Women a tool or a treasure

For nine years, I was Kane Hill' s secret. I was his emotional punching bag, the convenient stand-in for my twin sister, Harper-the woman he truly loved. I endured his cruelty, convincing myself his control was a twisted form of love.

Then, just before he announced their engagement, Harper sent me a recording. It was Kane, his voice smooth and dismissive.

"Eden? She's useful," he told Harper. "An emotional pressure valve. I need to vent on someone so I can be the perfect man for you."

The cold truth shattered me. I wasn't a person, not even a substitute. I was a tool. That night, he polished Harper's engagement ring right in front of me before ending our nine-year "game" with a single, bored phone call.

He never knew that I was the girl who had saved him at a summer camp all those years ago, not Harper. He'd called my attempts to tell him the truth "pathetic."

So I packed a single bag and vanished into the night, leaving his gilded cage for a quiet farm in Vermont. But just as I started to heal, he found me, clutching the proof of my story in his hand, begging for a second chance I had no intention of giving.

Chapter 1

Kane arrived late, as he always did. The familiar click of the key in the lock sent a shiver down my spine, a mix of anticipation and dread that had become my nightly ritual. It was almost midnight, but for him, the night was just beginning.

He stepped into the living room, his suit jacket already off, tie loosened. His eyes, sharp and assessing, landed on me.

"You're still up." It wasn't a question.

My hands, which had been clutching a book I wasn't reading, tightened. "I was waiting for you."

He raised an eyebrow. "Loyalty, I suppose. Or boredom?" His voice was smooth, edged with a familiar skepticism. He always questioned my motives, even the simplest ones.

I lowered my gaze, a knot forming in my stomach. "Neither. Just... waiting." The words felt small, insignificant. They always did when I spoke to him.

A faint, humorless smile touched his lips. "Don't pout, Eden. It doesn't suit you." He walked past me, his expensive cologne filling the air, a scent I both loved and hated because it always preceded his demands.

I remained silent, standing rigid in the middle of the room. It was easier that way. Less chance of saying the wrong thing.

"Come here." His voice was low, a command.

My feet moved before my brain gave the order. Nine years. Nine years of automatic obedience.

He stopped in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror. His reflection, tall and powerful, loomed over mine. He ran a hand over his jaw. "You look tired. Dark circles." He tilted my chin up, his thumb brushing under my eye. "And a little... dull."