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Prologue
About seven and a half years ago
Eden
My straight black hair hangs over the porcelain bowl as I’m assaulted by another round of violent dry heaving. There’s not a single thing left in my stomach, but just the whiff of pungent cleaning products from the restaurant’s bathroom triggered this relentless sickness.
Will this misery ever end?
There’s a tremble in my hands as I wipe my mouth and flush the toilet. I’m not sure if the shaking is from nerves or the lack of sustenance in my body. Maybe both.
After washing my hands at the sink, I reapply my red lipstick and black eyeliner, smudged from the tears that crept out during my heaving spell. Then, when my makeup is fixed, I dare to glance in the mirror again.
The woman that stares back is one I don’t recognize.
She’s bold.
Beautiful.
Fearless.
Smart.
She’s standing in the restroom of a high-class restaurant wearing a brand-new tight black dress and about to go on a first date with a billionaire she matched with on a kinky dating app—and she’s pretending she’s not scared out of her fucking mind.
This woman isnotme.
But I’m willing to pretend for tonight. I have to. If not for me, then for the life growing inside me. I have to pretend to be this woman because I refuse to go back. This woman is intelligent, sexy, and bold enough to seduce a rich older man for a one-way ticket out of her own life.
If he gets me away from my husband, I’ll do whatever I have to.
And I might be afraid, but I’m not ashamed.
With that, I slide my clutch under my arm, toss the paper towel into the trash, and walk out of the bathroom. My head is held high as I approach the hostess stand. With as much confidence as I can muster, I tell her my name.
“Eden St. Claire.”
“Oh yes, Mr. Kade is waiting for you,” she replies. “Right this way.”
Squeezing my small purse, I force my hands to stop shaking as I follow her. Instead of leading me into the crowd of tables in the classy restaurant, she turns toward the curtain that leads to a set of stairs. I follow her up the winding wrought iron steps until we reach the rooftop of the building.
When she opens the door, I pause. String lights cover the rooftop of the restaurant that overlooks the bay, with the sound of waves crashing against the shore in the distance. There is one single table in the center, and a tall, salt-and-pepper-haired man is standing next to it, staring pensively out at the dark ocean beyond where the moon shines over the water.
He turns when he hears the door opening and smiles at me with a warm, genuine expression.
“Eden,” he says as he approaches.
As he gets closer, I notice how handsome he is, which I guess is good. It will make this so much easier. He had a photo on his profile, but I never fully trust those, so it’s a relief to see he’s just as good-looking in person.
“Mr. Kade…sir,” I reply with a smile as he takes my hand and places a kiss on my knuckles.
“You look stunning tonight. Thank you so much for coming.”
“Thank you for inviting me,” I say.
When I notice the shake in my voice and the tension behind my smile, I keep reminding myself to be the woman in the mirror. Bold. Beautiful. Fearless.
“Please, sit down.” With my hand still resting softly in his, I follow him to the table, where he pulls back my chair, allowing me to sit.
