Her Scent, His Sin

Ten years together, my life with Liam Ashford was perfect.

Until Chloe Finch, his mentor's daughter, stormed into my penthouse.

She was on my bed.

"Liam's scent…I wonder what it would feel like, being pinned to this bed by him, smelling this while he takes me.”

She purred, spraying my custom perfume as she filmed herself.

I filmed her little show and sent the video straight to our family’s iMessage group.

Liam rushed home. He held Chloe and yelled at me.

“My mentor’s dying wish was to protect her! Get out if you can’t handle it!”

The look on my face was uglier than the sheets she'd just wrinkled.

Fine. I didn’t want the bed anymore.

And I was done with my fiancé, too.

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1

A rare day off, ruined by a persistent doorbell. I shuffled to the door in my silk robe to find a young woman on my doorstep.

She gave me a dismissive once-over, then shoved past me, wheeling a suitcase behind her.

I’d never seen her before. I had no idea who she was. I instinctively blocked her path.

She rolled her eyes impatiently. “Out of the way. Liam—oh, I mean, Mr. Ashford, your Director of Marketing—told me to move in.”

Liam? Move in?

My mind went blank.

We had been together for ten years. This was supposed to be our marital home. And now he was moving a strange woman in without even talking to me?

When I didn’t move, the woman shoved me.

“You must be the housekeeper for Liam, right? Get a move on. Help me with my bags. And be careful, they’re designer. You can’t afford to replace them.”

My brow furrowed. I asked her slowly, “Did Liam not tell you he has a fiancée?”

She scoffed. “What does it matter if he told me? What does that have to do with a servant like you?”

“He’s been with that Sterling heiress, Ava, right? Ten years and still not married. It’s obvious he doesn’t love her!”

“Let me give you some friendly advice, so you know where things stand. His fiancée is no match for me, Chloe Finch. You should think about who you want to be loyal to.”

Chloe Finch?

A cold laugh escaped me. The name sounded vaguely familiar.

The daughter of his business ethics professor from grad school.

She shot me a sideways glance and continued to wheel her suitcase inside, leaving two grimy tracks on my spotless, polished floors.

I’m a notorious neat freak.

Without a second thought, I picked up her suitcase and tossed it right back outside with a satisfying thud. I dusted my hands off. “Trash belongs outside.”

Chloe clearly wasn't expecting that. She spun around, shocked, and shrieked at me,

“How dare you! You really think Liam was on a business trip to London these past few days? Let me tell you! He took me on vacation to the Amalfi Coast! He said he wanted to help me unwind!”

“You dare treat me like this! He’ll make you sorry when he gets back! I’ll have him fire you immediately!”

A business trip? A vacation?

Hah. I really had to thank her for letting me know.

I pointed a disgusted finger toward the door and enunciated each word carefully, “You can get out, too. And take your trash with you. Thanks.”

Chloe was trembling with rage. But instead of leaving, she pulled out her phone, dialed Liam, and put him on speaker.

He picked up instantly. His deep voice came through the phone. “Chloe?”

Her voice immediately took on a whiny, tearful quality. “Liam! Is your housekeeper crazy? She threw all my luggage outside!”

I snatched the phone from her. My voice was ice. “Director Ashford, I think you’re the one who has lost his mind.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end, then Liam’s voice, laced with annoyance. “Let Chloe in.”

Before I could respond, Chloe hung up triumphantly. She shoved me aside and clicked across the living room in her high heels.

She sauntered around, swaying her hips.

“Wow, the old man’s student is richer than I thought!” she sneered.

“Hmm… this Murano glass chandelier… a bit dated. And this Ligne Roset sofa? What kind of taste is that? The place is big, but the decor is so tacky. I’ll have Liam replace all of it soon.”

The sight of her made my stomach churn.

Liam and I both worked at Sterling Scents, the premier niche perfume house in New York, founded by my father.

My father had made it clear—if Liam remained loyal to me during our three-year engagement, he would get more shares in the company. Eventually, the entire marketing department would be his.

There were less than two months left in his "probation period." It seemed his patience had run out.

I turned on my heel and headed for the study, ready to throw out everything Liam owned.

But before I reached the door, someone shoved me hard from behind. I stumbled, nearly falling.

“What are you doing?!” I spun around, furious.

Chloe stood there with her arms crossed, a smug, challenging look on her face. “Tsk, tsk. A servant should act like a servant. Don’t you dare get angry at your masters.”

Before I could reply, she walked into the master bedroom—our bedroom—and plopped down on the bed.

Then she started taking selfies, spritzing herself with my limited-edition custom perfume, and recording provocative videos to send to her friends.

“I’m just thinking… about what it would be like to sleep with Liam in this bed.”

The absolute nerve.

I strolled back downstairs, sent the video I’d just recorded to the family iMessage group, and added a caption: "Looks like Liam has a new girlfriend."