Chapter 3

The next day, I was half asleep when someone yanked me out of bed and threw me onto the floor.

Pain ripped me fully awake.

I opened my eyes. Leander loomed over me, rage twisting his face.

Slap.

His hand cracked across my face.

Then his hand closed around my throat.

"Why did you do it?"

"Celia shaved your head and shoved a wig full of dog fur on you, so you hired a man to rape her?"

"If I hadn't gotten there in time, she would've actually been assaulted."

"Annelise, when did you become this vicious?"

My ears rang from the slap. I shook it off and met his eyes.

"If you're going to frame me, Leander, at least show me some proof."

That only made him angrier.

He slapped me again.

"Evidence? I caught the man last night and beat him up. He told me you sent him after Celia."

Behind him, Celia pulled out her phone and played a video of Leander interrogating the man.

"Annelise, neither of us wanted to believe it was you, but the facts are right here. Watch it yourself."

On the screen, the man spoke like there wasn't a doubt in his mind.

"Annelise Corbett hired me. She wanted me to assault Ms. Norwood and promised me seventy thousand dollars after it was done."

Pain twisted through my chest.

"He's lying. I've never even met him."

I looked at Leander, and something in me went cold.

"Is that really the kind of person you think I am? You'd rather believe a stranger than your own wife?"

Leander shook his head.

"That's why I believe him. He doesn't even know you. If you didn't do it, why would a total stranger frame you?"

He clapped his hands.

The man from the video stepped into the room.

Leander's gaze turned glacial.

"You'd better tell the truth. Otherwise, I'll let him do to you exactly what you ordered him to do to Celia."

I stared at him, unable to believe what I'd heard.

"You're insane. I'm your wife. You can't do this to me."

He gave me a cold smile.

"Then tell the truth."

"I didn't do anything. What truth do you want me to tell?"

That wasn't the answer Leander wanted. He looked at the man, who was already rubbing his hands together.

"Use whatever it takes to make her confess. Do that, and I'll let what you tried to do to Celia slide."

The man's grin turned filthy.

"Don't worry. I'll make her give you whatever answer you want."

Leander took Celia's hand and walked out, leaving me alone with him.

"Leander! I regret ever loving you!"

Leander stopped.

Hope flared for one stupid second.

Then he walked away without looking back.

The man unbuckled his belt and licked his lips.

"Damn. You're beautiful. Can't believe I got this lucky."

He pulled off his pants and forced himself on top of me.

Panic slammed into me.

"Get off me! Don't touch me—Leander, help me... please... help me!"

I kept waiting for Leander to burst back through that door and stop it.

He didn't.

No matter how hard I screamed, he never came back.

Something inside me went completely still.

I shut my eyes in despair.

The man raped me.

He laughed while I cried.

Tears ran down my cheeks and over my lips, bitter and hot.

His movements were brutal. Pain tore through me.

At the worst of it, my mind betrayed me with a memory of my first time with Leander.

He had been careful then, almost reverent as he kissed me.

"You're mine. Only mine."

The man who once swore I was his had handed me to someone else himself.

Whatever love I had left died.

Hatred took its place.

I didn't know how long it lasted before the man finally got up, still looking satisfied.

"Damn, that was good. Maybe I'll come back for more."

He smacked his lips and walked away.

Every inch of me hurt as I reached for my phone and called Gideon.

"Gideon, I'll marry you."

"Draft the divorce papers now. Prepare a claim for damages too."

"I don't just want a divorce anymore. I want every one of them to pay for what they did."