The Devil Billionaire Spoils Me Rotten After I Took My Sister’s Place

I walked up the sweeping staircase, the marble steps cold beneath my worn sneakers.

Bella leaned against the wall near my bedroom door, arms crossed over her silk robe.

"Did your pathetic knight in shining armor talk some sense into you?" she asked.

I stopped a few feet away. "What do you want, Bella?"

"I want to make sure we understand each other." She pushed off the wall and closed the distance between us. "You are going to marry Ethan Voss."

"Dad already made the threat," I replied, keeping my voice flat.

"Dad threatened you with the streets. I am threatening you with something much worse." Bella smiled, a sharp, terrifying expression. "Your mother's care facility."

My hands curled into tight fists. "Leave my mother out of this."

"I control the trust fund that pays for her nurses, Serena. Dad handed it over to me last month." Bella tapped a manicured fingernail against my collarbone. "If you refuse to put on that wedding dress, I will cut her funding immediately. They will kick her out by noon tomorrow."

"You are evil."

"I am practical." She shrugged, unbothered by the insult. "Let us be honest. You were born for this exact purpose. The bastard child, kept around just in case the Grey family needed a sacrificial lamb."

I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. "You really think Ethan Voss won't figure out I'm not the legitimate daughter?"

"He asked for a Grey. You share the bloodline." Bella waved her hand dismissively. "Besides, I am not entirely heartless. I am willing to compensate you for your trouble."

"Compensate me?"

"Yes. Play the good, obedient wife for one year." She leaned in close, her vanilla perfume sickeningly sweet. "When the year is up, I will wire two million dollars into an offshore account for you and Lucas. You can run off to Paris and live happily ever after."

Empty promises. I knew exactly what she was doing.

"Two million," I repeated, feigning hesitation.

"Enough to fix his startup and buy you a house." Bella stepped back, looking triumphant. "You get your dream life. I get to keep my freedom. Everyone wins."

"And if Voss kills me before the year is up?"

"Then I guess Lucas will be mourning in Paris alone." Bella laughed, a high, grating sound. "Think about it, sister. Two million dollars. Do not ruin this for yourself."

She turned and walked down the hallway, disappearing around the corner toward the east wing.

I stood frozen in the corridor. The sheer audacity of her lie astounded me. She had no intention of paying me a dime.

I needed to see Lucas again. I needed to look him in the eye and see how deep this betrayal went.

I bypassed my bedroom and followed the path Bella had taken. The east wing housed the old library, a room my father rarely used.

As I approached the heavy oak doors, a muffled voice caught my attention.

"You promised me she wouldn't put up a fight."

Bella's voice.

I pressed my back against the wall, inching closer to the cracked door.

"She isn't fighting, Bella. I handled it."

Lucas.

My chest tightened, but I refused to cry. The tears had completely dried up, replaced by a freezing numbness. I peered through the narrow gap between the hinges.

Lucas stood by the fireplace. Bella was right in front of him, her arms wrapped securely around his neck.

"You sure?" Bella purred, tracing the line of his jaw. "Because if she backs out, my father will bankrupt your little company just for fun."

"I told you, she bought the entire story." Lucas rested his hands on her hips, pulling her flush against him. "She thinks I'm being blackmailed. She thinks she is saving my life."

"God, she is such an idiot." Bella tilted her head back and laughed. "She actually believes you want to marry her."

"I spent two years pretending to care about her boring art projects and her depressing mother." Lucas leaned down, pressing his lips to Bella's neck. "I earned my payout, Bella. When she marries Voss, I want my shares in the Grey empire."

"You will get them, baby." Bella threaded her fingers through his blond hair. "As soon as the ink dries on that marriage certificate, we take a vacation. Just the two of us. St. Barts?"

"Anywhere you want."

Lucas captured her mouth in a deep, hungry kiss.

I watched the man I loved—the man I had planned a future with—devour my sister. My stomach churned. Every sweet word, every promise of Paris, every late-night conversation had been a calculated lie.

I was nothing but a pawn to them. A convenient idiot to throw at a monster so they could steal my family's wealth and run off together.

I pushed the heavy door open.

The hinges squealed loudly.

Lucas and Bella sprang apart, scrambling backward.

"Serena!" Lucas gasped, his face draining of color.

Bella recovered faster, smoothing down her silk robe with a haughty glare. "Don't you know how to knock?"

I stepped into the library, letting the door click shut behind me. "I didn't want to interrupt the business meeting."

Lucas took a step toward me, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "Serena, listen to me. This isn't what it looks like."

"Save it." I held up a hand, stopping him in his tracks. "Do not insult my intelligence anymore, Lucas. The performance is over."

"You don't understand," he pleaded, his eyes darting to Bella for help.

"I understand perfectly." I shifted my gaze to my sister. "You get to keep your freedom, and he gets his shares. A brilliant strategy."

Bella crossed her arms. "So you heard. What are you going to do about it? Cry to Dad? He doesn't care who Lucas sleeps with. He only cares about the Voss contract."

"She's right," Lucas muttered, dropping the innocent act completely. His posture shifted, the fake warmth vanishing from his features. "You have no leverage here, Serena. You are trapped."

I looked at the stranger standing by the fireplace. Two years of my life, wasted on a phantom.

"I agree to the terms," I stated, my voice echoing in the quiet room.

Bella raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"I will marry Ethan Voss." I walked closer to them, my chin held high. "I will sign the papers on Friday. I will move into his estate."

Lucas frowned, clearly confused by my calm demeanor. "Just like that?"

"Just like that." I stopped a foot away from Bella. "You wanted a sacrificial lamb. You got one. But do not expect me to play the victim."

Bella scoffed. "What are you going to do? Tame the beast? Ethan Voss will chew you up and spit you out before Sunday."

"Maybe." I offered her a cold, empty smile. "Or maybe I will become his wife. A real wife. With all the power and money that comes with the Voss name."

Lucas tensed. "Serena, don't be stupid."

"Make sure my mother's facility is fully funded by tomorrow morning, Bella." I ignored Lucas entirely. "If a single payment is missed, I will tell Ethan Voss exactly how the Grey family tried to scam him with a bastard daughter."

Bella's smug expression faltered.

I turned on my heel and walked toward the exit. I did not look back at either of them.

My heart was completely dead. They had killed the naive, hopeful girl who believed in love and escape.

Now, they were going to deal with the woman left behind.

I reached my bedroom and pulled my suitcase from the closet. Friday was only three days away. I was walking into the lair of the city's most dangerous man.

And I fully intended to use him to burn my family to the ground.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand. An unknown number flashed on the screen.

I answered the call.

"Serena Grey," a deep, rough voice rumbled through the speaker, sending a shiver down my spine. "My men are downstairs. You are leaving tonight."