Her Sacrifice, His Blind Hatred

o donate bone marrow to his fiancée

w up with, the man who now despised me. But his fiancée,

kneel on the broken crystal until my knees bled. She framed me for assault a

sex tape I never leaked

n an unfinished skyscraper, hundreds of feet in th

lesson yet, Cora? Are y

napped. My parents plum

taste of blood filled my mouth, a symp

ugly sound. "Feel free to jump off that roof if it

" I wh

the edge of the building

pte

one marrow extractio

exposed. She didn' t look at the instrument, but she

, his voice gentle, but it didn't soften

n her car. He looked out at the city, a king surveying his domain. His fiancée, Harlow Hughes, had been in an

ad turne

The woman he believed wo

e pierced

to make a sound. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Her body stiffened, every

ated through her entire body. She squeezed h

e. It was the only

was over. The doctor bandaged the wou

hrobbed with a dull, persistent agony. She

andsome as ever, but his eyes were cold, comple

he asked, hi

wn voice. She just wanted this

naged to say, her voice

gement that bound her to him. The job. Th

stood. Or perha

out a checkbook. He scribbled a number, t

er. "Your price. You've always been good at

er harder than

e face she had loved since she was a child. The fa

for it. Her fingers brushed agains

. She needed the m

bowed to hide the tears that threatened to fall. She picked

ld on her skin. She leaned against the wall, the pain in her

always l

before the money,

not a cold-hearted billionaire

d him as their own. He was the star of their small, happy family. He and Cora grew up like siblings, but their bond was de

ess. Cora was his shadow, his confidante, the keeper of his smiles.

ttered the day his biol

f tech. A ruthless titan who saw people as pawns. He wanted hi

rcumstances. Her father, a good and honest man, was framed for an assault he didn't commit. Her

an impossible choice. He off

ell my son you never loved him. Tell him you'd rather have this th

gust from the poison of his

ved more than life itself, and delivere

llion dollars. What could you possibly

tered heartbreak-was a wound she w

is heart filled with a burning desire for reveng

years

self-made billionaire, colder and more ruthless t

ew life, his new fiancée, and his endless, creative cruelty.

pocket and looked at the nu

parents' mounti

ugh for

what no one knew, was tha

tors had given her weeks, ma

. It was to make her parents comfortable in th

sat on a bench. She looked at the ch

pinned. His profile picture was a cold, corporate logo. Hers w

ided. Full of messages she

day. Remember how we us

s so big now. It's

he news today.

empts to bridge a chasm of se

w message, her

, I'm

he words, her v

eaking his heart? For saving h

ointless. He wouldn't see it anyw

robbing reminder of the day. A physical

ed his hatred. She

ght when the pain kept her awake

? The girl who climbed trees with him

aced by the money-hungry mons

k, feeling a wave of ex

thief, stealing her stren

ged everything for after she was gone. A tru

ange sense of

t was al

of August on

s a silent prayer to a god she no

e to leave you

ust. I don't owe yo

ical wound on her back was fresh and ra

now. It was a familiar pain,

o a dark, cold ocean. And there w

l, stubborn part of her refu

still loved the boy u

gled with a hate so

. It was all