Chapter 2

After I called the police, Wendy Walsh didn’t back down. Instead, she leaned against the hood of the Bentley, arms folded and smirking.

“You really have no idea how powerful the Sinclair family is, do you?” she said, smugly. “You think calling the cops is going to solve anything?”

There was a certainty in her tone that immediately made me uneasy.

Sure enough, as sirens grew closer, Wendy straightened up and waved toward the oncoming patrol car like she was greeting an old friend.

“Captain Zack! Over here!”

The officer who stepped out was a middle-aged man with thinning hair and a forced smile. The moment he saw Wendy, his face lit up like a Christmas tree.

“Well, well, Wendy. What happened here?”

“What else?” Wendy jerked her chin toward me. “This woman cut me off on purpose in that junky Cadillac and now she’s blaming me for rear-ending her. Can you believe it?”

I almost laughed in disbelief.

Not only was she unreasonable beyond belief—her ability to twist the truth was Olympic-level.

Captain Zack gave my car a single glance and immediately frowned.

He walked up to me, didn’t even bother to look at the damage, and said flatly, “Miss, you seem like a smart person. Why are you making this difficult?”

I frowned. “Officer, the responsibility here is clear. She rear-ended me. Look, the damage is right there on the back of my car.”

“Evidence? What evidence?” Zack waved me off impatiently. “This lady works for Mr. Sinclair. You think she'd bother with a car like yours unless you were trying to scam her?”

He didn’t wait for a response. “Let’s not waste time. Just apologize, give her some money for the trouble—say, a couple hundred—and be done with it.”

I could hardly believe what I was hearing.

I thought calling the police would at least bring some fairness. Turns out, the whole system was rigged.

“Excuse me, but she hit me. And you want me to apologize and pay her?”

“Cut the crap!” he snapped. “Do you even know what the Sinclairs mean in the Hamptons?”

“Consider yourself lucky. You must be new in town, or someone like you would already be behind bars for making trouble like this.”

He leaned in, lowered his voice to a threatening whisper.

“Take my advice: walk away while you still can. If the Sinclairs want you gone, it’s easier than squashing a bug.”

His bias was so blatant that even the surrounding crowd started murmuring.

“What’s wrong with this officer? It’s clearly the Bentley that rear-ended her…”

“Shhh! That’s a Sinclair car. You want trouble?”

I shifted my gaze to Zack’s badge number, then scoffed and pulled out my phone.

Fine. Since the small fry can’t handle this, I’ll let someone higher up do the talking.

“I’ve recorded your badge number. I’ll be reporting this.”

Zack’s face changed instantly. He lunged for my phone like a steel trap snapping shut.

“You want to report me?!”

He grabbed for it again and again, but I sidestepped each time, calm and precise. His expression twisted with rage.

On his last charge, I turned slightly and gave him a gentle push on the back.

He tripped forward and landed face-first on the pavement. His cap rolled into the gutter.

“You’re out of line!” he roared. “That’s assault on an officer! I’m taking you in right now for disturbing public order!”

I brushed the dust off my coat and looked down coldly.

“I suggest you rethink your approach. You still have time to handle this fairly.”

“Fair, my ass!”

Before Zack could respond, Wendy exploded beside him.

“You little brat, you’re really looking to die, huh? Could’ve taken the $30 and walked away, but now you’re trying to act tough? I’m going to make sure you regret ever being born!”

She jabbed a finger in my face. “This isn’t over! You owe me $30,000 now. And you’re going to get on your knees and knock your head to the ground three times! Otherwise, I’ll make sure you never eat another meal in this town!”

Unbelievable.

In all my life, no one had ever dared speak to me like that.

If I didn’t return the favor, I’d be letting her down.

“What’s so funny?!” Wendy shouted, noticing my smile. Her face twisted with rage as she raised her hand and stormed toward me.

“You think I’m a joke? I’ll tear that smug mouth right off your face!”

“Stop!”

A cold male voice rang out.

I looked up.

A tall man in a tailored black suit was striding toward us. His footsteps were sharp, his expression thunderous.

This was the man I’d never met but had been promised to since childhood—Nathan Sinclair.

His face was hard and furious, but when his eyes met mine, a flicker of surprise flashed across them.

Just for a moment.

Then, just as quickly, it vanished under a sheet of ice.

He walked straight to Wendy’s side, tone softening slightly.

“I figured something must have happened when you didn’t come back to the office. What’s going on?”

“Nate, thank god you’re here!” Wendy’s voice turned tearful as she pointed at me. “She cut me off on purpose in that broken-down Cadillac. I offered her $30 to fix it and she refused. Then she hit Captain Zack!”

Zack, who had finally managed to stand up, chimed in quickly.

“She’s completely out of control, Mr. Sinclair. Doesn’t respect authority. Said she’d file a complaint against me!”

Nathan listened quietly, his eyes landing on me again—this time with growing disgust.

Wendy poured fuel on the fire.

“Oh, and Nate—she called your personal number earlier. I think she’s some poor relative trying to latch onto you through this whole marriage thing.”

Nathan’s gaze narrowed as he looked me over.

“So, you’re Sophia Sullivan?”

“That’s right.”

“Perfect.”

He lifted his chin, his voice dripping with condescension.

“Let’s make this quick. I’m not marrying you. Arranged marriages? What is this, the 1800s?”

His voice turned sharper. “And my family would never let me marry someone with no character and no money.”

I raised an eyebrow. “No character and no money?”

I never thought I’d hear those words directed at me.

I, a top-tier federal research scientist, whose patent royalties alone could support a small town.

I, whose family had been in business for generations, worth billions, would be called that?

Nathan sneered. “Tell me I’m wrong. ‘Top secret department’? Sounds like an unemployed nobody trying to sound important.”

“And don’t even try to sell that ‘wealthy background’ crap. Driving a piece of junk like that? Who would believe you? Let me be clear—if every woman on Earth disappeared, I still wouldn’t marry you.”

“So, go home and tell your family—whatever delusions they have, they better kill them now.”