I was annoyed. That, combined with the fact that I hadn't slept well that night, had just added to my foul mood. I knew what—or, more importantly, who—had unsettled me to the degree that it had kept me awake and staring at the ceiling. Connor Price.

If I believed it was just a job and nothing else it wouldn't have caused so much upheaval but I knew he was up to something. I just couldn't quite put my finger on it. Was he hoping by getting closer to me he could somehow get me to admit my true identity? If he thought for a moment he could manipulate me into that, he had another thing coming.

I let out a frustrated sigh as I dragged myself from my bed. It was late morning already. There was no point in staying in bed if I wasn't going to sleep.

There was always a chance Daniel would stop by at some point today. He lived his life on his own schedule, and I was to ensure I was available when it suited him. Most Sundays I spent at the apartment. Sometimes Daniel would visit, and sometimes he wouldn't.

I opened the doors to the cabinet inside my walk-in closet and browsed through some outfits. When I had moved in, Daniel had made sure I had a closet filled with the most expensive clothes. There was an outfit for every type of occasion, from formal dress to tennis attire. Not that I knew how to play tennis.

I decided on some casual trousers and a thin, strappy top. Daniel would approve. Everything in my life was driven for his approval. If he was happy, so was I. It was that simple.

Confident, I laid the outfit on my unmade bed. I went through to the kitchen and switched the coffee machine on. The coffee would be ready by the time I finished my shower.

I padded back to my room to shower. My mind was preoccupied with how I was going to handle Connor, when I stripped naked and stepped into the shower.

I washed my hair. A buildup of hairspray and gel was common with models so I washed my hair as often as I could. I loved the feel of my hair untouched by hair products. When I finished my shower I grabbed the nearby towel and wrapped it around my body as I went back into my bedroom to get dressed.

I was half dressed when I heard the apartment front door open. My hair was still damp and there wasn't a stitch of makeup on my face. Usually I liked to wear some makeup around him. It made me feel more confident in handling him.

I managed to slip my top on before Daniel filled the doorway. The smile on my lips died when I noticed the tight expression he wore.

My instinct kicked my fear into high gear. I'd done something wrong, very wrong. He was angry.

"Daniel," I said breathlessly. My mind was racing to figure out what I'd done.

Had he found out Connor's company was behind my photoshoot the day before? I made my schedule readily available to his secretary. Had he pieced it together? Before Friday night I would have been confident he hadn't, but he wasn't behaving like his usual self. Connor's attention on me was bringing out a side to Daniel I didn't know.

"Riley," he said, his tone disapproving, which added to the fear prickling up my spine. His cold stare made me tremble inside.

I could try to explain that I knew nothing about Connor's involvement but he wouldn't listen to my denials. I bit my lip as he stepped into the room, dwarfing everything other than his presence.

I held the trousers I had selected to wear in my hands while I watched him approach like a predator stalking its prey.

"I thought we had agreed that you were to have nothing to do with Connor Price."

I kept myself from frowning. Instead I tried to think of a way to diffuse the tension growing between us. He stopped when he reached me and I dropped the item of clothing I held.

"Yes. We did." It came out as a whisper as I waited. It hadn't been a mutual decision. He had demanded and I had agreed.

He was so calm. Too calm. I scanned his features for any signs he was going to lose his temper. The slight pulse in the vein on the right side of his forehead wasn't a good sign at all.

He took my hands into his firm grip. I had to fight the instinct to pull free and run as far away as I could get from him.

"Then why did you disobey me?" His bold stare was on me as he cocked his head to the side.

He had to be talking about the job. Nothing else had happened since our fight that could explain this.

"I didn't-" His hand shot out and he back-handed me.

I was stunned. I stepped back, my knees coming into contact with the edge of the bed. My hand automatically went to my stinging cheek. The taste of blood was on my lip.

"I didn't know-" This time he shoved me and I fell back onto the bed.

"Every time you lie to me I will punish you."

I was trying to explain what had happened but he wasn't giving me a chance. I debated whether to just keep quiet.

He surveyed me with disgust. "And to think I had been contemplating proposing and making you...my wife."

Wife.

I lifted myself up on my elbows and sat up. He turned away and I took the opportunity to stand.

The whole situation felt unreal but the throbbing of my face reminded me it was all too real. My tongue ran across my lip, to where it had split open.

His shoulders were tense. He wasn't through yet and something uncurled in the pit of my stomach. Something far worse was going to happen.

I slowly took a step away from him and closer to the bedroom door. My survival mode was kicking in. He turned his attention back to me and I halted like a deer caught in headlights.

"You knew the rules and you broke them." For the first time there was a hint of regret in his voice. "We could have had something...amazing."

I swallowed as my gaze shifted to the door to calculate my odds of reaching it before he could stop me. He was physically stronger than me so my only hope would be to outrun him.

"Was I not enough?" He almost sounded hurt.

"I don't want anyone else," I told him, hoping I could defuse the growing situation.

This time he grabbed me by the front of my shirt and yanked me closer. I tried not to struggle, still convinced I could salvage the situation.

"I only want you," I told him, holding his gaze to prove I wasn't lying. My heart was racing as adrenaline started to kick in.

For a few moments his grip tightened and he closed his eyes like he was in pain.

Then he shoved me back and I lost my footing. I landed with a thud against the carpeted floor. It knocked the air out of me and I struggled to catch my breath. My back hurt. That was definitely going to leave a few bruises. I hadn't expected it so I hadn't been able to protect myself. My back hurt as I rolled onto my side while trying to inhale and exhale.

In my mind I was already doing damage control, thinking of ways I could cover up the injuries. I hoped he would calm down and see that he had no reason to feel jealous of Connor.

Liar, my inner conscience whispered to me. I was in charge of my future and I wouldn't allow a passing attraction for some guy derail it. My mind controlled my choice, not my hormones.

"You're a lying whore!"

His foot made contact with my ribcage and then pain exploded. I cried out, unable to take the jarring agony that shot through me, leaving me gasping.

"You wanted someone with more money..." I struggled to concentrate on what he was saying. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to move.

"That's why you are searching his name on the internet."

The internet? My mind couldn't process what he was talking about. How did he know? Then I realized the only way he would know is if he monitored my search history.

He bent down to me and I wanted to recoil but the pain kept me still. I put my hands up defensively, not convinced he was finished. My breaths were short and shallow as I peered up at the man I had been convinced would be my savior.

"I would have given you everything," he whispered. His hand neared my face and I flinched. His hand dropped away.

"But now I'm going to take it away." There was a decisiveness in his voice and I knew in that moment I had lost everything I'd worked toward.

It kicked my fear up to a whole new level. The only sound was my short, shallow breaths.