When I opened my eyes, I saw myself in a pristine white room.

“Am I in heaven?” I wondered. The door opened and an old man in a lab coat entered.

“Thank God! You're awake!” He exclaimed, writing something in a chart. That was when I realized I was in a hospital. I had somehow survived what had happened to me. I suddenly remembered Damian and the hatred on his face as he had pushed me out the window, and I started crying. The machines close to me began to beep, and the doctor tutted, “Dear, stop thinking about whatever it is your thinking about. We don't want your heart rate rising, or you'll have a cardiac arrest!”

I forced myself to calm down, and tried to wipe my tears. That was when I noticed both my arms and my legs were in a cast.

“Where am I?”

“You're in a private clinic in the Hamptons.” The doctor answered.

“Who brought me here?”

“I did.” The door opened, and a young man walked in. He was blond, with beautiful hazel eyes, and a bone structure to die for. He looked familiar but I couldn't remember where I'd met him.

“Thank you for saving me.” I tried to smile, but my face felt numb.

“It's no problem.” He answered, settling in one of the chairs in the room. In sweats, he looked nice but I forced myself to remember there were more important things to do.

“How did you find me?”

“I'm a fan of sailing,” He explained succinctly, “Last night, I rented a boat to sail the quiet waters and I heard a scream followed by a thud, then I found you and brought you here.”

He smiled pityingly, and once again I was struck by how familiar he looked.

“Excuse me, do I know you from somewhere?”

He chuckled, “I'm hurt you don't remember me. I'm Ethan. Ethan Hale, your husband's stepbrother.”

Shivers of fear worked up my spine. Yes, Ethan was Damien's stepbrother from his late father's mistress. I'd seen him around a few times when I'd followed Damian to his family house for dinner. Ethan was usually quiet and mostly kept to himself, but he was still related to Damian. If Damian knew I was still alive, it was only a matter of time before he tried to kill me again.

“Please, please, don't tell Damian I'm here.” I begged.

Ethan looked uncomfortable, “Don't worry, he doesn't know. Nobody knows.”

I was stunned. Why would Ethan rescue me and keep it a secret?

“Oh, don't look so surprised, I know my elder brother wanted to kill you.”

My eyes bugged, “What? How did you know?”

“When you fell, Damian and some woman came to check if you were really dead. When they saw you weren't moving, they were happy.” Ethan answered, his face devoid of expression.

As much as I knew it, it still broke my heart to hear Ethan say Tiffany and Damian had tried to kill me. It was unfair really. I had made many sacrifices for them, and in return they'd treated me worse than dirt.

“So, why did Damian try to kill you?”

I spat angrily, “I caught him cheating on me with my bestfriend, and I told him I was going to divorce him.”

Ethan's jaw bulged, “I'm not surprised. Damian has a knack for eliminating anybody who stands in his way.”

From the way Ethan's body tightened, I could tell he had his own greviances against Damian. The man who had decieved me, who had taken my heart and crushed it without regard.

The doctor cleared his throat, “Uhm, there's something you two need to see.”

He picked up a remote and turned on the flatscreen TV in the room. The face and voice of a newscaster filled the room, “Breaking News: The Hale and Caldwell families have announced the death of Sophia Caldwell Hale, heiress to the internationally renowned Caldwell Hotel and Suites, and wife to Damian Hale, heir to Hale Oil and Gas, in an accident. It is reported that Sophia fell from the window of a mansion in the Hamptons and although her body has not yet been found, it is believed she is dead because nobody could survive such a huge fall.”

“Surprise, surprise.” I muttered beneath my breath.

Suddenly, the camera cut from the newscaster, and showed Damian addressing a horde of reporters. His eyes were red-rimmed, his hair was dishevelled and his clothes were rumpled. He was unlike himself. The Damian I knew would never let the press catch him looking haggard.

He looked into the camera and his eyes filled with tears, “My heart is shattered. I don't know what I did to deserve this. My wife of only a few hours fell to her death, and I'm so devastated. I loved Sophia with all my heart, and I don't know if I will ever love again. Please, be kind to me and Sophia's people as we navigate these trying times, thank you.”

My heart began to pound with rage, “Liar!”

The machines hooked to me began to beep again, and the doctor came to soothe me, “Stop it, Miss Caldwell!”

“Calm down, Sophia.” Ethan laid a hand on my cast. For some reason, some of my anger ebbed at his touch, but not all.

“I can't calm down,” I growled, “Didn't you see him lying about me? He's going to get the merger with my family, and he's going to keep having an affair with my bestfriend! I can't let that happen! I have to destroy Damian Hale and everything he stands for, and I have to do it now!”

Ethan sighed, “Sophia, you're not in any state to do that.”

“Why?”

The doctor chimed in, “Dear, you have thirteen fractures in your limbs, and thirteen stitches in your abdomen. Your ribs are broken, and your face ...”

“What about my face?” Fear gripped me by the neck.

The doctor sighed and held a mirror out to my face. What had been a beautiful feminine face was now a foreign landscape mutilated with huge cuts and bruises, most of which had been sutured and patched.

“Arrrrgh!” I screamed in abject horror.

“I can't believe Damian did this to me,” I sobbed loudly, “He ruined my face!”

Ethan placed a reassuring hand on my cast, “Remember, you mustn't let your emotions run extreme. Your heart is very fragile at the moment.”

How could I not? I remembered my parents. I was their only child. I wondered how they felt thinking I was dead.

“Damian Hale has to suffer for everything he has done to me!” I ground out, my voice an unstable mixture of anger, sadness, and frustration.

Ethan put his hand beneath my chin and brought my eyes to his, “I agree. He has perpetuated evil for so long. But how do we go about it?”

“A man like Damian has secrets that will destroy him. I will expose all his secrets and make sure he suffers the consequences of his actions.” I promised.

“Sir,” The doctor interrupted, “I don't think the lady is in any state for that. It will take at least six months with intense physiotherapy for her fractures to heal, and because of the trauma she has experienced and the drugs we had to give her for her condition, she has a fifty-five percent chance of having a heart attack.”

Ethan looked like he was considering the doctor's words so I immediately called his name, “Ethan! Look at me. I don't know what Damian has done to you, but I know you want to bring him down almost as much as I do. I'm going to push myself past my limits so I can recover quickly. Please, I'm going to need you to repair, no, reconstruct my face. When I finally get better, I'm going to infiltrate Damian's life, find out the skeletons in his closet and have my revenge.”

Ethan looked up to the ceiling and sighed, “Fine. I'll help you but you must promise not to risk yourself stupidly, and not to do anything to impede your recovery.”

A heavy weight was lifted from my heart, “Yes, I agree.”

Ethan turned to the unhappy doctor, “Dr Rand, I need you to refer us to the best cosmetic surgeon you know. Money is not a problem.”

*

Seven months later, I was walking on my own and I could move my arms freely. I felt a little pain but it was nothing I couldn't handle. I'd wasted enough time, and I wanted to get my revenge on Damian immediately.

I was holed up in one of Ethan's numerous apartments in Paris, far away from the prying eyes of his family as well as mine.

The events of the last few months played in a non-ending loop in my head. My parents had put out many search teams to retrieve my missing body, but they'd all come up empty, so they'd had to bury an empty casket in my name. At my burial, Damian and Tiffany had shed crocodile tears, making the whole world believe they were actually grieving.

After that, Damian had tried to convince my parents to agree to the merger deal with my family's company, telling them it was what I would have wanted. At the moment though, my parents had not given him an answer.

I heard the front door unlock, and Ethan entered, wearing a well-tailored suit and holding a paper bag in his hand.

“I brought you croissants, I know how much you like them.” Ethan smiled.

“Thank you,” I tore open the bag and brought out the pastry, munching on it.

Ethan watched me guardedly, and my hackles rose.

“What is it? Is something wrong?”

“I have some news for you but you have to promise me you won't freak out.” Ethan warned.

Eager to hear the news, I nodded.

“Your parents are going to sign the merger deal.”

I dropped the croissant on the floor, “No! No! No! They can't do that! If they do, Damian wins! How did you know? I haven't heard anything on the news!”

After I'd been discharged from the hospital, I'd spent my days soaking up every tidbit of news, facts, and rumours I could find on Damian. If the merger deal was going to happen, I'd have known.

Ethan ran his fingers through his hair, “It's not official yet, but you know Damian. He called me to brag about it. He said the deal will be signed in about three months' time.”

“Shit! That gives me three months to get my revenge!” I'd drawn up an elaborate plan that would take my a year at least, but now I was forced to dump that.

I quickly rushed to my bathroom and went to the mirror. Immediately I saw my face, I stilled. Three months had passed after the extensive reconstructive facial surgery and I still had not gotten used to my new face. It was the antithesis of my old face, angular, slim, with a less pronounced nose and wider lips. While before I'd looked like a choir girl, now I had the aura of a movie star.

I took a pair of scissors from a drawer, and began to snip at my hair. A knock sounded on my bathroom door, and a moment later, Ethan walked in, his hands in his pockets. When he saw my hair on the counter, his eyes widened.

“What are you doing?”

“Cutting off my hair.” My hair had been back-length because that was what Damian liked, but I no longer had to please him. With each lock of hair I cut, I felt like a heavy weight was being lifted off me.

When I'd cut my hair to a chin-length bob, I looked at Ethan through the mirror and asked, “How do I look?”

Without hesitating, Ethan swallowed, “Beautiful as always.”

“Which do you prefer? My old look or this?”

“It doesn't matter. I still know it's you. You're beautiful either ways.”

I nodded, satisfied, “Good to know. Ethan, I'm ready to have my revenge.”

“Sophia, you haven't received a clean bill of health yet.” Ethan complained, “I don't want anything to go

wrong.”

I gripped the edge of the counter, “Ethan! We're running out of time. Either you help me with this, or I sneak out and do it on my own.”

“So, your new identity is Elena Montgomery. You're a Canadian socialite and heiress to three diamond mines but you've spent all your life in the US, and you're looking to invest in Hale Oil and Gas.” Ethan tossed a passport and an ID card to me. We were in a private jet, flying to his family's penthouse in Manhattan.

“You're also my girlfriend,” Ethan looked away and shrugged, “So don't be surprised when I indulge in a little PDA with you.”

“Got it.” I gave him a thumbs-up. I was excited and anxious. Finally, my plan to get revenge was underway. After I'd given Ethan the ultimatum in the bathroom, he'd tried to talk me out of it.

When I'd gone to my room and started packing, Ethan had finally given in and twenty-four hours later, we were en-route to the USA.

Ethan glanced at me, “Get some sleep. The jet lag is no joke.”

I nodded and closed my eyes, but I was too keyed up to sleep. So instead, I daydreamt of scenarios where I exposed Damian's dirty linens in public.

Almost a lifetime later, our plane landed in a private hanger. The door opened and Ethan held me as we climbed down the jet to his personal car where a chauffer waited.

His hand on the small of my back gave me rather pleasant sensations, and I almost jumped away from Ethan.

“Do you have to hold me like that? There's nobody here to see.” I asked.

Ethan helped me get into the car before going round and joining me in the backseat.

“Maybe I like touching you.” He whispered quietly as the driver sped off.

Our next stop was at a designer store in Manhattan. I'd shopped there a few times, so I knew their products were sold at exorbitant prices.

“What are we doing here?” I asked Ethan as he got out of the car and held the door open for me.

“We're having dinner with my family, you know how that goes. If you turn up looking like a tramp, my stepmother won't accept you.” Ethan laughed.

I looked at my long dinner dress, “You don't think I look good?”

“You always look beautiful to me. It's going to be a different case for my stepmother.” Ethan guided me into the store, leading me directly to the VIP section.

He called a personal shopper and asked her to get me a dinner gown, “I don't care how expensive it is.”

The personal shopper nodded and brought in a rack of dresses. I tried on about six dresses, and finally decided on a jet black strapless dress with a sequined skirt. Looking at myself in the full-length mirror, I felt like a black swan.

The personal shopper left me and returned with a jewellery box. When she opened it, I gasped with surprise. In the box were the most beautiful and eye-catching diamond necklace and matching earrings.

“Oh my God! I can't accept it.” I shook my head at the woman.

“Mr Ethan Hale already paid in full for it, and we don't do refunds.” The personal shopper told me.

I had no other option but to accept the jewellery.

Then, the shopper got me a pair of stilleto heels. I stepped into them and took one last look at myself in the mirror. Loving what I saw, I walked out of the VIP changing room.

Ethan was glancing through something on his phone, but when he noticed me, he stared.

“What? Do you like the dress?”

He nodded wordlessly.

“I still think the jewellery is over the top.” I touched the necklace, “You shouldn't have gotten it. I knew it's expensive.”

Ethan rose from his chair and came to meet me, “Are you kidding? The jewellery is the best part. The diamonds match your eyes, and they'll make your backstory more believable as you're supposed to be affiliated with diamond mines.”

Ethan's point made sense, “But I can't accept it from you. I'll pay you back for the expenses you made today.”

Ethan laughed it off, “Sophia, no, Elena, this is no skin off my back. I can afford a billion diamond necklaces.”

Together, we got into his car and the driver put it in motion. Soon, I was sweating profusely in the air-conditioned car. With each passing minute, I got more restless and my heart beat faster. I gripped my dress, willing my anxiety to go away.

Ethan must have felt my distress because he took my hand in his.

“Ethan, I'm scared.” I admitted.

“Don't be. You've worked hard to come this far, so you have to see it through.”

I was about to see Damian again. What if I couldn't control my rage? What if I failed?

“Hey, Elena.” Ethan patted my hand, “You're not doing this alone. You've got me by your side. I'll be there to take care of you and protect you. That's my promise.”

Soon, the car stopped in front of an intimidating black skyscraper, and Ethan helped me alight.

“Welcome to Hale Tower. My stepmother is waiting for us in the penthouse.” Ethan told me.

Together, we made our way through the lobby and into the elevator. Throughout all this, Ethan held onto my hand and whispered reassuring words in my ear.

The elevator doors opened and we found ourselves in an expensive apartment with security detail posted by the door.

“Ahh, little brother you've finally arrived.” The voice I heard in my horrific nightmares said.

My eyes widened as Damian Hale walked up to us. I began to fidget but I chided myself, Sophia, don't give yourself away.

“Hello, Damian.” Ethan answered in an annoyed voice, “Sorry I'm late.”

“I can see you brought a plus one too, that's a first,” Damian ribbed, “I mean, I thought maybe you didn't fancy women.”

“Oh he does fancy women,” I spoke up, “especially me.”

I looked Damian in the eye, hoping something would tip him off that he was in the presence of his nemesis. A part of me wanted him to know I was still alive, and that he'd failed.

Damian narrowed his eyes at me for a moment,

“Say, something about you seems familiar. Have we met before?”