Chapter 1My rival Cade floored his car into my wedding limo—wanted us both dead.
I woke up with no memory. He's in a wheelchair now, legs wrecked.
Rolled up, grabbed my hand. "Baby, it's me. Your fiancé."
I believed him. Five years.
Worshipped me till he got bored. Then this girl shows up at our party—young, giggly, exactly like I used to be.
Spin the bottle. Lands on her.
"Truth or dare?"
"Truth." She's grinning. "I'm screwing the boss." Waves my ring. Pats her belly. "Four months pregnant. He's mine for the next six, so... wifey? He's all yours now."
Dead silence.
Cade's staring at me.
I smile.
"Cool. Take him."
His face goes white.
Idiot doesn't know I remember everything.
Payback time.
---
"Seraphina, just listen. I told her to keep her mouth shut, but she wouldn't—"
Cade steps closer, reaching for my hand.
I lift my foot and press my heel into his shoulder, shoving him toward the girl.
She catches his arm, chin up, grinning.
"What are you freaking out for? You kept begging me not to say anything in front of her. I thought she'd be terrifying or something."
She looks me up and down and sneers.
"But look at this. Total pushover. I just spilled everything, and she didn't even blink. Pathetic."
"Come on, baby daddy. Let's go home. Time to cook me some pregnancy food."
Cade doesn't move.
He just stares at me hard, probably pissed I'm not crying or begging. Searching my face for something.
I hold up three fingers and smile.
"Who said you could leave? Keep playing."
"First. I have a marriage certificate. I'm not the mistress."
She freezes, her smile cracking.
"Second. I've got tons of rings. He bought out the whole case. Told me to rotate them." I take a breath. "The one you stole? My least favorite. Cheapest one too."
Her face hardens and her eyes narrow.
Someone mutters nervously:
"Sera, stop. Rayne's psycho. Seriously. Don't push her."
I smile and let my gaze drop to her stomach.
"Third. Cade tried a labor simulator once." I tilt my head slightly. "Said it hurt too much. Told me he'd rather go childfree. Or adopt. Though... maybe he just meant I shouldn't suffer. Maybe he'd let someone else handle the hard part?"
Rayne's face drains white.
I lower my hand and smile wider.
"You lose."
Dead silence.
Then everyone scrambles.
"See? She still loves him! She's trying to win him back!"
"Okay, okay. Game's done. Everyone chill."
Cade exhales and drops Rayne's wrist, stepping toward me with a smile.
I shake my head, my eyes locked on her.
"You can have Cade."
I lean forward.
"But your punishment? I want the baby."
"Bitch, are you insane? I'm carrying it. My kid only knows—"
I cut her off, still smiling.
"I mean right now."
I slide a fruit knife across the table.
The blade catches her reflection—twisted, furious, terrified.
Chapter 2
Rayne lost it.
She grabbed a bottle and smashed it on the table, coming at me with the broken neck.
"You got a death wish?!"
Cade and his boys rushed to grab her. Too slow.
I pressed the knife against her stomach before she could swing. The fabric was thin. I could feel the heat and the curve underneath.
She froze. Sweat dripped down her face and her hands started shaking.
I watched her crack and almost laughed.
Psycho beauty? Sure. She looked like me once. But she's just a cheap copy.
All these years, I'd been so good around Cade. So tame. He forgot what I'm really like.
"Seraphina!"
Cade yanked her behind him, his hand covering her belly. Pure instinct.
"Stop."
I tilted my head. "Stop what? She started it. She fights, she pays."
Silence.
Cade sighed, his voice going soft. "Then I'll pay."
He walked toward me slowly.
The knife sank into his side. White shirt. Red blood spreading fast. My eyes stung.
He didn't even flinch. Just smiled and touched my face.
"Better now?"
"Cade, what the hell?!"
Rayne screamed and tried to rush him. He scooped her up and carried her out. She thrashed and cursed the whole way down.
I leaned over the window.
Rayne was shrieking she'd kill me, sobbing while checking his wound. And Cade? His hand never left her belly. The two of them tangled together.
I smiled.
People are so weird.
Cade and I used to hate each other. Real enemies. He'd steal my deals, I'd burn his office. I thought he wanted me dead.
Crazy that he loved me. Disgusting that he stopped.
I pressed my hand to my chest and tried to ignore the ache. Even worse? I loved him too.
That afternoon I stared at my phone.
Declan Morrison. The man I actually loved. He'd been looking for me for five years.
But Cade fed him fake leads and sent him overseas chasing ghosts. Used "protecting me from enemies" as cover to watch me 24/7. Himself or one of his guys.
My phone had a tracker. Every call screened. Every text read. Couldn't even post a photo without it getting blocked. Cade locked me in a gold cage and melted the lock.
A notification popped up.
Friend request. Profile pic: Cade and Rayne. Beach sunset. Her curled in his arms, grinning.
I accepted.
She sent a flood of photos. Cade rubbing oil on her stomach, eyes soft, hand circling her belly. Kitchen shot with him in an apron, fancy pregnancy meals lined up.
Then a voice message, dripping with smugness:
"His friends said you were his white moonlight. Big love, whatever. Guess what? He got bored. I don't care who's the wife. Only the loved one wins. Oh—I sent you something. Sign for it."
The doorbell rang.
Delivery. Divorce papers.
Cade's signature already there in sharp strokes. Definitely his.
I stared at his name. Then I laughed for real.
Did she think I'd beg?
I signed fast, took a pic, and sent it to Cade.
"Congrats on the wedding."
My phone blew up instantly.
Chapter 3
I ignored every call.
Five minutes later, the door exploded open.
Cade stood there gasping for air. He'd sprinted here so fast his wound ripped open, blood spreading across his side like spilled wine.
He didn't even look down. Just stormed at me, snatched the divorce papers, and tore them apart.
That wasn't enough. He lit the scraps on fire and watched them burn to ash.
Then his eyes snapped to mine. Wild. Dangerous.
"Sera. You know I'd rather die than lose you."
"You know she tricked me into signing that."
"So why'd you sign too?"
Before I could answer, he grabbed my face and kissed me. Rough. Desperate. I could taste blood.
I twisted away and laughed through my teeth.
"Right. Can't lose me. But hooking up with her? Totally fine."
He froze.
"What, you think I'm so desperate I'll never leave?"
His face crumpled. He pressed his cheek to my neck like a wounded animal.
"I messed up. Just—tell me what you want."
"Make her get rid of it."
His answer came instantly. "Done."
"Break up with her."
He went quiet for a moment.
"...Yeah. Fine."
I said nothing and just smiled.
Then a scream ripped through the air from my phone on the pillow.
"Cade, you piece of shit!"
His face drained white.
I held up my screen with the call still active.
I'd been broadcasting to his little girlfriend the whole time.
Rayne was losing it on the other end.
"You're dumping me and the baby? Hope you choke!"
She hung up.
Cade looked ready to explode, his jaw clenched so hard I thought his teeth would crack.
But when he looked at me, he swallowed it down. He shoved past me and bolted.
By the time I lazily tracked his GPS to some bridge, they were already at peak soap opera.
Fighting. Kissing. Shoving. Clinging.
The second Cade saw me, his whole body tensed. He pulled Rayne behind him.
His voice was strained. "Sera. Back off. She's unstable. Don't push her."
But Rayne stepped out from behind him.
Still crying. But her eyes were gleaming.
She flew at me and hissed in my ear:
"Men lie, sweetie. Don't listen to what they say. Watch what they do."
"I've got his kid in here. So who's he picking—you or us?"
Then she locked her hands around my throat and jumped.
The ice cracked. We crashed into water so cold it felt like broken glass in my lungs.
Everything burned.
Rayne's voice echoed above the surface, half-panicked, half-smug.
"Cade! I'm pregnant with your baby! You really gonna let me die?!"
Through the chaos and spray, Cade dove in and thrashed toward us.
He hesitated for just a second.
Then he grabbed her.
"Sera, you swim great! You'll make it! But she can't!"
Rayne buried her face in his shoulder and looked back at me, mouthing:
"I. Win."
I smiled back.
"Or maybe we both do?"
She stiffened, her eyes going sharp.
But I didn't call out.
I didn't swim up.
Cade was right. I could swim.
And I just realized something.
If I couldn't leave him alive...
What about dead?
The light filtered down pale and thin.
I watched their shadows tangled together and let myself sink deeper.
Goodbye, Cade.
I was about to slip away into the dark.
But the shadow above me stopped.
