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Chapter 1

 The whole Manhattan elite knows that Victor would never actually put a ring on a pretty little trophy like me.

 I knew it too, but I played my part as his little pet to perfection.

 By day, I was the doting girlfriend, all smiles and sweet talk. By night, I was whatever he wanted me to be in bed, catering to his every dark whim.

 Victor was dead sure I'd never have the guts to leave him.

 He even bragged to his boys: "Isabella? She's just a fling. I wouldn't marry her if she were the last woman on earth."

 Funny thing is, I never planned on sticking around anyway. At the start of the month, I already filed my paperwork to head back home.

 But why the hell is he showing up with bloodshot eyes, BEGGING me not to leave after finding out I'm gone?

 \---

 ETH Zurich, girls' dorms.

 I finished my residency app and hit send, then strapped on the ice Victor Kane had sent over.

 "The SoothingLotus necklace... Damn, Victor really drops the bag when it comes to you."

 My roommate, Rory, sighed from the next bed over. "Are you seriously gonna walk away from a golden goose like him and just bounce?"

 I caught my reflection, the diamonds made me look stunning—pure class.

 Victor definitely spoiled me—the gifts never stopped, and I had a black card with no limit.

 But none of that meant he actually gave a damn about me.

 "We're a dead end," I replied flatly.

 Rory paused, then gave my shoulder a squeeze. "Good for you. Stay woke."

 "Might as well live it up for your last thirty days in Zurich. The future's looking bright."

 In a month, my papers will clear, and I'll be on a flight out of here.

 Besides, I'd signed a top-secret NDA with the National Institute of Health, for the next five years, I'll be totally off the grid.

 I gave Rory a nod and headed out.

 It was drizzling out. I ran toward the familiar black Koenigsegg and hopped in.

 Victor had texted earlier saying he'd send a driver to pick me up for the party.

 I'd been so buried in moving prep that I was ten minutes late.

 If he's pissed, I'll have to play the part and charm him out of it.

 Half an hour later, I pulled up to the private club.

 Moving like I owned the place, I pushed open the door to the "Azure" VIP lounge.

 The second I walked in, Victor pulled me onto his lap. His minty breath tickled my neck: "What took you so long?"

 Victor was never this touchy-feely in public.

 I shied away, feeling off-balance.

 I looked up and saw a bunch of trust-fund types crowding around a beautiful woman.

 They were clownin' her: "How about you take a shot first? We gotta know if the product's actually any good."

 "What's the deal?" I asked, confused.

 Miles, sitting nearby, chimed in.

 "Don't mind us, Isabella. We just ran into an old 'friend' peddling booze, so we're 'helping' her out."

 "That doesn't look like helping to me..." I whispered, feeling for her.

 I wanted to speak up, but before I could get a word out, Victor jerked me back against him, his eyes turning stone-cold.

 In this world, money talks.

 If I tried to play hero, I'd probably just make it worse for her.

 I wasn't about to play the martyr, so I played nice and leaned into Victor, popping a cherry into his mouth.

 But then, the woman marched right up to us, staring Victor down with pure, stubborn pride.

 "Victor Kane, do you really think this is enough to get to me, Vivian Duncan?"

 The name sent a jolt through me. I remembered now.

 Vivian Duncan was the one no-go zone for Victor—the old flame who once wrecked him so hard he almost gave it all up.

 Back in the day, the Kanes and the Duncans were the ultimate power families—perfectly matched.

 The two of them were the Golden Couple of campus, a storybook romance everyone envied.

 But a week later, the Duncans announced a merger-marriage with some mega-conglomerate. Vivian ghosted Victor out of nowhere, leaving him begging in the rain all night. She didn't even look back.

 Because of that, Victor got stuck with the nickname "The King of the Shortest Heartbreak."

 The liquor was too damn strong, Vivian started choking on it, her white shirt soaking through until you could see the lace underneath.

 The guys were leering.

 "The fallen princess might be broke, but damn, she's still a smoke-show. This is getting good..."

 Before he could finish, Victor's face dropped, his voice deadly, "Close your eyes and get the hell out! Now!"

 Everyone exchanged looks and scrambled, leaving just the three of us.

 I stood up, wanting to grab a blanket for Vivian.

 But Victor glared at me, his voice like a clap of thunder. "You too. Get out!"

 Those four words felt like a sucker punch to the gut. It actually stung.

 But the best thing about being a pet is knowing how to shake it off.

 I masked up instantly, acting like it was no big deal as I turned to leave.

 Chapter 2

 As the door closed, I saw Vivian shove Victor away as he tried to hold her. "Victor," she rasped, "you lost to me again."

 Victor froze, his hands hanging there. After what felt like forever, he finally gave in and pulled her into his arms.

 "Now that you're back," he whispered, his voice cracking, "are you staying?"

 I had never seen Victor this wrecked—so desperate and completely defeated.

 For years, he'd been the untouchable boss in my life.

 Even though I'd already checked out of this one-sided mess, seeing him lose it over her...

 I felt a ping of sadness that wasn't in my job description.

 In our world, falling for the guy who pays the bills is the ultimate sin.

 So I didn't let it linger. I forced a smile, said my goodbyes, and walked out.

 The late autumn night had a real bite to it.

 I hailed a cab back to the Heights—one of Victor's pads.

 We never signed a contract, but there were unspoken rules.

 Like when he bought the place and told me: "Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. I'm sleeping here."

 So on those days, no matter what, I had to be there before sunset, waiting.

 I unlocked the door and flipped on a single warm lamp.

 I crashed on the sofa and closed my eyes, wiped out.

 Before I drifted off, I dreamt about the day we met.

 Three years ago, my dad got hit with some rare disease, and our finances went down the drain overnight.

 I was tutoring 24/7 and working shifts at a 7-Eleven, but I still couldn't cover the cost of his meds.

 When I was at my breaking point, a senior at work told me.

 "Isabella, with looks like yours, you could easily find a 'sugar daddy.' It's easy money."

 It felt wrong, but I gritted my teeth and went for it.

 I remember it was a super formal dinner. That was the first time I saw Victor—the guy everyone was sucking up to, the kind of big shot who could kill a year's work with one word.

 Afterward, I sucked it up and blocked his path, telling him I was "clean" and begging for a hand.

 My senior tried to pull me back, "Isabella! You can't just ambush him like that—"

 But then, a deep, smooth voice cut through.

 "Fine. Come with me."

 And just like that, I became Victor's side piece—the one who lasted the longest.

 I don't know how long I was out, but the sound of the door woke me up.

 Victor was back, and he looked like hell—totally pissed off.

 "You're back?"

 I started to get up, but he slammed me back onto the sofa and his lips crashed onto mine.

 He'd been drinking. The kiss was rough and desperate, like he wanted to swallow me whole.

 He bit my lip hard enough to make me wince, and I pushed against his chest.

 Victor pulled back, staring me down. "What? You gonna turn me down too?"

 Seeing the ice in his eyes, I forced myself to look up and give in.

 Victor liked that I knew my place. After we were done, he actually smirked.

 "Good girl. Same as usual—I'll have Leo drop off a new bag for you tomorrow."

 My heart sank.

 Whenever I "performed" well, he'd have his assistant, Leo, send over some designer crap.

 I actually thought it was love at first.

 But after a while... I got it. He was just treating me like a well-trained dog.

 A treat when I was good, and nothing when I wasn't.

 I turned away from him and faked being asleep.

 The next day, I headed back to campus.

 I'd just gotten back to my room when my mom called.

 I took a breath and picked up.

 She was practically buzzing. "Bella! Your dad's stable!"

 "The doctor said after one more week of the meds, he can finally come home!"

 That news was the only thing keeping me going.

 I actually smiled, "That's huge, Mom! I'll wire the money for the meds right now."

 She hummed, then got all serious.

 "You've been working so hard, sweetie. Once your dad's better, bring that boyfriend of yours home. It's time to talk about a wedding."

 I froze.

 I never told them the truth about Victor.

 I was naive at first.

 He was so good to me that I thought the "no marriage" thing was just him being scared of commitment.

 I wanted so badly to introduce him to them—to show off my "great" boyfriend.

 But Victor shut it down cold. He told me: "Isabella Harp, know your lane."

 That's when it realized he wasn't kidding.

 I was just a way to kill time.

 I swallowed the lump in my throat, "Mom, he's just buried in work. I don't think he can make it."

 Before she could push it, I made an excuse about school and hung up.

 Later, I was working on my thesis.

 Victor texted: "8:00 PM. Leo's picking you up for the auction."

 Thinking about that 'reward' he promised, I just replied: "Got it."

 But I got so sucked into my work that I almost lost track of time.

 It was 7:30 by the time I got my face on and ran out the door.

 Leo was already there, opening the door like a pro.

 On the way, he asked in his "assistant" voice, "Ms. Harp, Mr. Kane wants to know when your graduation is so he can clear his schedule."

 I forced a smile, "Twenty days."

 Twenty days. I'd go to the graduation gala, and that night, I'd be gone.

 I never even dreamed he'd actually show up.

 But now, maybe one last night together would be a good way to end this.

 We pulled up to the Starlight Auction.

 I'd been here before, so I knew the drill.

 I sent Leo home and went in to wait.

 After a while, the place started buzzing. "Kane's here," someone whispered.

 I stood up to meet him.

 But then I saw him. Victor was walking in with Vivian on his arm.

 She was in a killer deep red dress, looking every bit the heiress.

 The mess from the club was totally gone.

 I froze. The whispers started instantly.

 "See? The old flame is back. Isabella's officially irrelevant."

 "She's just a pet. She's not even in the same league as Vivian."

 I stood there, feeling like my feet were glued to the floor.

 Victor never let go of her hand. He was looking at her like she was his whole world.

 When he passed me, he just gave me a blank look—like I was some random stranger.

 I slumped back into my seat, my chest aching.

 Chapter 3

 The auction kicked off before I could even catch my breath.

 The whole place was dripping in wealth, and honestly? It made my skin crawl.

 Maybe I just wasn't cut out for this world. No matter how hard I tried, I was always the odd one out.

 Suddenly, the auctioneer stepped up to the mic.

 "Next up, we have a stunning, Grade-A natural jadeite bangle. Look at that imperial green hue—pure glass quality..."

 My heart stopped. I'd know that piece anywhere—it was my mom's.

 She used to obsess over that thing. She was always terrified of chipping it, so she'd only take it out to admire it every once in a while.

 But when my dad got sick, she pawned every piece of jewelry she owned to keep us afloat, including that bangle.

 I never thought I'd see it again, especially not at some high-end auction.

 I had to get it back for her.

 "Starting bid: 200,000 Euros!"

 Terrified someone would outbid me, I snapped my paddle up: "500,000!"

 The auctioneer's gavel hovered: "500,000 once... 500,000 twice..."

 The room was full of old money and tech bros who usually went for diamonds or Rolexes. A simple jade piece shouldn't have been on their radar.

 I thought I had it in the bag. I was getting that bangle back.

 Then, a soft, airy voice cut through the room.

 "Five million."

 I whipped my head around. It was Vivian.

 Vivian looked like she was hunting for sport. She dropped her paddle and tugged on Victor's sleeve, whispering something in his ear.

 Victor brushed a stray hair from her face, nodding with that "anything for you" look in his eyes.

 It felt like a dozen needles just slammed into my chest.

 With Victor in the game, I was dead in the water.

 But that was my mom's favorite thing in the world.

 Just as I was about to push my luck and bid again, Victor's voice rang out, loud and clear.

 "Blanket bid! I don't care what the offer is—I'll double it for the lady next to me."

 The blood drained from my face instantly. I felt completely numb.

 "Sold! Congrats to Mr. Kane on securing this piece for his lovely guest!"

 The gavel slammed down. Game over.

 Vivian slid the bangle onto her wrist and gave Victor a sweet little smile.

 The sight of it was like a slap in the face.

 The whispers around me started up like poison.

 "Who does Isabella think she is? A little pet trying to outbid a queen like Vivian?"

 "She was so full of herself before, but now that the old flame is back, she's back to being a nobody."

 I gave a bitter little laugh, stood up, and walked out.

 Whether it was my mom's jewelry or Victor himself, I was never going to win against Vivian.

 The sky was a heavy, bruised purple that felt like it was crushing me.

 Suddenly, my phone buzzed. It was the head of the National Medical Institute.

 "Ms. Harp, we've got your paperwork and files. We're thrilled to have you on the team."

 "Can you be back home by 9:00 AM on June 20th?"

 I let out a long, shaky breath. It was finally happening. "I'll be there."

 "Welcome aboard. Since the lab is high-security, we'll have a detail pick you up right at the gate."

 The director sounded genuinely hyped, his voice full of that warmth from back home.

 I actually felt a smile tug at my lips. For the first time, I felt at peace.

 This messy, transactional thing with Victor—it would all be over the second my plane touched down.

 I crashed at the dorms and didn't even bother checking my phone.

 The next morning.

 I woke up to Rory shouting across the room.

 The second she saw me, she tried to hide her phone. "Izzy... don't be upset."

 I grabbed my phone anyway. The headline was everywhere.

 \#MILLIONS FOR HIS MUSE!#

 \#Victor Kane Drops a Fortune! CEO blindsides auction, outbidding everyone to spoil mystery guest!#

 The photo showed Vivian surrounded by designer bags, flaunting the jade bangle on her wrist.

 Victor was looking at her like she was the only person in the room. Pure adoration.

 Even a stranger would be jealous of the way he looked at her.

 So that's what it looks like when Victor actually gives a damn about someone.

 Even after she publicly dumped him, he was still ready to hand her the world on a silver platter.

 I couldn't help but smirk a little. How pathetic.

 I tossed the phone aside. "I'm good, Rory. Don't worry about it."

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