Back when I was young and dumb, I slapped some college guy working a side gig at a nightclub.

My boyfriend had just ditched me for my best friend, Vanessa Shannon. Then, not even five minutes later, I caught her in the corner, sliding her hand under another guy's shirt.

He bit his lip and just took it.

Something in my brain short-circuited. I stood up and walked over.

If Vanessa wanted him, why couldn't I?

But the second I reached for him, he smacked my hand away.

Vanessa cracked up. The whole private room turned to watch.

Mortified, I slapped him. "You work at a place like this. Don't play innocent."

Later, my family went broke, and I ended up working at a nightclub just to get by.

The private room was loud as hell.

I lost a game, and everyone at the table started chanting for me to take my bra off.

My face went hot. I stood there, completely frozen.

Then a low voice cut through the noise with a cold laugh.

"You work at a place like this. Don't play innocent."

I looked up.

Our eyes locked.

His stare was icy, full of pure mockery.

It was the college guy I'd slapped years ago.

The private room reeked of smoke. Music thudded through the cracked door, heavy in my chest.

I stood outside while Tony, the manager, gave me the same warning for the third time.

"Big clients in there. Especially Mr. Martinez, the guy in the middle. Self-made. Built a public company in five years. In Averyton, he's huge. This birthday party's for his fiancée, so stay sharp. Read the room. Keep everyone happy."

I smiled and nodded. "Got it. I've done this long enough. I know the rules."

I took the tray, breathed in, and pushed the door open.

Smoke and laughter hit me all at once.

The room was packed, but everyone's attention was locked on the couple in the center.

The guy lounged on the couch, sleeves pushed up to his forearms. Sharp features. Cold eyes. The kind of guy who kept people at a distance without even trying.

A gorgeous woman sat beside him, leaning in to whisper something.

He tilted his head to listen. The cold edge in his expression eased. Every now and then, he'd reach up and casually pat her head.

I dropped my gaze and headed for the table, setting drinks from my tray.

"Oh? Tony sent us another hostess to entertain us?"

Someone whistled, openly checking me out.

"This one's way hotter than the last one."

The room burst into laughter.

The woman on the couch frowned and glanced over.

The word hostess had clearly rubbed her the wrong way. No girlfriend wanted to hear that with her boyfriend sitting right there.

But the second she saw my face, she froze.

"E-Elle Emerton?!"

Her shrill voice sliced through the room.

She shot to her feet, rushed over, and grabbed my hand.

"Oh my God. It really is you. What are you doing here?"

The room went quiet.

I said nothing.

Her face got even more dramatic, her eyes bright with some weird excitement.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Don't you recognize me? It's Vanessa!"

I looked at her and smiled. "Long time no see."

Recognize her?

How could I not?

Vanessa Shannon.

My ex-best friend.

"Elle, after your family went bankrupt, I looked everywhere for you. I wanted to help, but I couldn't find you. I even tried sending money, but you wouldn't take it. I was so worried."

Vanessa's mouth trembled like she might cry.

"And now I finally find you here? How did you end up in a place like this? These years must've been so hard. Your mom would be heartbroken if she knew..."

She made sure the whole room heard every word.

Whispers rippled through the room.

"Bankrupt? Emerton?"

"The Emerton family from a few years back? They were huge. Then the company crashed, and the chairman and his wife jumped to their deaths."

I stood there, listening as the voices spread around me.

My nails dug into my palms.

The reason my family lost everything.

The reason I lost both my parents overnight.

The person who caused it all...

Was Vanessa.

"How about this?" Vanessa sighed, looking way too pleased with herself.

She turned to the others with a helpless little smile.

"Elle's my best friend. Since we ran into each other tonight, do me a favor and let her join us."

Someone answered right away. "If you're asking, obviously."

Vanessa pulled me over and got me a seat.

Across from me, the man stayed slouched on the couch, blank-faced.

Someone beside him leaned in to say something.

"Mm."

His voice was low. Impossible to read.

He didn't look at me once.

Vanessa, though, was all smiles, dragging me into game after game.

And somehow, no matter what we played, I kept losing.

Drink after drink burned down my throat. My stomach was on fire.

The cards hit the table.

I lost again.

I reached for another drink, but Vanessa grabbed my arm.

She smiled. "Just drinking is kinda boring. Let's raise the stakes."

Someone jumped in immediately. "Then the loser has to take something off."

Another guy laughed. "Outerwear's lame. Make it underwear."

The room erupted.

"Take it off! Take it off!"

My hands clenched so hard my knuckles went white. Every muscle in my body locked up.

Vanessa tilted her head, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

"Elle, I'd love to help, but your luck sucks. There are so many people here tonight. I can't let everyone down."

As she spoke, she melted back against the man beside her.

I glanced at him.

He lounged on the couch, not even bothering to look up, like the whole scene had nothing to do with him.

The chanting kept getting louder.

I stood there, jaw clenched, unable to say a word.

Then a deep voice cut through the noise.

"You work at a place like this. Don't play innocent."

His tone was flat. Casual, almost bored.

After saying it, he tipped back his glass and finished it in one swallow.

Then he looked at me.

The second our eyes met, my whole body went rigid.

Cold eyes.

Sharp features.

Other than the heavier presence he carried now, he looked exactly the same.

Matt Martinez.

The college guy I'd slapped years ago.

Now the founder of Martinez Corp.

The man half of Averyton seemed to answer to.

The room went quiet for a second.

Then laughter and agreement exploded from every direction.

I looked at Matt and smiled. "You're right. Girls who work in places like this shouldn't act so innocent."

I lifted my hands and reached for the zipper on my back.

Every guy in the room immediately locked onto me, barely hiding their anticipation.

The zipper had only moved a fraction when his voice rang out again.

"Get out."

I looked up at Matt.

His expression didn't change, but the veins at his temple stood out. Something dark flickered behind his eyes.

Vanessa flinched.

She looked like she wanted to argue, but one look at his face shut her up.

I smiled.

"If Mr. Martinez doesn't want to watch, then I'll leave."

My gaze swept across the room.

"Have fun, everyone."

The second I stepped out of the nightclub, I couldn't keep it together anymore.

The alcohol churned in my stomach, wave after wave, leaving a bitter-sweet taste in my throat.

I dug out a couple of hangover pills, swallowed them dry, and crouched against the wall.

I stayed there for who knew how long.

Just as I got to my feet, a cold laugh came from behind me.

"You've got some nerve."

I turned around.

Matt stood there.

His face was dark, anger written all over it.

"Who told you to come here tonight?"

I flashed him a sweet smile. "What? Didn't like it?"

I rose onto my toes, looped my arms around his neck, and breathed the words into his ear.

"I thought you'd enjoy it."

Matt went still for a second before pulling me off him.

His voice turned cold. "I told you not to cross the line."

I looked at him and almost laughed.

Cross the line?

What he really meant was that I wasn't allowed anywhere near Vanessa.

I could take his money.

Live in the apartment he bought for me.

Whenever he called, I had to be there.

And most importantly, I had to remember my place.

A woman who could never stand in the light.

A woman who wasn't allowed to hope for anything more.

For years, I'd followed every rule.

But tonight, for the first time, I'd crossed the line he drew.

I brushed my hair back and laughed.

"Of course I remember. Tonight was an accident. Maybe if you paid me a little more, I wouldn't still be working part-time at that nightclub. Then none of this would've happened—"

Before I could finish, his face darkened.

The next second, he grabbed me and shoved me into the car.

The door slammed shut, cutting off the noise outside.

The driver hit the gas and wisely raised the privacy screen.

Matt pinned me against the back seat.

His face was inches from mine. His voice was ice-cold.

"Have I spoiled you too much? So much that you've forgotten who you are?"

I leaned back obediently.

Forgotten who I was?

How could I?

Three years ago, my family lost everything.

My parents jumped from the roof of the company building, one after the other.

I ended up trapped in an alley by creditors.

They'd already ripped open my collar.

Maybe my screams finally caught someone's attention.

A black Bentley pulled up at the mouth of the alley.

The window rolled down.

Inside was a face I'd seen before.

Matt.

He sat there, coldly watching as those men shoved me around, put their hands on me, and laughed at me.

Then I used the last of my strength to shove them away and collapsed in front of his car.

Tears splashed onto the pavement under the headlights.

I lowered my head and begged again and again.

"Please... Please help me..."

The car door opened.

That night, Matt took care of the creditors.

And after that, this became us.

I tilted my head and smiled. "Mr. Martinez, you're joking."

I lifted a hand and lightly brushed my fingertips along his jaw, teasing.

"I'm just a toy you paid for. How could I forget who I am? Or who I belong to?"

Matt's eyes darkened. He caught my wrist.

"Good."

The second the word left his mouth, he kissed me.

Hard.

Like a warning.

I didn't pull away. I slid my arms around his neck and kissed him back.

The car sped through the empty city streets.

The air inside grew heavier by the second.

Our breaths deepened.

The zipper of my dress slid down, and his hand settled against my bare skin.

Hot and cold.

Then a ringtone shattered the silence.

Matt froze.

He pulled out his phone, glanced at the screen, and answered.

Vanessa's voice came through immediately.

"Matt, where did you go? Why've you been gone so long?"

"Mm." His tone gave nothing away. "Something came up at the company. Had to deal with it."

Vanessa went on for a bit before suddenly changing the subject.

"Oh, right. Remember the girl that club manager brought in tonight?"

Matt glanced at me.

I was still sitting on his lap.

"Who?"

Vanessa paused, sounding careful. "Elle. Back at the nightclub, I went over to talk to you, and she insisted on butting in. Then you turned her down, and she..."

Matt's hand stayed at my waist, his palm burning through the fabric.

His eyes stayed on me as the corner of his mouth slowly curved up.

"And then she slapped me?"

The car went dead silent.

So did the other end of the line.

Matt didn't seem bothered.

"I remember." His voice was lazy. "Why?"

Vanessa laughed, something probing hidden beneath it.

"Nothing. I just think it's funny. Back then, she was so full of herself. Always looking down on everyone. And now? Look at her."

She clicked her tongue.

"Matt, what do you think of her?"

His breath brushed my skin.

His gaze dropped to the mark on my collarbone.

Then he smiled.

Casual.

Mocking.

"She's nothing special. Just a nightclub girl. Same as any other hostess."

Vanessa sounded pleased.

"That's what I thought. You weren't interested in her when she was an heiress. Now that she's serving drinks, there's no way you'd think twice about her."

The call ended.

Matt watched me for several seconds, like he was waiting for a reaction.

When none came, he kissed me again.

"You really don't care."

I said nothing.

Vanessa only cared about what Matt thought.

She remembered the slap I'd given him.

But she'd forgotten to ask if I remembered why my family went bankrupt.

Or why my parents died.

That was okay.

There'd be plenty of time to remind her.

I smiled, wrapped my arms around Matt, and closed my eyes.