I told Charlie my biggest secret—I was the long-lost daughter of the powerful Moore family in Dreslane.

He swore he'd help me reunite with them.

But the night before I met them, the Moore family made a grand declaration—they'd already found their missing daughter. A ceremony was set.

I rushed there, heart pounding, only to see Charlie standing beside his childhood friend, Raine. She was being introduced as the Moore heiress. And somehow, she had the exact same birthmark as me.

Before I could do anything, Charlie locked me in a restroom.

"It's just a name," he said. "You still have me. So why does this matter? Raine's parents died saving me—she never had a real family. For my sake, can't you just let her have this?"

Then, to erase any doubt, to make sure Raine could live as me without fear—Charlie took a knife and carved the birthmark off my body.

The shock. The pain. I lost my three-month-old unborn baby that night.

And as I lay there, blood soaking through my clothes, I finally gave up.

"Why?"

I stared at Charlie Jaudon. Guilt flickered across his face, but he didn't look the least bit sorry.

Tomorrow was supposed to be the day I reunited with my real parents.

But the girl standing on that stage today—the one they were calling their daughter—was Raine Toth.

My head spun.

Why were my parents recognizing her instead of me?

Why did she have the exact same butterfly-shaped birthmark as mine?

Charlie took a step forward and pulled me into his arms, holding me gently.

"Madelyn, does it really matter? It's just an identity."

I stared at him like he was a complete stranger.

He knew what this meant to me. He knew the hell I grew up in. My adoptive parents never let me forget I wasn't theirs. They'd punish me for the smallest mistakes—forcing me to kneel outside in the snow, barely clothed. When they were in a bad mood, they'd beat me and feed me spoiled leftovers.

And then I saw the announcement.

The Moore family—the most powerful family in Dreslane—was searching for their lost daughter. She had a butterfly-shaped birthmark on her chest. My birthmark. Even the place where she went missing lined up with my past.

I wanted to believe it. But the Moores were untouchable. They were a dream I'd never reach. So I told only Charlie.

He swore if he got in contact with them, he'd take me to meet my real parents.

I trusted him.

But instead of helping me, he handed my life to Raine.

Charlie met my gaze, trying to convince me. "Madelyn, you know Raine lost her parents when she was little. They died saving me.

"She never had a family, but you did. You had your adoptive parents. Why can't you just let her have this?"

I went cold.

Who gave him the right to decide Raine deserved my life more than I did?

And he knew what my adoptive parents were like.

I wasn't going to argue. I just needed to get out of this bathroom, end this farce, and expose Raine for the fraud she was.

Charlie blocked my way, looking pained and conflicted.

"Is being a Moore really that important to you?"

He still thought this was about power.

"It's not about that. They're my parents. Why should Raine get to take my place?"

Rage twisted inside me, squeezing my heart like a vice.

Charlie answered a video call.

On the other end, Raine was sobbing. Pathetic.

"Charlie, is Madelyn still refusing?" Her voice trembled like she was the victim here. "If she exposes me, I won't blame her. They are her parents. But I never had a family... I just wanted to know what it's like to be loved. Is that so wrong?"

Charlie's grip tightened on his phone.

Raine sniffled dramatically. "If I'm going to be called a fraud today, I'd rather just end it all and jump off this building!"

Fake despair flashed in her eyes, but Charlie fell for it.

"Raine, don't say that! Don't do anything stupid—I'll take care of everything," he promised.

Then he picked up a knife.

And walked toward me.

"Madelyn, can you really stand by and let Raine die over this?"

A cold wave of dread crashed over me. I clutched my chest.

He hesitated for half a second, but Raine's voice rang through the restroom.

"Charlie, if my parents were still alive, do you think I'd be this desperate for love?"

His eyes hardened. He stepped closer.

"No, Charlie..." My voice barely came out. "You swore you'd never hurt me."

His tone was steady. "Raine's parents died saving me. I owe her."

"Madelyn, just this once... be good. I'll make it up to you. Twice over."

Someone grabbed my arms, pinning me down.

Charlie pressed the blade to my chest—right over my birthmark—and sliced.

Fire tore through my skin.

I screamed. The sound ricocheted off the tile walls.

Tears blurred my vision. My mind flashed back to all the times Charlie had traced this mark with his fingers, whispering promises.

"I'll help you find your parents, no matter what," he'd said.

Now, he was ripping away the only proof I had.

To make sure Raine had nothing to fear, he destroyed it.

I crumpled to the floor, shaking.

Charlie pulled me into his arms, voice soft. "Once Raine's recognition ceremony is over, we'll get married, okay? I'll give you the grandest wedding, make you the most beautiful bride. Even if you're not the Moore heiress, it won't change the fact that I love you."

His words slithered around me like a snake.

If he really loved me, would he do this?

Would he steal my identity, stop me from meeting my real parents, and slice my skin open just to keep Raine comfortable?

No.

He wasn't protecting me. He was just using love as an excuse to break me.

Now that the evidence was gone, Raine finally sighed in relief. Then, with faux concern, she asked, "Charlie, will Madelyn really be okay? No one will suspect me now, right?"

Charlie reassured her. "Raine, stop worrying. Your tattooed birthmark looks exactly like hers. Once the DNA test confirms you, no one will doubt it. Plenty of people try to fake connections to the Moore family. Without the birthmark, they won't believe her."

As he spoke, he filled a vial with my blood.

He had thought of everything for Raine. Not one second spent thinking about me.

The pain in my chest was nothing compared to the pain clawing at my heart.

Charlie turned back, urgent. "Madelyn, don't be upset. I'll find the best plastic surgeon to fix this. I won't let you have any scars before our wedding, I promise."

Raine's voice rang through the phone. "Charlie, come back. I don't feel safe without you."

Charlie glanced at me. "Stay here. Once Raine officially becomes the Moore heiress, I'll come back for you, okay? Be good."

Marriage? To him? The guy who hurt me like this for another woman? No way.

I met Charlie's gaze, steady. "We're done."

His expression twisted—panic, then denial. "You don't mean that. You're just upset. I won't take it seriously."

Yeah, well, he should have. Instead, he took my phone, grabbed his guys, and bolted—probably to check on Raine.

Dragging myself to the entrance, I found it blocked from the outside. He'd made sure I wouldn't crash Raine's little coronation.

I pounded on the door, yelling for help. Nothing.

I slumped against the freezing floor, pain ripping through me. My chest burned, blood soaking my shirt. Then a sharper, deeper agony hit my stomach.

I was three months pregnant.

I'd planned to tell Charlie after meeting my parents. It was supposed to be the best day of my life. A double blessing.

But my baby would never see it.

Warm blood pooled under me. My strength slipped away.

Beyond the walls, laughter and celebration rang out. My parents—right there, yet impossibly far.

I had nothing left.

The darkness took me.

***

I woke up in a hospital.

Dr. Reagan Reed stood by my bed. "A janitor found you bleeding in the restroom. They thought you'd... tried to take your own life, so they rushed you here.

"You were minutes away from bleeding out. And... we couldn't save the baby."

I pressed a hand to my stomach. There had been life inside me once.

Dr. Reed hesitated. "Did something happen? Do you want me to call the police?"

I just thanked him.

Then Charlie barged in, looking panicked—like he was still the guy who used to freak out over a paper cut on my finger.

"Madelyn! Why didn't you wait for me? Do you know how worried I was when I couldn't find you?"

Worried about me? Or about me talking?

I didn't answer. Just watched him, cold and silent. If he knew he'd killed his own child, how would he react?

He placed a container in front of me. "I asked the doctor—you must eat a light diet. I made you soup. Eat, okay?"

I hadn't eaten in... who knows how long.

I opened the container. The strong smell of seafood hit me.

The soup was thin, barely there. Someone had already taken a few sips.

Did he seriously not know patients shouldn't have seafood soup?

"Charlie, this soup is really good. You should teach me how to make it sometime."

A voice chimed in from behind him.

Raine.

Draped in designer clothes and glittering jewelry, she looked every bit the wealthy heiress. She'd done it. Stolen my identity.

My appetite vanished.

Even the soup was her leftovers.

Charlie avoided my eyes. "Raine was really worried about you. She insisted on coming. She got hungry on the way, so I let her have a few sips first. Don't be mad—I'll order another one for you."

Raine pouted. "It's not my fault—it was just too good."

Then she turned to me, all sugar-coated venom. "Madelyn, thank you for letting me take your place."

My blood boiled. I wanted nothing more than to rip her apart.

"Fraud! You're nothing but a thief—a liar who stole my life!"

Pure hatred burned in my glare.

Then—crack.

A slap sent my head snapping to the side.

"Madelyn Gibson! I never thought you'd be so cruel to Raine!"

Charlie stared at his own hand, something like regret flickering in his eyes. But his voice stayed firm. "Apologize. Now."

Tears streaked Raine's face. "I know Madelyn doesn't want to give up her identity. I really am just a thief. I don't deserve this! I'll go tell Mom and Dad right now—I'm not really their daughter!"