes, his childhood sweetheart, had walked back into his life.

He remembered the look on Ava's face. They had been in his office, the city spread out below them. He had just told her he was thinking of making their engagement real. He'd seen a flicker of something in her usually guarded eyes, something soft and hopeful.

He'd almost believed it himself.

Then his phone had buzzed. A text from Scarlett. "I'm back."

That was all it took.

Ethan had turned back to Ava, the soft moment gone, replaced by cold, hard reality. "Scarlett's back," he'd said, not even bothering to soften the blow. "So we're done here."

"Done?" Ava's voice was a whisper.

"The engagement, this whole charade," he'd clarified, waving a hand dismissively. "It's over. I don't need a substitute anymore. The real thing is here."

The public humiliation came two days later, at the party he threw to welcome Scarlett home. He'd made Ava come. It was one of her last "favors."

He stood on a small stage, Scarlett glittering at his side, and pointed directly at Ava, who was standing near the back, trying to be invisible. "I want to thank everyone for coming," Ethan had announced, his voice booming through the speakers. "And I want to clear up a misunderstanding. This woman," he said, his finger still aimed at Ava, "was never my fiancée. She was a helper. An assistant I hired to play a part."

The crowd murmured. He could feel their eyes, a mix of pity and scorn, all directed at Ava.

"She owed me a debt," Ethan continued, enjoying the power. "A karma debt, if you will. And now, it's almost paid. A few more tasks, and she'll be out of my life for good. Now, let's raise a glass to the real love of my life, Scarlett Hayes!"

He remembered Liam rushing to Ava's side afterward, his face a mask of fury. Liam had offered to take her home, to get her away from the prying eyes.

But Ava had refused. She had squared her small shoulders and walked right up to Ethan, her face pale but her eyes steady.

He had expected tears, maybe anger. He got neither.

"There are still three favors left," she said, her voice completely level. "The agreement isn't finished. Tell me what you want, so I can be done."