CINDY’S POV “I became crippled because of you,” I whispered, voice trembling. “And now you have the guts to bring another woman into this house?” Henry didn’t flinch. He stood by the doorway in his perfectly tailored shirt, tall and broad-shouldered, looking all smug and vile. One hand rested on Monica’s w***t like she was some fragile trophy. Monica, with her fake blonde hair and perfectly arched brows, batted her lashes and clung to him like she might disappear if he let go. He smirked. “You think I owe you forever just because you pushed me out of the way three years ago? Get over it, Cindy. That was pity, not love.” My heart thudded like a war drum, so loud I could barely hear anything else. Vivian, his mother, cold and wicked, snorted from behind him. “Honestly, Cindy. You’ve milked that accident long enough. Maybe if you spent less time playing victim and more time acting like a real wife, he wouldn’t need Monica.” “Real wife?” My voice cracked. “I married into this family after saving your son’s life. I couldn’t walk since then. Your husband begged me to marry Henry because he was grateful that his son was still breathing.” Henry scoffed. “My father was a sentimental fool.” Wow. The air left my lungs like someone had punched me. “Your father was the only decent person in this family,” I said, my throat raw. “And the moment he died last year, you all changed. You, your mother, even Lydia.” Lydia strutted down the stairs, twirling a strand of jet-black hair around her finger, gum popping in her mouth. “You’re just jealous,” she sneered. “Henry finally has someone who looks like a woman and not a patient from a nursing home.” Monica gave a tearful little gasp, tucking a piece of that too-blonde hair behind her ear. “Maybe I should leave… I don’t want to come between you and your wife, Henry. Maybe… maybe I’ll just go…” Henry turned to her, holding her gently like she was glass. “No. You’re not going anywhere, baby. You’re the woman I really love. You always were.” My chest twisted. My hands shook violently on the wheels of my chair. I couldn’t stop the tears spilling down my cheeks. Because I loved him. God help me, I loved him. Even after everything. “Oh, and in case you forgot,” Henry said sharply, “Monica is the one I loved before you limped into my life pretending to be a savior. She’s back now, and she’s staying.” I almost laughed. Not because it was funny, but because it was sick. That day, three years ago, I saw him walking, dazed, into traffic. I didn’t think. I threw myself forward, pushed him out of the way, and the truck hit me instead. My legs were shattered, my spine cracked, and I spent months in recovery. I didn’t even know him. Why couldn’t I just leave him? Why did I have to endanger my life to save a total stranger? Later, I found out the truth. He had just been dumped by his ex, Monica. That heartbreak was what had him wandering the street like a man with nothing left to live for. Gregory Callahan, his father, knelt at my bedside, grateful I had saved his only son’s life, and begged me to marry him. He swore Henry would love and treat me right and even had legal documents drawn up. Henry could never divorce me. Only I had the right to end the marriage. He did it to protect me. I thought love would grow from gratitude. I believed it. And now? “I should never have said yes,” I murmured. Lydia rolled her eyes. “Then why are you still here? Why don’t you just file the Dam divorce papers already?!” Vivian stepped forward, her voice venomous. “That’s right. If you’re tired of being here, just leave. No one’s stopping you.” I met their stares, trying to hold myself together. My voice cracked. “Your father was smart. He knew exactly what kind of son he had. That’s why he made sure Henry can never divorce me.” Silence. Then I added, through gritted teeth, “I know you want me out so bad. Don’t worry, I will leave. But not yet.” Vivian slapped the table so hard it made me flinch. “You little—” “Mom, stop,” Henry muttered coldly. “Don’t waste your breath on her, she’s not worth it.” My fingers clenched into a tight fist. How dare him! Lydia’s heel clicked loudly as she stepped closer. “You’re pathetic. You’re doing all this just to stay relevant. But the truth is, you’re already nothing.” She leaned in, voice dripping with venom. “Once you leave my brother, no one will ever marry you. I’m very sure you bewitched my dad into forcing this marriage. Because look at you, crippled, ugly, and stricken with poverty. Without our family, you’re nothing. We’re tired of you. You’re a disgrace to us. Leave us alone.” The words hit like knives. I gasped, just a small, broken sound, but it echoed louder than anything. For a second, I couldn’t move. I just sat there, spine stiff, heart hollowed out. Then I straightened my back the best I could, wiped the tears from my cheeks, and forced my voice to stay steady. “Fine.” I turned my chair, wheeling away from their smirking faces. Vivian’s voice rang out like a final slap. “Go, then. You’re just an orphan with nothing. So you can go hang yourself for all we care.” I didn’t stop. Didn’t look back. I rolled into my room, the only space left in this mansion where I wasn’t openly humiliated. The door clicked shut behind me. I couldn’t breathe for a second. My shoulders shook. I buried my face in my hands and cried, gut-deep, soundless sobs. My throat burned from holding it in. I couldn’t believe it. I, Cindy Virelli, heiress of Virelli Global Holdings and daughter of Leonardo Virelli, one of the top ten richest men in America, had reduced myself to this. Since I was little, I had always hated the attention that came with being a billionaire’s daughter. I never had real people in my life. That’s why, at eighteen, I left my father and younger brother, Alaric, behind in Washington and moved to Texas to live with my late mother’s mom, using the name Cindy Hart. When she passed away on my twentieth birthday, Dad and Alaric begged me to return home and take my rightful place as heiress. But I refused. I loved my low-key life. Then, at twenty-three, the incident with Henry happened and somehow, I became emotionally attached to him. I told my family I didn’t want them involved. I chose this life, this man, thinking that love built from sacrifice would last longer than love built on luxury. But now? Now I was nothing but a crippled inconvenience they can’t wait to get rid of. But I’m not leaving. Not yet. Not until I make them crawl and tremble at my feet. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand with trembling hands. My heart thudded in my chest. I hadn’t spoken to him in months. I’d shut the door and vanished from their lives. Now, I needed him. I dialed the number and it rang once. Then— “Hello?” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Ric… it’s me. Cindy.”

CINDY’S POV “Sister!” he screamed. “You finally called after all these months,” Alaric’s voice came through the line, breathless with surprise. “The last time I called you, you scolded me. You told me never to call you unless you called first. I’ve been waiting for your call all this while. Have you finally decided to leave that dog?” I swallowed hard, closing my eyes as the sound of his voice pulled something tight in my chest. Dad and Alaric had always warned me about people like the Callahans. And I still chose them. I even went as far as convincing Dad to anonymously invest in their family business. I begged him to help them grow. I thought they were kind people back then. I thought they deserved it. I couldn’t believe I’d been the reason the Callahans climbed their way into the top ten companies in Texas. And they had no idea it was all me. All these years, they thought it was by their own merit, by their so-called business genius. They didn’t know that the day Gregory Callahan died and Henry took over, I was still quietly investing through proxies, making phone calls, moving strings behind the scenes. I even used Virelli Holdings’ offshore subsidiaries to funnel capital into their failing sectors. I had made their company stronger. I had made him stronger. And now, they were using that power to humiliate me. That was the reason I cut off my family. That was why, months ago, I told Alaric not to call me again unless I reached out first. I didn’t want them to find out the truth. I didn’t want to risk them discovering what I had sacrificed for the Callahans. Now I knew they were right. “Sister? Are you there?” Ric’s voice pulled me back, softer now, but etched with worry. “Yes,” I said quietly, clutching the phone tighter, nails biting into my palm. “You were right, Ric. I made the wrong choice. I shouldn’t have married him.” There was a pause. “What happened?” Ric asked, his voice suddenly tense, a shift in his breathing like he was pacing. “Did he hurt you? Did he do something to you?” I couldn’t stop the tears anymore. I pressed a hand to my mouth and sobbed, trying to muffle the sound, my shoulders shaking. “You can’t understand. I’ve done things… I’ve hidden things from you and Dad, things I can’t even say. Henry brought another woman home, and I can’t fight back.” “I lost my leg, Ric,” I added quietly. The silence on the line turned sharp, like the moment before glass shatters. “What?” Ric’s voice cracked, disbelief mixing with anger. “You lost your leg? Cindy, what do you mean you lost your leg?!” “I didn’t tell you,” I whispered. “I knew if I did… I knew you wouldn’t take it well. I knew you and Dad would destroy them in an instant. And I… I was still in love with Henry back then. I couldn’t see clearly.” “Cindy,” Ric growled, his breathing heavy, “Explain. Right now.” “Three years ago,” I said through choked breaths, “I saved Henry. He was walking into an incoming truck. I pushed him out of the way, and the truck hit me instead. It crushed my legs, my spine was damaged, and I’ve been a cripple ever since. And now… he hates me for it.” I could feel his rage burning through the phone, even though he was miles away, like a heat wrapping around me. “They did this to you? You lost your leg for t**********d and they still mistreated you? I’m going to ruin them. I swear it.” “No!” I snapped, sitting upright, swiping tears off my cheeks. “No, Ric. That won’t be sweet enough. That’s not the best revenge.” There was silence. Then, quieter and more focused, he asked, “What do you want to do?” “I want to destroy them myself,” I said, voice calm, a dark certainty hardening inside me. “But not fast. Slowly. Gently. I want them to rot from the inside out.” Ric exhaled like he was bracing himself for something terrible, the sound crackling softly on the line. “Are you sure you don’t want me to handle this?” “No, but I need your help,” I said. “First, I need you to come get me right away. Fly me to the best hospital in the world. I want to treat my leg.” “You haven’t treated it?” he asked, stunned, his voice a notch lower. “No,” I said. “I didn’t want you or Dad to find out. The surgery is very expensive and if I had treated myself without the Callahan’s help, they would have suspected something. But now… I’m done hiding. I want to walk again. I want to take everything back.” “Send me the address, I’ll arrange it right away,” he said without hesitation, determination evident in his voice. “Anything else?” “Yes,” I said slowly, pulling in a breath. “There’s one more thing. Something important.” “Name it.” “Damian.” There was a pause. “My best friend?” Alaric asked, confusion and suspicion mixing in his voice. “Yes. I need him to pretend to be my boyfriend.” “What?!” Ric barked in disbelief. “What the fk are you up to?” I let out a deep breath, my voice steady now and my eyes dry of tears for the first time in a long while. “Since Henry has the guts to bring in another woman, I’ll show him two can play the game.”

[One Week Later] DAMIAN'S POV The secretary’s m**n vibrated against my l**s as I slammed her against the office desk, her skirt already bunched up around her w***t like a proper slvt. She whimpered, grinding her h**s into me, nails clawing down my chest as she fumbled with my belt, desperate for it. fu'ckk. I smirked against her mouth, biting her lower l*p hard before pulling back to drink her in. Blouse half-unbuttoned, nuts spilling out of that lacy bra, and nuts poking through like they were screaming for my teeth. My c**k throbbed painfully, straining against my slacks, ready to wreck her. “Mr. Thorne,” she gasped, fingers finally popping my button open, voice all breathy and wrecked. “You’re such a fuckiing tease…” she started, but I cut her off with a bruising k**s, tongue fuckiing hers as she yanked my zipper down. My hands dug into her bottom, squeezing hard, pulling her tighter against my b***e just as my phone started blaring on the desk. “Ignore it,” she panted, diving for my belt buckle, fingers shaking with need. “Tempting,” I growled, sliding my hand up her blouse, palming those juicy nuts through the lace, thumb flicking a nut till she squirmed. The phone kept ringing, loud as f'k-, and it was pissing me off. “Come on, Mr. Thorne,” she whined, hand palming my shaft through my slacks. I g*****d deep, h**s jrking into her hand, pleasure spiking hot. “Yeah, baby, just like that.” That Dam phone wouldn’t quit. I shot a glance at the screen, ready to smash the thing, but froze when I saw the name. Alaric. My gut twisted. I hadn’t heard from that bast*rd in months. “fu'ckk, gotta take this,” I muttered, snatching the phone and pulling away before she could do something nastier. She glared, l**s swollen and eyes blown wide with desire, all pissed off and pouty. “Seriously?” I gave her a cold stare, adjusting my aching cockk with one hand while swiping to answer. “I don’t fu'ckk around with business, sweetheart.” She huffed, yanking her skirt down with a glare that could’ve burned holes. I didn’t give a shift. I waved her off and slumped back in my chair. “Yo, what’s good, you old bastardd?” Alaric’s voice crackled through, all smug and teasing. I rolled my eyes, forcing my playboy smirk back in place, though my his not-so-little friend was still screaming for release. “Still a p***k, huh?” I shot back, keeping it light. He laughed, warm and easy. “Kidding. What’s good? How you holding up? Business? London?” “London’s fine,” I said, slouching back, d**k still half-hard and pulsing against my zipper while the secretary lingered, eyeing me like she wasn’t done. “Not there right now, though.” “Oh? Where you at?” I shifted, trying to will my d**k to calm the fk down, but then she strutted back; h**s swaying like a Dam tease and l**s swollen from my kisses. She dropped to her knees between my spread legs without a word, her fingers making quick work of my belt again. Fuckiing god, girl. I should’ve shoved her off—knew I should—but fu'ckk, I didn’t. My breath hitched as she yanked my slacks and boxers down, freeing my c**k, thick and leaking for her. She didn’t waste time. Her hot little tongue l****d a slow stripe from base to tip before swirling around the head, collecting the pr'ecum. Christ, this chick’s gon’ kill me. I bit back a g***n, gripping the phone tighter. “Damian?” Alaric’s voice crackled in my ear through the receiver. “Yeah,” I gritted out, jaw clenched tight as her l**s parted and she sank down on me in one slick, sinful glide. fu'ckk. Her mouth was pure fking sin, wet and nasty as god. She hollowed her cheeks, suking hard like she wanted to drain my soul, tongue pressing filthy against the pulsing vein underneath. I couldn’t fking help it. My h**s bucked up, shoving my c**k deeper into her throat, chasing that heat. She gagged but didn’t quit, nails clawing my t****s, digging sharp as she took me to the hilt, nose brushing my base greedily. God fuckiing Dam. Her free hand cupped my'bаlls, rolling ‘em slow, teasing, then slid lower, pressing that sensitive spot behind ‘em. s**t, that taint play had my eyes rolling back. My abs locked tight, a ragged curse ripping out my l**s, low and guttural. “Everything okay?” Alaric’s voice cut through again, clueless as shift. “Fine,” I growled, voice strained to god, barely holding it together. The secretary’s eyes flicked up and locked on mine like she knew she had me by the balls. Her tongue swirled slow around the head, teasing the slit, then pulled off with a wet, filthy pop. Only to dive back down, bobbing faster, l**s stretched tight and obscenely around my shaft. f'k-k, fu'ckk, fu'ckk . Every drag of her mouth sent a firestorm building in my gut. “You said you’re not in London,” Alaric’s voice cackled, pulling me back. “Y-yeah,” I strained. “I came to handle business at the Texas branch. You know Ellis has been managing the U.S. branches, but he’s been really swamped lately, so I’m here to fill in for him.” The secretary smirked faintly, clearly enjoying my struggle. Her hand joined in, stroking what she couldn’t swallow, thumb smearing pre-cvm over the tip with every pass, frying my Dam brain. I was fking losing it. My free hand fisted her hair, yanking hard as my h**s rocked up, fking her mouth hard. She m****d around my /cok, the vibration shooting straight to my'bаlls, making ‘em tighten and ready to blow. My whole body tensed, pleasure sparking white-hot behind my eyelids. Dam!! I’m gonna fuckiing cvm. “Really?” Alaric screamed, surprised. “Cindy is in Texas too.” Cindy???!!! I froze. My release rushed back, pleasure crashing into pain as her name slammed into me like a knife, killing every ounce of desire in me. I yanked the secretary off my l*p, rougher than I meant, and she pouted, all bratty and pissed. “Your sister’s in Texas?” I shirked, gut flipping and voice sharper than I intended. “Yeah,” Alaric said. I narrowed my eyes, suspicion crawling up my spine. “You always kept her shift locked down. Never told me where she was, even when I begged. Why spill now?” His voice dropped, serious as a heart attack. “Yeah, you’re right. I kept her life off-limits ‘cause I knew it fuckked you up when she got married. Knew you loved her, man. Didn’t wanna keep twisting the knife.” I went dead quiet, memories flooding back like a bad trip. Knew Alaric and Cindy since we were kids in D.C. She was a year older, all brains and fire, no-nonsense as god. I was the little shift pulling her hair, stealing her books, playing pest just to see those blue eyes flash. At sixteen, I finally grew the balls to ask her out. She shut me down cold. Called me a bully. Immature. I laughed it off then, but it cut deep—left scars I never admitted. Then my family bailed to London. Built my tech empire and became the C.E.O of D.T. Tech Innovations at twenty-one. A multinational software and AI firm. I thought I would forget her. But I never did. Those piercing blue eyes, wavy brunette hair, that slender frame that made every dress look like a we't dreаm stayed burned in my head. No woman ever came close. When I heard she married, it fking broke me. Landed in the hospital for a week, gutted, hope torched. Since then, I fuckked my way through models, actresses, secretaries…anyone to numb it. But none of ‘em meant shift because none of ‘em were her. “Hello?” Alaric’s voice snapped me back. “Yeah,” I croaked, throat rough. “I’m here. Sorry.” “She reached out,” he said. “She needs you, Damian.” My heart skipped, fist clenching in my l*p. “Needs me?” I scoffed, disbelief choking me. “She probably doesn’t even remember my bottom. Why would she need me?” “It’s messy,” Alaric said. “You’ll get it when you see her. But I need you to do this for me….for her.” “What’s the deal?” “She wants to get back at her husband. He’s been acting shady, and she needs you to help put him in his place.” I blinked, brain scrambling. “Wait, what?” “I’m saying she needs you to play boyfriend, fake it, Damian. Make him squirm.” The secretary reached for me again but I caught her wrist and shoved her off, hard. “Get the fu'ckk out,” I snapped, a sudden irritation flaring hot in my veins. She flinched, snatched her heels, and stormed out angrily. Didn’t give a s**t.. “That’s dangerous,” I said to Alaric, running a hand through my hair, pacing now. “You wan’ me to fu'ckk around with a married woman?” “It’s not what you think. It’s complicated. She’ll lay it out. Just do it for me…. Please?” I hesitated, gut churning. “I know you love her,” Alaric added, voice softer now. “Always have and I know you never moved on. This is your shot to show her you’re for real, to win her.” I suked in a breath. darn it. This was a bad idea. A fking train wreck waiting to happen. But it was her. Cindy. My Cindy. “I’m only in Texas a month,” I said, the words slipping out of my mouth instinctively. “Then it’s back to London.” “A month’s plenty,” Alaric shot back. “More than enough.” Silence stretched between us, but my heart already had the answer. This is my opportunity. A once-in-a-lifetime chance and I can’t afford to miss it. “All right,” I growled. “Text me her address.”

CINDY’S POV A week ago, I left Texas in a wheelchair. Today, I walked back in on my own two feet. The surgery wasn’t even the hardest part. That was done in a few hours, under the hands of the best surgeons in the world. The real god started afterward, learning how to stand again, how to take one step without wobbling or collapsing. There were days I thought I’d never walk again, days I wanted to scream and rip out the IVs, but Ric was there, every single day. He pushed me, held me up, told me to try again, again, again until I could finally stand without help. Until I could take steps across the cold hospital floor, holding my head up, not looking back. And now, I could even walk in heels. When I caught a glimpse of myself in the hotel mirror, it was like looking at someone else entirely. My makeup was flawless, the dark liner making my blue eyes sharper, my l**s glossed and shiny. The sleek black dress hugged my w***t and h**s, the silver necklace at my throat glinting under the soft light. For the first time in a long time, I felt powerful. I felt alive. I checked my phone. Nothing from Henry, nothing from Lydia or Vivian, nothing from anyone in that house. They had watched me leave, rolling out the door, and not one of them even bothered to call to ask if I was okay. That told me everything I needed to know. My phone buzzed with a message from Ric. “Damian is in. Sent him your address. He’ll meet you at the house.” A slow smirk pulled at my l**s. It was happening. My plan was finally moving, piece by piece. I didn’t think Damian would actually agree. I thought he’d be too busy, too wrapped up in his world to bother with mine. But the bond between him and Ric was still there, and I knew a part of him still remembered me. Back then, he was a brat. Younger than me by a year, always in my way, teasing, poking, pulling my hair just to get my attention. When he asked me out at sixteen, I laughed in his face and told him to grow up. And then he was gone. I hadn’t seen him since, but I knew he was still single and now the CEO of a massive tech company. He was exactly what I needed. A perfect weapon for my perfect revenge. At 7 p.m. sharp, I walked back into that house like I owned it, heels tapping on the tiles, head high, chin up. The living room fell silent. Vivian’s wine glass slipped from her fingers and shattered, red liquid pooling around the shards. Lydia backed up against the wall, eyes wide, like she’d seen a ghost. “What… what is this?” Henry shot up from the couch, his jaw slack, eyes darting to my heels, then my face, then back again. Monica clung to his arm, her mouth hanging open, speechless. Henry’s voice cracked. “Cindy… how… how are you walking?” Monica swallowed, her voice small. “She was in a wheelchair… just days ago…” Lydia’s mouth twisted. “I knew it! I knew you were lying all along, pretending to be crippled just so you could trap Henry and milk us for everything!” A laugh broke out of me, sharp and cold. “You think I would choose to be stuck in a chair, to need help to use the bathroom, to be looked at like I’m worthless every single day? You think I faked surgeries, therapy, and pain just to stay with your pathetic brother?” Lydia’s face went red, her hands shaking at her sides. Vivian stepped forward, her eyes narrowing, scanning me up and down like I was a problem she couldn’t solve. “Where did you get the money for the surgery? Last time Gregory tried, the doctors said it would take millions, money we didn’t have. So where, Cindy?” Henry’s voice rose, cracking as he struggled to hold onto anger that was quickly turning into something else. “And where have you been all these days? Looking like this… dressed like this… have you been cheating on me?” I opened my mouth, ready to say exactly what I thought of him, but a voice cut through the room, calm, low, and rough making my stomach flip. “Yes. She has.” All eyes snapped to the doorway. And there he was. Tall, broad, leaning against the doorframe like he had all the time in the world. Dark brown curls falling over storm-grey eyes, a lazy smirk playing on l**s that looked like they knew every sin in the universe. His black dress shirt hugged the hard lines of his chest, sleeves rolled to reveal strong forearms and expensive watch gleaming under the lights. He looked like trouble, and he wore it well. Even I blinked, heat rising in my face before I could stop it. Who the hll is this man? He pushed off the doorframe and walked in like he owned the place, eyes on me, and for a moment the room, the anger, the tension, everything else fell away. He didn’t stop until he was in front of me, his scent hitting me, clean, expensive, masculine. Then his arm slid around my w***t, fingers splaying over my h*p, pulling me close without asking. My breath caught, and I hated that my heart skipped in that stubid, familiar way. Henry stepped forward, fists clenching. “Who the hll are you?” Vivian’s eyes flicked down, then back up, and she let out a sharp breath. “God, he’s hot.” “Mom!” Lydia and Henry snapped at the same time. Vivian’s head jrked, and she looked away quickly, her cheeks pink. “What? I’m just saying.” Henry shot her a look, his jaw clenching, before turning his glare back to the man who still had his arm around my w***t, fingers flexing like he had every right. “Listen, kid,” Henry said, his voice low and tight, “I don’t know who you think you are, but you’re in the wrong house. Let her go and get out.” A slow, mischievous grin spread across the man’s face, and he glanced around the room, taking them all in like they were ants under his boot. “No,” he said, his voice smooth, confident. “I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.” His fingers dug deeper into my w***t as he pulled me closer into his chest. His eyes flickered to Henry, and the grin widened just a bit before he dropped the grenade on them, voice calm, like he was talking about the weather. “I’m Damian,” he said. “Cindy’s boyfriend.” What! Damian?! He let the silence stretch, letting it sink in. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you all.”