"Take the fall for Xena, a full five-year sentence, and I’ll ensure your mother's safety. Once you're released, you will still be the respected heiress of the Sackler family. This offer is too good to refuse!”
...
Five years later, Paige Sackler walked out of prison, only to discover that her family had cut ties with her and kept her mother away from her.
Xena Sackler gave her an ultimatum; either she ends her engagement with Louis, the heir of the Carnegie family, or never seeing her mother again.
Paige agreed to the breakup, yet now her grandma Margaret, the head of the Sackler family business, demanded that she call off the wedding within three days and tie the knot with someone else.
Marry someone else within three days? Fresh out of jail? Was she expected to marry just anyone to satisfy her grandmother's whim?
For her mother’s sake, Paige conceded.
With only three days, time was of the essence; she had to hurry and break things off with Louis.
Rumor had it that Louis had been staying at the elegant Windrain Tower. Paige headed straight there.
Dressed in her old clothes from five years ago, an out-of-fashion white dress, her hair simply tied back in a ponytail, she could easily be mistaken for an unsophisticated outsider at first glance.
But that face, untouched by makeup, pure and radiant with striking features, had the makings of a natural beauty.
Five years had transformed the fresh-faced eighteen-year-old. Now, her visage bore a captivating presence.
Paige slipped past people and cameras, took the stairs, and found herself at Louis's door.
As she reached out to knock, the door swung open.
Peering inside, Paige inquired, “Is Mr. Carnegie in? May I come in?”
No sooner had she spoken than a strong hand reached out and whisked her inside.
Before she could react, Paige found herself flush against a solid chest.
His scent was intoxicating, the surge of the vibe hitting Paige's senses like a freight train.
As she attempted to push away the man who'd wrapped himself around her, she was suddenly spun around and then pressed firmly against the door, which clicked shut and locked behind them.
Looking up, Paige saw the towering silhouette of a man, the dim light in the room leaving his features in shadow. She assumed that with such familiarity, it must be Louis.
Feeling his warm breath drifting closer to her ear, Paige had a sudden inkling that something was amiss.
Just then, the man leaned in close to Paige, his body pressing against hers. He whispered in her ear, a hint of seduction tinted with desperation, "I've been drugged by someone. Help me out. Name your price, whatever it is, I'll pay."
Paige's heart pounded as the word 'price' struck her, indignation flaring up. She thought Louis mistook her for the kind of woman who could be bought, and in a rush of humiliation, she raised her hand to slap him across the face. To her dismay, her arm felt as though it were filled with lead, not a trace of strength to be mustered.
For what seemed like an eternity, all she could feel was her body going jelly, overpoweringly weak and unable to resist. She couldn't even muster a sound from her throat.
Seizing the opportunity, the man effortlessly scooped her up and carried her straight to the bed...
After a long while, Paige finally struggled out of her enfeebled state. The mortification washed over her as she peeled back the covers just enough to see her own bare skin.
The sound of the shower came from the bathroom, and Paige recalled she had come here to break off her engagement. Seeing the face of this man, Louis again after ten years in such a manner, she knew she could not do it.
The room was filled with awkwardness, and she didn't want to make it worse.
With that thought, she tossed aside the sheets and reached for her clothes. She was all dressed and about to leave when a phrase that the man had whispered struck her: "Name your price."
Furrowing her brows, Paige rummaged through her purse, finally pulling out a single penny.
She left the coin on the nightstand, penned a quick note, and made for the door.
Just as her fingers were about to graze the doorknob, it turned from the other side.
Someone was opening the door!
Paige was startled, hand retracting as a voice came from outside, "Mr. Louis, our master... he's truly unwell."
Paige's mind raced. Louis?
That meant the man outside was Louis? Then, who was the man in the shower?