Page 18 of Secret Seduction

I check the garbage in the bathroom and then the one in the living room. And both are empty. Which means we had unprotected sex.

My thoughts go back to Hillary, swearing she was on birth control when she wasn’t. Bile rises in my throat, and I make it to the toilet just in time to throw up.

I’m already trying to deal with the fallout of one woman trapping me.

I can’t do this again.

7

Vanessa

My plan clearly didn’t go as … well, planned. Which doesn’t surprise me since it wasn’t exactly well thought out.

But at the same time, it kind of did. Because we’re married, and everyone thinks we slept together—albeit they think I drugged and raped him, which is partially true.

I did drug him.

But aside from taking his clothes off, except his boxers, I didn’t touch him.

But I can’t tell him that because he has to believe we slept together.

It’s the only way.

My life is literally on the line, and the only person I can trust is myself.

The entire trip home, everyone is quiet, the mood ruined, thanks to me.

The couples keep to themselves, and Lorenzo makes it a point to stay as far away from me as possible.

Nicole glances at me a few times, hurt and confusion etched on her features. And I don’t blame her. What I did was beyond messed up. But I had no choice.

I want to tell her what happened, but I can’t risk it. She might be on the outs with her father, but disagreeing over how her inheritance should be spent or whether she should take the bar exam is different from telling her that her father—the only parent she has—is trying to sell my virginity to someone to pay off his debt.

What if she doesn’t believe me?

What if she chooses him over me and helps him kidnap me?

What if she tells Brielle, and the Antonovs hand me over to him?

My phone pings with a text—thanks to the Wi-Fi onboard—and when I read it, the blood drains out of my body.

Asshole (Eric)

You don’t want to piss me off, little girl. I’ll have a car waiting for you when you get back to Harbor Point. Make the right decision and go with my men.

I stare at the text for several seconds before I type out my response.

Me

I’m not going anywhere with you.

And then—because, fuck it, I did all this for a reason, and he’s obviously aware that I overheard them talking—I add one more text.

Me

BTW, I got married last night … and I’m no longer a virgin. Guess you’ll have to find another way to pay back your debt.

With shaky fingers, I hit Send and then turn off the alerts from his number, knowing that my getting married and losing my virginity is going to piss him off and send him off the deep end.