Logan’s face darkened, his eyes narrowing in simmering anger. “Why didn’t you wear the dress I sent you today?”
Daphne pressed her lips together, her hands fidgeting at her sides.
How could she possibly explain? Her body was covered in marks—marks he had left on her. That off-shoulder dress? She couldn’t wear it. Wouldn’t wear it.
It would’ve been like baring her shame for the world to see. But even with her modest gown, she hadn’t managed to escape the biting accusations and sneers at the party.
Her silence only fed Logan’s growing impatience. He took a step closer, his voice cutting like a blade. “What’s the matter? Hooked up with Kyle again, huh? Damn it, Daphne. I’ve really underestimated you.”
Before she could respond, Logan shoved her against the wall, the force of it making her breath hitch. His hand grabbed at her dress, tearing it open with ruthless determination.
“Logan!” she gasped, struggling against his grip. “You’re engaged to Madison! We can’t keep doing this—”
But her words only seemed to fuel his rage. His actions grew rougher, his voice dripping with venom. “You? Telling me what I can and can’t do? Don’t kid yourself, Daphne. You’re nothing more than a tool for my emotions. That’s all you’ve ever been.”
With a final, unforgiving yank, the dress fell in tatters to the floor. Daphne’s body trembled as she felt the last shred of dignity drain from her. \She squeezed her eyes shut, unwilling to look at the man who had once held her heart in the palm of his hand.
...
Daphne hadn’t always been this way—a shadow of her former self.
Once, she’d been the darling of the town, the prized daughter of one of the city’s wealthiest families. Back then, young men from every corner of the city would’ve lined up for miles just to catch a glimpse of her.
But Daphne had eyes for only one person: Logan.
Logan Carmichael, the illegitimate son of a powerful family, had spent much of his youth living in the shadows. The world looked down on him, dismissing him as unworthy of someone like Daphne Ravenscroft.
But Logan had been determined to prove them wrong. For her, he studied relentlessly, dedicating himself to business management.
And when he finally began earning the respect of the upper class, he set his sights on winning her heart completely.
At the height of his devotion, Logan rented every outdoor screen in Long Beach, Los Angeles to publicly propose to her. It was a grand gesture that convinced Daphne she was destined to be the happiest woman in the world.
But happiness could slip through your fingers when you least expect it.
The downfall of the Ravenscroft family came swiftly and brutally. Overnight, their stocks plummeted, employees jumped ship, and her father was reduced to a broken man, his health failing under the weight of it all.
At the time, Logan had been abroad, preparing to take over the Carmichael empire.
Daphne hadn’t had the heart to tell him the truth about her family’s collapse. She didn’t want to drag him down, didn’t want to become his burden.
The two of them had made plans to marry as soon as he returned to the States. But how could she walk down the aisle when she was drowning in shame, her family’s name in ruins?
The final blow came when Logan’s mother visited her. Her words were sharp and cutting—words Daphne never wanted to remember. But they’d been enough to make her take action.
She forced herself to call and tell Logan she no longer loved him. When he refused to believe her, she roped Kyle into her scheme, using him to stage an elaborate lie.
The fallout was immediate.
Logan, devastated and enraged, flew back to confront her. But on the way to meet her, he was caught in a horrific car accident on the airport expressway. The crash was brutal, leaving him trapped in the mangled wreckage of his car.
Daphne had been at the hospital when they brought him in, bloodied and barely alive. She’d only caught a glimpse of him as they rushed him into the emergency room, but it had been enough to shatter her resolve.
Afterward, Logan’s family whisked him away for treatment abroad. She didn’t see him again until earlier this year when he returned to Los Angeles and acquired the Ravenscroft Enterprise at auction. That day, her father collapsed from the shock, needing emergency medical attention.
Daphne had knelt before Logan, begging him to save her father.
He’d agreed—but only on one condition.
She would become his mistress.
Daphne, with no choice, accepted.
The arrangement began on Logan’s terms, as cold and transactional as a business deal. And yet, even within the confines of their twisted relationship, he found ways to punish her.
The following day, her father’s condition took a sudden turn for the worse. Specialized medication was needed to stabilize him, but without Logan’s approval, the hospital refused to act.
Desperate, Daphne called him over and over again, only to be met with silence.
When she realized he was intentionally ignoring her, she took matters into her own hands.
Tracking him down to a private bar, she walked into a scene of decadence: Logan lounging on a sofa, surrounded by friends and strangers alike, his expression one of lazy indifference.
She froze, her heart pounding. This man had once promised her forever, now a stranger reveling in her despair.
