Mira's POV
I didn't sleep.
Again.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw it: Ryder in that hospital room with my grandmother. Watching her die. Promising to let my life explode.
Promising not to save me.
At 6 AM, I heard him moving in the living room. Getting ready for the day.
I stayed in the bedroom until I heard the front door close.
Coward.
I was being a coward.
But I couldn't face him. Not yet. Not until I figured out what to believe.
My phone rang. Unknown number.
I almost didn't answer.
Hello?
MIRA ELIZABETH CHEN!
Jade.
My best friend's voice hit me like a freight train.
Where are you? she demanded. I've been trying to reach you for three days! Your phone's been going to voicemail! I had to track down your grandmother's lawyer to get this address!
Jade, I
Don't you 'Jade I' me! I'm coming over. Right now. We're talking about this disaster.
You don't need to
Thirty minutes. Be there.
She hung up.
I looked at my phone. At the cracked screen. At my life falling apart in real time.
At least Jade was still here.
Twenty-eight minutes later, the doorbell rang.
I opened it.
Jade stood there holding wine, ice cream, and a baseball bat.
The bat's for Marcus, she announced, pushing past me into the apartment. Unless you want me to use it on someone else. Your dad, maybe? That witch Vanessa?
Despite everything, I almost smiled.
Jade was tiny barely five feet tall but she had the energy of a hurricane. Dark curly hair everywhere. Bright red lipstick. Ripped jeans and a leather jacket even though it was warm out.
She was chaos in human form.
And right now, I needed chaos.
So, Jade said, looking around the apartment. This is the famous inheritance. Small but cute. Better than Marcus's soulless penthouse. She spotted the couch with blankets on it. Someone sleeping here?
My roommate.
YOUR WHAT?
I explained. The lease. The thirty-day clause. Ryder.
Jade's eyes got wider with each sentence.
Let me get this straight, she said slowly. Your dead grandmother left you an apartment that already has a hot billionaire living in it, and you have to live together for thirty days?
He's not hot.
Liar. I saw the photo online. The one from that business magazine? The man is FINE.
That's not the point
And he makes you coffee? And breakfast? And kicked Marcus out?
Jade
Girl. She grabbed my shoulders. This is a romance novel. You're living in a romance novel.
This is a nightmare.
Same thing. She opened the wine. Okay, spill. Everything. The engagement party, Marcus, this Ryder guy, all of it.
So I did.
I told her about Marcus's announcement. Vanessa's pregnancy. My father choosing her. The viral video. Finding the apartment. Ryder being there.
The texts. The warnings. The lies.
The hospital.
When I finished, Jade was quiet for a long moment.
Then: I'm going to kill him.
Marcus?
All of them. Marcus, your dad, Ryder. Maybe Vanessa too. She took a long drink of wine. They all deserve it.
Ryder's not
He let you get destroyed, Mira! Your grandmother told him what was coming and he did NOTHING!
She asked him not to
I don't care what she asked! You don't let someone you supposedly love get their heart ripped out!
Supposedly love.
Those words hung in the air.
He doesn't love me, I said. He just... he thinks he does. Because of some painting. Some gallery show five years ago.
Did he say that? That he loves you?
I remembered his words. I've been in love with you for five years.
Yes.
And you believe him?
I don't know what to believe anymore.
Jade studied me. Do you want to believe him?
What kind of question is that?
An important one. Because here's the thing, babe you're not mad that he didn't save you. You're mad that he saw you drowning and had to follow someone else's rules instead of jumping in.
That's not
You wanted him to choose you over his promise to your grandmother. To break his word because saving you mattered more.
My chest tightened.
That's insane.
Is it? Or is it just scary?
Jade
The front door opened.
Ryder walked in carrying grocery bags.
He stopped when he saw Jade.
Hi, he said carefully. You must be Jade.
And you must be the stalker billionaire. Jade stood up, all five feet of fury. We need to talk.
Jade, don't I started.
No. He needs to hear this. She walked right up to Ryder. You let my best friend get humiliated. You watched her life explode. You could have stopped it and you didn't. So explain to me right now why I shouldn't hit you with this baseball bat.
Ryder set down the groceries. Looked Jade straight in the eye.
You should hit me, he said quietly. I deserve it. What I did what I didn't doit was wrong. I know that.
Jade blinked. You're... agreeing with me?
Yes. Mira deserved to be warned. She deserved better. She deserved everything I didn't give her.
Then why didn't you warn her?
Because a dying woman asked me not to. And I thought... I thought she knew best. I thought Mira needed to hit bottom before she could rebuild.
That's not your choice to make!
I know. Ryder's voice was raw. I know that now. But I made a promise. And I kept it. Even though it killed me to watch her suffer.
Suffered because of YOU!
Because of Marcus. Because of her father. Because of people who were supposed to love her and didn't. Ryder's hands were fists at his sides. I'm not innocent. I know that. But I'm not the one who hurt her. I'm the one trying to help her heal.
By lying to her?
By giving her a safe place to land.
They stared at each other.
Then Jade said, If you hurt her again, I'll destroy you. I don't care how rich you are. I will END you.
Fair enough.
Jade grabbed her jacket. I need air. Mira, come with me.
I should
Now.
We walked out together, leaving Ryder standing in the apartment.
On the street, Jade turned to me.
He's in love with you, she said.
You can't know that.
Yes, I can. I saw how he looked at you. How he talked about watching you suffer. That man is destroyed by what he did.
Good. He should be.
Mira. Jade grabbed my hand. I know you're scared. I know this is all insane. But I also know you. And I saw your face when he walked in.
I was surprised
You lit up. For just a second. Then you shut it down. But it was there.
I don't
You feel something for him. Admit it.
I couldn't.
Because admitting it meant admitting I was falling for someone who might be playing me.
Someone who knew too much. Who controlled too much. Who watched me burn and did nothing.
It doesn't matter how I feel, I said. He's a liar.
Maybe. Or maybe he's a man who made a really hard choice and is trying to fix it.
By buying my law firm? My building? My life?
By giving you options. Jade squeezed my hand. Look, I don't trust him. Not yet. But I also don't trust your judgment right now. You just got out of a relationship with a man who didn't see you at all. Now there's a man who maybe sees you too much. You don't know how to handle that.
I handle things fine.
Do you? Because from where I'm standing, you're running. Again.
That hurt.
Because it was true.
We went back to the apartment. Ryder was gone. A note on the counter:
Went for a walk. Wanted to give you space. There's food in the fridge. R
Jade read it over my shoulder.
He left you food.
He always leaves me food.
And you don't think that's sweet?
I think it's controlling.
Or caring.
Same thing.
Not even close, babe.
Jade left an hour later. Made me promise to text her every day. Threatened Ryder one more time for good measure.
That night, I sat on the couch waiting for Ryder to come back.
He didn't.
Not at eight. Not at nine. Not at ten.
At eleven, I started to worry.
At midnight, I texted him: Where are you?
No response.
At one AM, I called.
Voicemail.
At two AM, I was pacing the apartment like a crazy person.
What if something happened to him? What if he left? What if
The door opened.
Ryder walked in.
Where were you? I demanded.
He looked surprised. Walking. Thinking.
For eight hours?
I didn't want to make you uncomfortable.
So you just... disappeared?
I left a note.
A note isn't enough! I thought I stopped. Took a breath. I thought something happened to you.
Something shifted in his expression. You were worried.
Of course I was worried! You left and didn't come back and with everything happening
You care.
I The words stuck in my throat.
Ryder stepped closer. You were worried about me. That means you care. At least a little.
I'd be worried about anyone
No. You wouldn't. He was right in front of me now. You'd be relieved if Marcus disappeared. Indifferent if your father did. But meyou were worried.
My heart was pounding.
Don't, I whispered.
Don't what?
Don't make this something it's not.
What is it, then?
I don't know!
Yes, you do. His voice was soft. Intense. You feel it too. This thing between us. You're just too scared to admit it.
There's nothing between us.
Liar.
You're the liar! You let me
I know what I did. And I'll regret it for the rest of my life. But it doesn't change this. Us. Whatever's happening here.
Nothing's happening.
Then why were you worried?
Because I stopped.
Because I cared.
I cared about this man who lied to me. Who controlled pieces of my life? Who watched me suffer?
I cared and I hated that I cared.
I'm going to bed, I said.
I walked to my room. Closed the door.
But I didn't lock it.
That night, I couldn't sleep. Again.
I kept thinking about Ryder's words. About Jade's. About everything.
At 4 AM, my phone buzzed.
Unknown: Time for the next truth. The baby isn't Marcus's. It's his best man's David Chen. Yes, THAT David Chen. Your cousin. Vanessa was sleeping with both of them. Marcus doesn't know. But Ryder does. He's been sitting on this information, waiting. Ask yourself why. Ask yourself what he's planning to do with it. And ask yourself what he wants in return for keeping your family's dirty secret.
I stared at the message.
David. My cousin David.
The baby was David's.
And Ryder knew.
I walked out of my room. Ryder was awake on the couch, reading.
He looked up when he saw me.
Is the baby Marcus's? I asked.
His face went pale.
That was answer enough.
Who is it? I demanded. Who's the father?
Silence.
TELL ME!
David, Ryder said quietly. Your cousin David.
The room spun.
How long have you known?
Since before the engagement party.
And you said nothing.
It wasn't my secret to tell.
It's my FAMILY!
Exactly. Your family. Your mess. Not mine to clean up.
But you knew! You knew Vanessa was lying! You knew Marcus was being played too!
Would telling you have changed anything? Would you have believed me? Or would you have thought I was trying to break you up because I wanted you for myself?
I opened my mouth. Closed it.
He was right.
I wouldn't have believed him.
What else? I whispered. What else are you hiding?
Ryder looked at me for a long moment.
Then he said words that changed everything:
Your grandmother didn't die of heart failure. She was poisoned. And I know who did it.