Chapter 1 - THE WOMAN IN THE BORROWED DRESS
By sunrise, Lydia Carter had learned that Cassian Vale had already driven six wives from his home—and that refusing to become wife number seven could cost her sick mother everything.
Lydia was still wearing her gray housekeeping uniform when Margaret Aldridge placed Evelyn’s wedding dress on the kitchen counter.
Evelyn Aldridge had disappeared before dawn with two suitcases, her passport, and nearly forty thousand dollars.
She had been promised to Cassian Vale, the thirty-eight-year-old head of one of the most feared organizations in New York.
Cassian owned shipping companies, construction firms, nightclubs, and private security businesses.
He also had six failed marriages behind him.
One wife had fled to California.
Another had left the country.
Two divorces had been sealed.
And the sixth had supposedly escaped Cassian’s estate barefoot in the middle of winter.
Margaret’s solution to Evelyn’s disappearance was simple.
Lydia would take her place.
Cassian had never met Evelyn personally. Lydia was close enough in height and coloring to fool him, Margaret insisted.
When Lydia refused, Margaret reminded her that Lydia’s mother, Helen, lived in an employee cottage owned by the Aldridge family and depended on medical assistance the family helped provide.
Helen suffered from advanced heart disease and severe arthritis.
Margaret never directly threatened her.
She did not need to.
Four hours later, Lydia stood inside a private chapel overlooking the Hudson River while rain struck the stained-glass windows.
Twenty armed men watched in silence.
There were no flowers.
No music.
No smiling relatives.
Then Cassian Vale entered.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, dressed entirely in black, with a pale scar crossing one eyebrow.
He stopped six feet from Lydia.
His eyes moved over her once.
Not admiring.
Assessing.
Then he looked at Margaret.
“This isn’t Evelyn.”
Margaret froze.
Cassian noticed everything.
The scent of laundry soap on Lydia’s skin.
The calluses on her hands.
The shoes that did not fit.
And the fear in her face.
But then he noticed something Margaret had missed.
Lydia was terrified.
Just not of him.
Cassian stepped closer without touching her.
“What’s your name?”
“Lydia.”
For one long second, he studied her.
Then his gaze shifted toward Margaret.
May you like
When he spoke again, his voice was quiet enough to make the entire chapel seem colder.
“Lydia, who threatened you into wearing that dress?”
