Chapter 1My Billionaire Fiancé's Dark Obsession

Everyone knew that Sloan Caldwell had two personalities.

My dominant self—the real me—loved the composed and steady Rhys Caldwell.

My alternate self, however, loved the wild, reckless Jax Donovan.

Two years ago, Jax was in a motorcycle accident at the track, and my usually compliant alternate personality violently seized control of my body.

For two long years, I became Jax’s willing doormat.

Until the day I overheard him talking to his friends in the VIP lounge.

“You bet the guys you could lure out the alternate Sloan, even crashing your bike to do it.”

“Now she’s chased you for two years, and you’re going to marry Willow Hart.”

“Jax… are you telling me you feel nothing for Sloan?”

From inside the private room, I heard Jax’s dismissive, almost amused voice.

“I was just curious, trying to mess with her head. How was I supposed to know she’d suffocate the real Sloan for me?”

* * *

Hearing the noise, Jax immediately stood up and opened the rest area door.

Seeing me, he looked momentarily flustered. “You… you heard something?”

I suppressed the immediate, sharp anguish inside me, pointing to the helmet on the floor with a strained, fake smile.

“Heard what? Didn’t you ask me to bring you your helmet? I ran so fast I tripped and dropped it.”

Jax’s tension visibly eased, but in the very next second, his relaxed brow twisted into a deep, angry frown.

He picked up the helmet and shouted at me, his eyes red with fury.

“Sloan, was that on purpose?! You know that’s the one Willow gave me. Why couldn’t you be more careful!”

My gaze dropped to where he was pointing.

On the cheap, forty-dollar helmet—the kind you’d buy at a roadside stop—was a scratch thinner than a strand of hair.

My heart went ice cold.

I managed a soft, hollow, “I’m sorry.”

Jax was obsessed with racing, and I knew a quality helmet could save your life.

I had custom-ordered over a dozen different, cutting-edge helmets from Germany for him.

Totaling over twenty thousand dollars, he never even glanced at them.

But the forty-dollar helmet Willow picked up from a flea market? He treated it like a priceless relic.

He even insisted on wearing that cheap piece of plastic every single time he competed.

“An apology means nothing now, does it? Forget it. Get out of my way.”

Jax shoved me aside and strode out the door.

On the track, Jax was geared up, his red and white leathers making him look every bit the dashing, arrogant racer.

Before the race started, he pushed up the dark visor of his helmet and scanned the spectator stands.

The track camera followed his line of sight, sweeping across the audience.

One of his buddies in front of me turned back and winked teasingly.

“Hey, Sloan, Jax is looking at you!”

Sure enough, Jax’s gaze was fixed on my section.

I instinctively stood up, waving tentatively toward him.

The camera paused on my face for a single second before quickly shifting.

Then, cheers erupted from the front row seats, led by Willow Hart.

“Go, Jax! You have to take first place, Honey!”

She flashed a huge, beaming smile and a heart-sign for the camera.

Only then did Jax pull his visor down, focusing on the pre-race routine.

The front row was reserved for contestants’ families.

Jax had allocated his two spots to Willow and his closest friend.

The seat I was in? I’d waited five agonizing hours in line, only to have the tickets sell out just before my turn. I’d then paid a scalper five hundred dollars for a ticket in the back.

But he was always like this, wasn’t he?

I thought I could wear him down, convince him. Until I heard his words today.

Jax, predictably, took first place again.

The camera zoomed in as Willow excitedly ran onto the track and kissed him.

I felt utterly hollow, standing up and stumbling out of the speedway.

Late that night, Jax called me again.

“Sloan, Booth 1 at The Apex Club. You have ten minutes to get here.”

I heard other voices in the background. “You better hurry, or Jax might belong to someone else!”

He hung up without waiting for a response.

I hesitated for a few seconds, but the deeply ingrained habit of the alternate self won out, and I put on my coat.

Due to the time crunch, I only threw on a simple black trench coat over my pajamas.

My home was at least thirty minutes from the club.

I arrived with literally one second to spare on his ten-minute ultimatum.

I threw open the door to the booth.

Jax was locked in a passionate, deep kiss with Willow Hart.

The sound of hooting and cheering erupted around them.

The moment he saw me, the hazy look in Jax’s eyes vanished. He quickly released Willow.

“You came so fast? Don’t get the wrong idea, I just… I lost a round of Truth or Dare, and they dared me to…”