Chapter 8

If I weren’t my father’s daughter, with the family wealth, he never would have stayed with me.

The more I thought about it, the more disturbing it felt. He might have known who I was from back in college and had deliberately pursued me.

"You know exactly how well I treated you, Drake!"

“Don’t give me that!” he yelled, his face twisted in fury.

He was on the verge of madness. “Don’t think I don’t see it—you’ve always treated me like a dog on a leash. You never really loved me.”

I froze. I finally understood why he was with Nelly.

I had seen it the last time. Nelly genuinely loved him. She clung to him, not because she thought he was rich, but because her devotion was absolute.

Since I was young, I’d been trained to be independent, rational, and clear-headed like any self-respecting heir.

I viewed marriage as a partnership between equals—based on mutual respect. My love was quiet, restrained.

Even though I adored Drake, I could never fawn over him as some women would.

In h