Chapter 5
EVE
"Mommy, when can we go home?" Grace asked, kicking her feet against the hospital bed. "I'm bored."
"Soon, sweetheart," I smoothed her dark hair—identical to her father's. "The doctors need to check you're better first."
"But I feel okay now!" She sat up straighter, wincing slightly. "See?"
My chest tightened watching her brave face. "I know, baby. But we gotta listen to Dr. Thompson, right?"
Her little shoulders slumped. "Do I still need the big surgery?"
I swallowed hard. "Yes, but afterward, you'll be so much stronger. And I promise, once you're all better, we'll go to Disneyland."
Her eyes widened. "For real? With Mickey and everything?"
"With Mickey and everything," I confirmed, forcing brightness into my voice while mentally calculating costs I couldn't possibly afford.
A friend privately recommended a job at The Core Club that would leave a substantial tip—six or seven thousand today if I played my cards right. But even that was just pennies compared to what Grace's surgery would cost.
I kissed her forehead, breathing in her sweet scent. "Get some rest now. I'll be back tomorrow morning."
"You promise?" Her voice was already drowsy.
"Cross my heart." I tucked the blanket around her shoulders, watching as her eyelids fluttered closed.
Gathering my purse, I noticed a magazine, Forbes. I almost set it aside until a familiar face on the cover stopped me cold.
Sean Winters, CEO of SkyEve Group.
My fingers trembled as I picked it up. His eyes stared back at me—cold, successful, untouchable. The headline proclaimed him "Wall Street's Rising Star," detailing his meteoric rise after prison. Three years behind bars hadn't stopped him. It had fueled him.
Then it hit me—he's engaged to pop star Isabella. Of course he is. She's beautiful, talented, and untouched by betrayal.
Not damaged goods. Not me.
Pain shot through my chest. I shoved the magazine into the bedside drawer and hurried out, unwilling to let Grace see me cry.
The Core Club buzzed with wealth and power. Crystal chandeliers illuminated New York's elite as I navigated through the crowd, violin case in hand. Tonight's client had requested classical music for their private dinner—easy money compared to the exhausting shifts at the restaurant.
Then I saw him. Again.
Sean stood near the bar, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit. My steps faltered, heart pounding against my ribs.
But it wasn't seeing Sean that froze my blood—it was seeing who stood beside him: David Parker.
The memories hit me. Six years ago, Sean went to prison for a crime he didn't commit—because I testified against him. My father Robert arranged my engagement to David. But I was pregnant with Sean's baby. When David found out, the Parker family backed out. My father disowned me and threw me out with nothing.
I considered running, but David had already spotted me. His smirk made my skin crawl as he approached.
"Well, well. Eve playing violin for cash. How the mighty have fallen."
I gripped my violin case tighter. "David."
"Life's been rough, huh?" he observed, eyes trailing over me. "That's what happens when you say no to a Parker."
"I figure it's karma for other sins," I replied quietly, glancing toward Sean who hadn't acknowledged my presence.
David laughed. "You mean screwing over Sean? Speaking of which—" His voice rose deliberately. "Winters, look who's entertaining us tonight."
Sean's gaze finally shifted my way, expression blank. Not even a flicker of recognition crossed his face. His eyes moved past me as if I were invisible.
Lucas James, Sean's friend, approached with a friendly smile, breaking the unbearable tension. "Eve! Been forever. You're performing tonight?"
I nodded, grateful for his intervention.
David's smile turned predatory. "Here's a deal, Eve. If your performance gets Winters to sign my contract, I'll forget our past issues."
My stomach twisted. I was being used as bait in their business negotiation.
Lucas guided me toward the small performance area. "Play 'Eternal Bond,'" he suggested quietly. "It was always his favorite."
My heart stuttered. That song—our song—from so many years ago.
Standing on the small stage, I lifted my violin. The ivory-white dress I wore suddenly felt too revealing under Sean's indifferent gaze. I drew a deep breath and began to play.
SEAN
The first notes of 'Eternal Bond' transported me back to my teenage years. I was eighteen, staying at the Carter estate while my adoptive father Frank worked as their driver.
I first saw Eve sitting on the back lawn of the Carter mansion, her violin creating music that stopped me in my tracks. She was twelve, small for her age, with delicate features concentrated in absolute focus.
"That sounds amazing," I said when she finished.
She startled, then smiled—a smile that transformed her face. "Thank you! I'm Eve."
"Sean. Sean Winters."
Robert discovered our friendship weeks later. His rage was immediate. "Keep away from my daughter," he warned, firing my father the next day.
But Eve was stubborn. She found ways to meet me—at the public library, in the park. "Sean," she called me in her childish affection. It was her only act of rebellion against her controlling father.
Years passed. She grew from a child into a beautiful young woman. And I fell in love with her—hopelessly, completely.
Until she betrayed me.
EVE
The melody flowed from my violin as I began singing the familiar lyrics. "We once believed our fates were intertwined, bound by promises that time couldn't unwind..."
Each note felt raw, exposed. I watched Sean from beneath lowered lashes, terrified of his reaction. His face remained emotionless, his posture rigid.
Memories overwhelmed me—stolen kisses, whispered promises, dreams of a future together. All destroyed by my weakness, my cowardice.
I hadn't meant to cry, but a tear escaped, trailing down my cheek and falling onto my violin. The instrument seemed to cry with me as I continued playing, pouring six years of regret into every note.
Suddenly, Sean stood. "Enough."
The room fell silent as the music died.
"I'm leaving," he announced coldly. "David, if you want to discuss the contract, contact Lucas tomorrow."
"Leaving so soon?" David smirked. "Don't you want to catch up with your ex?"
Sean's eyes briefly flickered to mine, empty and distant. "There's nothing between us worth remembering."
The words hit harder than any physical blow. I lowered my violin, my hands shaking.
"Your loss," David shrugged. "I've always found Eve... intriguing. She was almost my fiancée once, remember?"
"Do whatever you want," Sean replied flatly. "She means nothing to me."
He walked away, his broad shoulders disappearing through the doorway. I stood frozen, eyes burning with tears as the last person who could protect me abandoned me to a predator.
Sean and Lucas left, leaving me alone with David and his two security guards. Panic twisted in my stomach as I packed my violin, planning my escape.
"Leaving so soon, Eve?" David stepped closer, blocking my path.
"My performance is over," I kept my voice steady, reaching for my coat.
David's security guard moved to the exit. "Sean just gave me permission to get reacquainted with you," David said smugly.
"Sean doesn't own me," I replied, gripping my violin case tighter.
"Let's continue this conversation somewhere private." David gestured toward the VIP rooms.
Seeing no easy escape, I reluctantly followed, desperately searching for another exit.
The luxurious private room had a fully stocked bar and plush sofas. David closed the door behind us, his security remaining outside.
"Have a drink," he offered, pouring amber liquid into crystal glasses.
"No thanks. I need to go—my daughter's waiting."
"Ah yes, your little bastard." His smile turned cruel. "One drink, then you're free to leave."
Sensing this was my only way out, I took the glass and drained it in one gulp.
"Impressive," David nodded, but made no move to let me pass. "Since Sean has clearly thrown you away, why not spend the evening with me?"
A strange warmth spread through me—too quickly, too intensely. "What... what did you put in that drink?"
David's smile widened. "Just something to help you loosen up." He dismissed his guards with a wave. "Wait outside."
Horror washed over me as my limbs grew heavy. "You drugged me?"