Chapter 1

I married Eugene Thorne, concealing my identity as the heiress to one of Boston's most prestigious families. But fate had other plans. The day before our wedding, I was involved in a devastating car accident. When consciousness returned, I found myself blind.

Through the darkness, I overheard a conversation between Eugene and his assistant. "The situation is contained, Mr. Thorne. However…" Hesitation colored his assistant's voice. "Miss Victoria was renowned for her paintings. After the corneal transplant, she'll never create art again. How will she cope?"

"She's resilient, unlike Claire. Claire…" His voice softened with a tenderness that pierced my heart. "She needs her sight. I'll ensure Victoria's taken care of forever, but Claire…" He exhaled sharply. "I can't lose Claire."

A deafening silence followed until Eugene spoke again. "Have the doctors perform a hysterectomy as well. Claire's fragile enough—seeing me have a child with Victoria would destroy her."

"But sir," his assistant protested, his voice thick with sympathy, "She's been devoted to you since she was eighteen…"

"Enough. Just execute my instructions. No questions."

A glacial chill enveloped me, leaving me trembling uncontrollably. The cruel truth emerged from the darkness: my beloved husband had fallen for Claire Bennett, the struggling art student whose scholarship I'd personally funded. He was willing to sacrifice my future, my dreams, everything, for her. If he thought he could destroy me without consequences, he would learn how badly he had miscalculated.

Footsteps echoed in the sterile hospital room. I forced myself to remain still, maintaining the facade of unconsciousness. "Mr. Thorne," the doctor's voice wavered, "Miss Victoria just underwent the corneal transplant. Her body is extremely weak. Performing a hysterectomy now could put her life at risk. I strongly suggest we wait until—"

"I don't pay you for suggestions," Eugene's voice cut through the air like steel. "This is an order, not a discussion. However," his tone dropped dangerously low, "if anything happens to Victoria, you understand the consequences."

"Yes, Mr. Thorne."

I felt Eugene's fingers brush against my cheek, their warmth searing my skin. "Victoria, darling, it will all be over soon. Don't worry, I'll always be here to protect you. I love you, my sweet…"

My body betrayed me with an involuntary shiver. A tear slid down my cheek, and I sensed Eugene straightening up beside the bed. Noticing my impending consciousness, his voice turned to ice. "Doctor, prepare for surgery immediately. It must be completed before she wakes."

Terror forced my eyes open, but there was nothing—just an endless void of darkness. My hands flew up, grasping desperately at the darkness as panic seized me. "I… I can't see! Why can't I see anything?"

"Shh, darling." Eugene's arms enveloped me, his chest solid against my cheek. His fingers stroked my hair with practiced gentleness. "There was an accident, but don't worry. The doctors say this is temporary. I'll take care of everything."

I felt him shift, probably nodding to the doctor. "You need to stay calm, sweetheart. Let's get you some vitamins to help with recovery."

If I hadn't awakened early enough to overhear their conversation, I would have believed every word. But now I knew the truth—his "vitamins" were sedatives, meant to keep me unconscious while they stripped away my future.

I clutched Eugene's arm desperately, my head shaking as tears choked my voice. "No… please, Eugene," my voice cracked like thin ice. "No more injections. Take me home… can't we just go home?"

The needle's sting was swift and merciless. As consciousness blurred, Eugene's voice floated above me. "Sleep now, my love. Everything will be better when you wake."

Tears slid silently down my cheeks, and though the sedative numbed my body, my heart continued to bleed. In the encroaching darkness, memories shimmered—Eugene at eighteen, his face twisted with anguish as he sat beside my hospital bed, his eyes raw from crying, cursing my foolishness for taking that blade meant for him. How young we'd been, how blindly in love. His young voice echoed through my fading consciousness: "I swear, Victoria, no one will ever hurt you again."

Oh, the bitter irony. The man who'd sworn to be my shield had become my executioner. When consciousness returned, I was a hollow shell, stripped of sight, love, and the possibility of motherhood. Opening my unseeing eyes, I found myself alone in the silence, broken only by my shallow breathing. Then, muffled voices drifted through the walls—a heated discussion between a man and a woman.

"I need to see her!" Claire's voice trembled with what seemed genuine distress. "Victoria saved me from poverty. Everything I am today, I owe to her. You can't stop me from—"

"Claire, darling." Eugene's voice transformed, softening like butter in the sun—a tone I'd once believed was reserved for me alone. "Your sight has only just returned. The doctors are adamant about your rest. Victoria is well cared for, I promise."

My fingers twisted in the sheets as realization struck like lightning. Claire had been blind? When? How had such a crucial detail escaped my notice?