Chapter 1The Unspoken Term

The driver of the car that hit me was Carter Hayes’s first love.

When Carter arrived at the scene, she let out a sigh of relief.

"My boyfriend's here," she announced to me. "Just tell his assistant what you want for compensation."

Carter wrapped his jacket around her shoulders. Then his brow furrowed as he stared at my bleeding knee, his gaze lingering for a long time.

Her voice was uncertain. "Do you two... know each other?"

Carter's expression shuttered. He took her hand and led her away.

"No."

I sat quietly on the curb, applying a Band-Aid, showing no reaction to his words.

After all, the first clause in the prenuptial agreement he’d given me three years ago was that our marriage would remain a secret.

I couldn't get a cab during the morning rush. As I limped my way to the office, a single thought echoed in my mind.

My three-year contract marriage with Carter Hayes was about to expire.

I could finally leave.

* * *

I always knew Carter had someone he could never forget—the one that got away. I just didn't know it was the woman who’d just run a red light and hit me.

I didn’t realize it until Carter showed up.

For a split second, I froze, my stupid heart thinking he was there for me.

But the woman in front of me, Serena, scrambled to her feet. The hem of her white dress fluttered as she ran and threw herself into his arms.

"Carter, what do I do? I hit someone."

He took off his tailored blazer and draped it over her trembling shoulders. His voice was the same as always—a low, calm baritone. "I'll handle it."

I slowly dragged my eyes away from them and stared down at my scraped knee. It belatedly dawned on me why Carter had been coming home so rarely these past few weeks.

The woman in his arms, his first love, Serena Croft, was back in the country.