chapter seven

NUMB with shock, Sophia sat in the stateroom of Damian’s luxury yacht, watching over her mother.

She knew she had to move but she ached from head to foot after her fall onto the hard floor. Every time she tried to boost her spirits panic descended, squashing her flat. She had nothing. No money, no home, no job, no means to support herself. And the craziest thing of all was that none of that depressed her as much as the knowledge that Damian had set her up. That nothing about that night had been real.

It was humiliating to admit that she’d been so naïve it hadn’t even occurred to her to be suspicious when he’d invited her to attend the party. She’d seen him as heroic instead of as he really was—a ruthless businessman who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.

He was no better than her father.

She was going to have to try and find someone else to give her a business loan but she already knew her father would block every avenue.

In the midst of her lowest moment ever, the door to t