chapter 1

A month before our wedding, I got caught in a fire. My face was destroyed.

Vincent Laurent lost it. He fired every single servant in the house and immediately got me into the best reconstructive surgery hospital in the city.

I was stuck in bed recovering when I overheard him talking to my plastic surgeon. They didn't know I was awake.

"Ms. Collins's scars can definitely be fixed," the doctor said. "So why do you want to leave such a huge one on her face?"

Vincent's voice was cold. "Serena's back. I don't need another face that looks like hers anymore."

"But you didn't have to stage an actual fire. What if something had gone wrong? What if Ms. Collins had actually died?"

"She won't die. I won't let that happen." Vincent sounded so sure of himself. "She's been with me for three years. I'm going to give her the perfect wedding. But her face? It can stay ruined."

That was when I finally understood. I'd been nothing but Serena's replacement this whole time.

Later, I faked my death during the surgery. Vincent tore the entire Harbor City apart looking for someone with features similar to mine.

*****

"When Avery wakes up, you need to keep your mouth shut about this."

Vincent's tone made it clear he wasn't asking. "The scar on her left eye has to stay. It can never be fixed. That's the only way she won't look so much like Serena."

Just saying Serena Walsh's name made his whole face soften. Through the glass window of the recovery room, I could see the love in his eyes. It was so obvious it made me sick.

"But burn scars are so ugly," the doctor said. He sounded genuinely concerned. "Ms. Collins must care about her appearance. She's a pretty well-known artist, and you two are about to get married. Honestly, you could just cancel the wedding and be with Ms. Walsh instead. Why go through all this trouble with the fire?"

"No." Vincent's voice turned sharp. "I don't care how much Serena means to me. I can't lose Avery.

"During my lowest point, she gave up an international gallery exhibition just to stay by my side... I've told you before. She's the only woman I'll ever marry."

"But then why are you—"

"Enough. What happens between Avery and me is my business. Your job is to repair as much of the scarring as possible. Understood?"

The doctor nodded helplessly and walked out, clearly not wanting to argue.

I heard footsteps getting closer, so I quickly rubbed my face against the pillow to wipe away my tears.

Then I felt his rough fingertips brush against my hair, and my whole body went cold.

"Don't be mad at me, Avery."

His voice still had that same smooth quality that used to make me melt.

"I don't need two faces that look exactly the same anymore. From now on, just be yourself and stay by my side, okay?"

We'd been together for five years, and I really thought we were meant to be. I thought fate had brought us together.

But now I realized the truth. That look of shock and love in Vincent's eyes when we first met—it had never been about me at all. He'd already had someone else in mind the whole time.

Right up until the night of the fire, I couldn't even sleep because I was so excited about our wedding. I never could've guessed that one tiny spark would burn down the entire dream Vincent had built for me.

His cold lips pressed close to mine, and I caught the faint smell of some woman's perfume. It made me sick.

His phone started ringing.

Vincent turned the volume down and rushed out into the hallway.

"Everything's cleaned up, right? Pay off everyone who works at the house. I don't care if they saw anything or not. Give them each 500 grand to keep their mouths shut.

"And handle Serena for me. Tell her I've got an important client tonight and I can't come see her."

I knew that voice on the other end. It was Lily, Vincent's studio assistant.

About a year ago, Vincent became the most famous tattoo artist in Harbor City, and that was when Lily showed up looking for a job. I just never realized she'd turn into Vincent's personal lapdog.

"You're awake?"

I opened my eyes and saw Vincent looking down at me. He actually looked happy to see me conscious.

"How do you feel?" He walked over faster and shoved his phone back in his pocket.

I lifted my hands—they were completely wrapped in bandages—and touched my face, which was covered up just as much.

Tears started leaking through the gaps in the gauze and soaking into my wounds, and pretty soon, blood was seeping through too.

"Don't cry... baby, please don't cry..."

Vincent freaked out. He grabbed my hands and pulled me against his chest.

"They used the best technology out there. The bandages'll come off soon, and you won't have any scars left. But there's just one thing..."

He stopped for a second. "The burn by your left eye was really bad. They couldn't do surgery there because they were afraid of damaging your optic nerve..."

I stared at him blankly.

God, he was such a good actor. Even his tears looked real as they fell down his face.

"Trust me, I'll figure something out."

Vincent tightened his grip on me like he wanted to absorb me into his body. "Just promise me you won't cry anymore, okay? If you do, your face could get infected and the wounds won't heal right."

I nodded numbly, and finally, his tense muscles relaxed.

For the next few days, Vincent never left my side.

But when the doctor said I was ready to have my bandages removed, I caught a flash of panic in his eyes that disappeared as quickly as it came.

That night, moonlight poured through the window, and Vincent was passed out in the chair next to my bed. I could hear his steady breathing.

I pulled out my phone and sent a message to my best friend Christy Shawn.

"Get me a passport. I'm going to fake my death during the cosmetic surgery and disappear.

"And if you can fly back and do the procedure yourself, that'd be even better."