THE MAN WHO WAS PAID TO BREAK MY HEART

Theme of Chapter One: The night Elena meets the man who will change her life—and unknowingly walks straight into a carefully planned trap.

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The first time I saw Adrian Blackwood, I was holding a champagne glass I couldn't afford.

The second time I saw him, I was falling in love with him.

And by the third time, I would learn that someone had paid him to destroy me.

But that night, I knew none of it.

All I knew was that I hated rich people.

Especially the kind who smiled like they owned the world.

I stood at the entrance of the Blackwood Foundation's annual charity gala, tugging nervously at the sleeve of my borrowed black dress.

"Stop touching it."

I looked at my best friend, Mia.

"What?"

"Your dress. You're going to stretch it."

I glanced down.

She was right.

My fingers were practically strangling the fabric.

"This dress costs more than my entire apartment."

"Then stop looking like you're about to confess to murdering someone."

"I don't belong here."

Mia rolled her eyes.

"You've said that six times."

"Because it's true."

She leaned closer.

"Smile. Rich people love smiles."

"I thought rich people loved money."

"They love both. But mostly money."

I laughed despite myself.

For the first time that evening, my shoulders relaxed.

The ballroom was breathtaking.

Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling like frozen waterfalls. Waiters moved through the crowd carrying trays of champagne. Women dressed in gowns that probably cost more than my yearly salary laughed beside men wearing expensive watches.

And somewhere in this room was the man whose family had organized the entire event.

Adrian Blackwood.

I had heard his name before.

Everyone had.

Thirty-one. Billionaire. CEO of Blackwood Holdings. Cold. Private. Unmarried.

There were rumors about him everywhere.

Some said he had inherited the company after his father's death.

Others said he'd taken it from his own family through manipulation.

There were even whispers that he had once ruined a man's career with a single phone call.

I didn't believe everything I heard.

But I believed enough to stay away from him.

Unfortunately, the universe had other plans.

"Elena!"

I turned.

My boss was waving frantically from across the room.

My stomach dropped.

"Oh no."

Mia followed my gaze.

"What?"

"He wants me."

"Then go."

"I don't want to."

"Neither does he. That's why he's waving."

I gave her a look before walking toward him.

I barely made it five steps.

Someone bumped into me.

My champagne glass tipped.

The golden liquid flew through the air.

And landed directly on a man's black suit.

Silence.

Absolute silence.

I froze.

The man slowly looked down at his ruined shirt.

Then up at me.

My heart stopped.

He was tall.

Very tall.

Black hair. Sharp jaw. Dark eyes that seemed almost unnaturally calm.

And the most intimidating expression I'd ever seen.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered.

He said nothing.

I grabbed a napkin from a passing waiter.

"Let me—"

"Don't."

His voice was low.

Not loud.

He didn't need to be.

I stopped.

His eyes moved over my face.

For a strange second, something flashed in them.

Recognition.

Impossible recognition.

Then it disappeared.

"Do you always throw drinks at strangers?" he asked.

My embarrassment quickly turned into irritation.

"No."

"Good."

"I usually throw them at people I know."

The corner of his mouth moved.

Almost a smile.

Almost.

"Then I should consider myself lucky."

I stared at him.

Was he joking?

Before I could answer, a man approached us.

"Mr. Blackwood."

I nearly dropped the napkin.

Blackwood.

Of course.

Of all the people in the room, I'd managed to throw champagne on Adrian Blackwood.

He glanced at me one last time.

"What's your name?"

"Elena."

"Elena what?"

"Vale."

His expression changed.

Only slightly.

But I saw it.

He went completely still.

"Vale?"

I nodded.

"Yes."

He stared at me for another second.

Then he turned toward the man beside him.

"Give us a moment."

The man immediately walked away.

I frowned.

"Look, Mr. Blackwood, I'm really sorry about your shirt. I didn't mean—"

"Your mother."

My breath caught.

"What about her?"

His eyes darkened.

"Nothing."

I stared at him.

"You just mentioned my mother."

"I was mistaken."

"No, you weren't."

He stepped closer.

I could smell his cologne.

Something dark and expensive.

"You should be careful, Elena."

"About what?"

"Who you trust."

I laughed nervously.

"Is that advice or a threat?"

His gaze dropped briefly to my lips before returning to my eyes.

"Neither."

He leaned closer.

"It was a warning."

Then he walked away.

I stood there, completely confused.

Mia appeared beside me.

"What just happened?"

"I have no idea."

"Who was that?"

"Adrian Blackwood."

Her mouth fell open.

"YOU SPILLED CHAMPAGNE ON ADRIAN BLACKWOOD?"

"Keep your voice down!"

She grabbed my arm.

"What did he say?"

I looked across the room.

Adrian was speaking to several businessmen now.

But his eyes were on me.

Watching.

Waiting.

"I think he knows my mother."

Mia's smile disappeared.

"What?"

Before I could answer, my phone vibrated.

Unknown number.

I frowned and opened the message.

LEAVE THE PARTY. NOW.

My stomach tightened.

I looked around.

Mia noticed.

"What is it?"

I showed her.

She immediately reached for my hand.

"Elena, we're leaving."

I nodded.

But before we could move, the lights suddenly dimmed.

A spotlight appeared on the stage.

A man stepped forward with a microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention?"

Everyone turned.

I glanced toward Adrian.

He wasn't looking at the stage.

He was looking at me.

And for the first time that evening, I saw something I hadn't seen before.

Fear.

Not anger.

Not annoyance.

Fear.

The man on the stage continued.

"Tonight, the Blackwood Foundation is proud to announce a new partnership..."

The crowd applauded.

I barely heard him.

My eyes remained fixed on Adrian.

Then another phone vibrated.

This time, it wasn't mine.

It was Adrian's.

He looked at the screen.

Whatever he saw made his face turn cold.

He walked away from the crowd and answered.

I don't know why I followed him.

Maybe curiosity.

Maybe instinct.

Maybe because there was something about that man that made me feel like I had met him before.

I stopped behind a pillar, close enough to hear.

"Speak."

A man's voice came through the phone, too faint for me to understand.

Adrian's jaw tightened.

"I told you I don't want children involved."

Another pause.

His eyes closed.

Then he whispered:

"She's here."

My heart started pounding.

The voice on the other end said something.

Adrian looked directly toward where I was hiding.

I stopped breathing.

He couldn't see me.

Could he?

He turned away.

"I know what I agreed to."

Another pause.

Then his voice became dangerously quiet.

"No."

He listened.

"That wasn't part of the deal."

My blood ran cold.

He ended the call.

I quickly stepped backward.

A hand suddenly covered my mouth.

I couldn't scream.

A man pulled me into the darkness behind the pillar.

I struggled violently.

Then he whispered into my ear.

"Don't make a sound."

I recognized the voice.

Adrian.

He removed his hand.

I spun around.

"What the hell are you doing?"

He pressed one finger against his lips.

"Someone is watching you."

I stared at him.

"What?"

His eyes searched the ballroom.

"Don't turn around."

Naturally, I turned around.

Across the room stood an elderly man.

He was staring directly at me.

The moment our eyes met, he walked away.

"Who is that?" I whispered.

Adrian didn't answer.

"Adrian."

His expression was unreadable.

Then he looked at me.

And said something that made every hair on my body stand.

"Elena, you need to leave this building."

"Why?"

"Because whoever sent me here knows you've arrived."

I stared at him.

"Sent you?"

His eyes widened slightly.

He realized his mistake.

"Who sent you?"

Silence.

"Adrian, who sent you?"

He stepped closer.

"Go home."

"Who sent you?"

"Elena—"

"WHO SENT YOU?"

For the first time, his cold expression broke.

And what he said next shattered everything I thought I knew about that night.

"I was paid to find you."

My heart stopped.

"Paid?"

He nodded.

"Someone has been looking for you for a very long time."

"Who?"

He looked toward the ballroom.

Then back at me.

"I don't know."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"No."

He reached into his jacket.

I stepped backward.

But instead of a weapon, he pulled out a photograph.

He handed it to me.

My fingers trembled as I looked down.

It was a picture of my mother.

Young.

Smiling.

Standing beside a man I had never seen before.

I turned the photograph over.

There was a date written on the back.

August 19, 2003.

My mother's death had been twenty-three years ago.

I looked at Adrian.

"Where did you get this?"

He didn't answer.

I looked at the photograph again.

Then I noticed something.

My mother's hand was resting on the man's chest.

And on his finger was a ring.

A black ring with a silver snake wrapped around it.

I had seen that ring before.

Not in a photograph.

Not in a dream.

In my mother's old jewelry box.

The same ring had been hidden beneath a false bottom for as long as I could remember.

My breathing became shallow.

"Who is this man?"

Adrian's eyes met mine.

Before he could answer, every light in the ballroom went out.

People screamed.

Glass shattered somewhere behind us.

Then I heard a gunshot.

BANG!

Adrian grabbed my waist and pulled me against him.

"Don't move."

My heart slammed against my ribs.

Another gunshot echoed through the darkness.

Then Adrian whispered against my ear:

"Someone just tried to kill you."

And suddenly, from somewhere in the darkness, a woman's voice called my name.

Not Elena.

My full name.

The name only my mother had ever called me.

"Elena Victoria Vale..."

I froze.

Adrian's grip tightened around me.

The voice laughed softly.

Then whispered:

"Your mother should have taken her secret to the grave."

The lights came back on.

I screamed.

Because Adrian was no longer looking at me.

He was staring at the floor.

At the blood.

And beside the blood lay a single black rose.

With a note attached.

Adrian picked it up.

His face went pale.

I reached for the note.

He tried to stop me.

But I had already read the first line.

ADRIAN—

YOU HAVE THIRTY DAYS TO BREAK HER HEART.

OR SHE DIES.