He wanted to scream it out loud. He wanted to reveal his real identity right there and watch her face turn pale. But he stopped himself. He clamped his jaw shut. He looked at Lana and felt a deep, twisting pain in his chest.Had their five solid years of feelings and memories really lost to a fake background and a fake identity? He stared into her eyes and realized he did not recognize this greedy, arrogant woman at all. Was this really the brave, selfless little girl who had risked her own life to save him ten years ago?Lana rolled her eyes, thoroughly disgusted by his silence."Of course I chose Cade. Who else would I choose?" Lana pointed a perfectly manicured finger at Dane's chest. "Look at you. Look at your clothes. Your entire outfit costs less than a hundred dollars. It is embarrassing just to be seen breathing the same air as you. I advise you to break up with me nicely, turn around, and stop pestering me. Otherwise, Cade will not let you off easily."Cade stepped forward, a

Outside Mara's home, Dane walked back and forth. His Assistant stood on the wood porch. He hit the door hard and yelled Mara's name loudly. The house stayed quiet. No one answered. They waited for a long time. The quietness made Dane feel very worried. Finally, the wood door slowly opened. A mean old woman stepped out. She rubbed her eyes like she just woke up from a deep sleep. She looked at Dane. She seemed very angry and crossed her arms tightly."What is all this yelling about?" the old woman said. "Is our young lady's name something you can yell in the street? You missed her. She went to Mr. Croft's mansion hours ago to sign a deal. That paper will lead to her marrying Vaughn Croft today. From now on, she will be a very important person. She won't be someone just anyone can call out to."Hearing the name Vaughn Croft with the word marriage, Dane stopped still. He knew who Vaughn Croft was. Vaughn was an evil man who hurt people. Cold fear grabbed Dane's chest. That fear quickly

To keep his true identity an absolute secret, Dane lived in a very cheap, ordinary apartment building. He used public buses and subways, never bringing his luxury cars to his home.When they arrived, he gently handed Mara over to his asistant and instructed the assistant to help change her out of her torn, ruined dress and into a set of clean, warm, ordinary clothes.An hour later, the drugs finally began to wear off.Mara slowly opened her eyes. The room was small but very clean. She sat up on the soft sofa, clutching a warm blanket to her chest. She looked across the small living room. Dane was sitting quietly in a chair, watching over her.Before she had lost consciousness at the mansion, she had heard a man's furious voice shout, Let her go! Looking at Dane now, she knew it was him. This poor, ordinary student had risked his life to save her from a monster.Tears instantly welled up in Mara's eyes. "Thank you," she choked out, her voice trembling with deep emotion. "Thank you for

Lana scoffed, her jealousy flaring even hotter. "Girlfriend? A disfavored, poor young lady whose company is heavily in debt really thinks she can climb the social ladder by seducing a beggar. What a perfect match."Lana crossed her arms triumphantly. "I would love to see how the two of you even get through the front door today. This is the Mercer Group. You can't just enter by smiling at the security guards."Dane looked directly into Lana's arrogant eyes. "Let's make a bet then."Lana paused. "What bet?""Whoever cannot get through those front doors tonight," Dane said, his voice echoing in the quiet courtyard, "must kneel right here at the entrance and publicly apologize to the other."Mara's heart pounded in her chest. She grabbed Dane's sleeve and whispered frantically, "Dane, no! Maybe we should just leave. We don't have invitations. They will humiliate us."Dane squeezed her waist gently, his eyes never leaving Lana. "Trust me," he whispered back.More onlookers gathered around,

Lana's face burned with extreme embarrassment. She gritted her teeth so hard they nearly cracked. She was the supposedly mighty heir of the Hayes Family; kneeling in the dirt would destroy her reputation forever.Cade quickly stepped in front of Lana, sweating profusely. "Hey, don't be so aggressive," he said nervously to Dane. "It was just a casual remark between friends. Is it really necessary to take it so seriously?"Dane shrugged casually, but his eyes were ice cold. "It doesn't matter to me. I can't physically force you to honor your own bet. But with so many people watching, and so many cell phones recording... your story will definitely be on the front page of the entertainment news headlines tomorrow morning. 'Hayes Family Heir Refuses to Pay Debts.' Sounds catchy."Dane chuckled lightly.Bree respectfully extended her arm toward the glass doors. "Please, sir, miss. Let me invite you inside."Dane placed his hand gently on the small of Mara's back and guided her through the g