JADE

“You, I want you."

I froze at the sound of Roman’s voice. I was not supposed to be chosen by him, not with my sister sitting in front of him.

I had felt his gaze on me since I sat beside my sister while she tried to impress him with business talk. I didn’t dare look up. It felt heavy, as if he were waiting for me to react.

I raised my head and met his eyes, strong grey eyes staring at me, but no emotions in them. He didn't look away, not even when I bent my head in some kind of shame.

My mother had set my sister and me up for blind dates. My sister with Roman Volkov – the richest man in the city – and I with an older man who would invest millions if I married him.

But the man had been in an accident and couldn't make it. The only reason I had agreed to this was that Victoria – my birth mother – had agreed to pay for my adoptive mother’s surgery.

I should have run off because that was freedom, but I couldn't. Naomi had asked me to be a doll and wait to watch how she would sweep Roman Volkov off his feet at once and get married to him.

“What?” I managed to say, my voice trembling and my hands shaking against my thigh where I had pressed them for some kind of stability.

“You!” he pointed more directly in my face this time. “You are the kind of wife I need."

Noami’s head snapped to me with intensity. Why would he choose me? I hadn't said a single word since I joined them at their table as the third party.

“No, Mr Volkov, I think you have it all wrong. My sister here is already be…”

“Are you refusing me?” Roman’s voice was calm, but the kind of terror in it made my bones shake.

"That…that…is…I…that is…” Naomi couldn't complete her sentence as his gaze stayed on her. He slowly turned to me and nodded.

“We would get married," he announced like it was settled.

I wanted to say no and shake my head because Naomi was going to kill me for taking her spot, but I feared he would kill me off if I dared. After all, no one in the city dared to question.

“That would be all." He got out of his chair and strode away like he had not just ruined his blind date and caused chaos for me instead.

“You bitch!” Naomi shrieked as soon as we were left alone.

“Noami, I did not…”

“You manipulative thief. How dare you try to seduce Roman? Do you think you are a good match for him?" She grabbed me by the hair and pulled me up.

I whimpered, my eyes falling shut, pain surging through my entire body as I pushed back the tears threatening to fall.

“I would tell him that I can't. Mom arranged the marriage for you, and you should be…you are the only one worthy of him."

I said her words back to her, hoping she would stop. She finally let go and dusted her hand off like she had touched trash. She huffed and hurriedly left the restaurant while I followed behind.

“You can't ride with me," she said as the chauffeur shut the door and threw me a sympathetic look.

Even the servants knew I deserved more than this. I had lived as a Saint my entire life, and then one day, I was whisked away as the real heiress of the Sterling family.

I was switched at birth, dumped at a fire station, and then brought to the orphanage from which Meredith Saint had picked me up and loved me as her own.

I watched the car's taillight disappear into the distance as I began my journey home. Halfway through, the rain began, cold air wrapping around me in the cold reality of my current life.

I didn't have enough for a cab fare, even though I lived as a Sterling, which meant I had to walk a bit before I could find my way home.

By the time I entered the house, Naomi was crying to Victoria about how I shamelessly seduced her date right in front of her eyes.

“How could you do this to your sister? She has been so good to you," Victoria said as soon as I stood in front of them, my entire body soaked from the rain pouring outside.

“I didn’t do anything…”

“Get off the carpet," she shrieked, making me jump off on impulse. “You will ruin it."

I moved to the corner of the room with my head hung low, my dress sticking to every part of me. It was unreal that they would treat the real daughter worse than a maid. To them, I was just a bargaining chip to gain millions for their business.

“Mom, Dad, do something," Naomi cried like a child.

“You have to give up for your sister to…”

“I want to," I said, my voice rising for the first time that night.

“Then it is stilled," Jack said. “Naomi would get married to Roman. "Have Jade go see Mr Grant tomorrow," he said.

“I didn't know the Sterling family would be bold enough to countermand my orders."

The air in the room got thicker, and the room became static. His footsteps echoed through the room; he stood in the middle of the room and stared at me in the corner.

“Mr Volkov..." Jack was the first to get out of his seat. "...It's not that; Naomi is a better fit for you. She has been trained for this life, while Jade is… unrefined."

"I will decide who I get married to."

He walked to me in the corner, stiff eyes raking my dripping-wet body. He grabbed me by the hand and pulled me with him towards the centre of the carpet.

"And she is the one I chose."

He dragged me out of the house, dry, hard palms pressing into my wrist, and he didn't stop until we were on the porch.

"Mr Volkov, why are you doing this?"

"Call me Roman," he cut me off. He let go of my hand slowly and pushed the stuck hair on my face to the side. His touch was surprisingly gentle, yet his eyes remained hard.

"We are going to be married after all."