Chapter 1

The lights were too bright.

They always were at these Thorne Global Security galas.

I stood by Marcus' s side, my smile fixed.

He was the CEO, powerful, ruthless. I was Sarah Miller, his wife. Publicly, an asset.

"Sarah, you look stunning," a senator' s wife said.

"Thank you," I replied, my voice smooth.

Marcus squeezed my arm, a signal. "Darling, Mr. Henderson needs a word with you about the arrangements for the Tokyo investors."

He meant, go handle the difficult business I don' t want to.

Vivian Hayes drifted by, her hand resting on Marcus' s other arm.

She was the widow of his late business partner. Mother of his son, Leo.

Marcus' s eyes softened when he looked at her. They never softened for me.

"Vivian, are you comfortable?" he asked, his voice full of concern. "The crowd isn't too much?"

She gave a small, brave smile. "I'm fine, Marcus. For you."

He beamed.

I excused myself. Mr. Henderson, our head of household staff, was waiting by the entrance to the private lounge.

He had kind eyes. He saw too much.

"Mrs. Thorne," he said, a slight bow. "The call from Tokyo is ready."

I nodded, handling Marcus's business while he coddled Vivian.

Later that week, Lily, my daughter, had a fever. A high one.

The doctor' s appointment was critical.

Marcus called. "Cancel Lily' s appointment."

His voice was flat.

"What? Why, Marcus? She' s really sick."

"Leo has a sniffle. Vivian is worried. I need to be with them. The doctor can see Lily another time."

A sniffle. My daughter had a raging fever.

"Marcus, that' s not fair."

"Life isn't fair, Sarah. Vivian needs support."

He hung up.

I took Lily to the emergency room myself.

The next day, at a company dinner, a junior executive made a harmless joke.

Vivian, sitting beside Marcus, frowned slightly. She said it reminded her of something her late husband used to say, and it made her sad.

Marcus turned cold.

He stood up. "Mr. Davies, your insensitivity is appalling. You' re fired. Security will escort you out."

The man' s face went white.

Marcus put his arm around Vivian. "No one upsets Vivian."

Everyone stared. I felt sick.

I was the rock, they said. The one who endured Marcus' s demanding life.

I was just the one he didn' t care about.

Vivian was coddled, protected. I was the shield, the one pushed into the line of fire.

He cultivated my public profile, made me known. It was useful for him.

It also made me a target.