Chapter 1
Lena Marcer never thought she’d see herself naked on the front page of New York Art Daily.
But there she was–spread across the glossy cover, her most intimate moments immortalized in oil paint for the entire city to gawk at.
The exhibit was titled SEX, and held by her husband’s beloved crush, Zoey Callen. Every single one of the 99 paintings featured her–her body, her face, her most vulnerable expressions of pleasure.
And the worst part?
Her husband, Kevin Halden, had signed off on it.
The crowd–art critics, socialites, and journalists–whispers sharp as
knives.
“Isn’t that Mrs. Halden?”
“God, she’s even more stunning in person.”
“I heard she posed willingly-”
Furious, Lena smashed up the entire gallery. In response, Zoey left in a fit of anger.
To win her back, Kevin Halden insisted Lena apologize.
She refused. They hit a stalemate. So he sent people to pull security footage from the gallery and had it delivered to the nursing home–hoping Lena’s mom, Patricia Marcer, paralyzed from a stroke, could weigh in. Maybe she’d be forced to see the shattered amorous paintings covering the
wall as well.
It was just 30 minutes from the art museum to the nursing home. The GPS on the phone showed the car was nearly there–with less than ten minutes left.
Time ticked by, every second heavier than the last.
288 Vouchers
Lena’s nails dug deep into her palms. Her blood felt like it was flowing backward. Fighting back tears, she asked, “Kevin, you know my mom’s old–fashioned. She can’t handle that kind of thing. Are you trying to kill her?!”
Kevin looked up from the couch at the sound of her voice.
His sharp, unreadable eyes lifted slightly. He didn’t seem the least bit bothered. His voice was calm–too calm. “I’m not trying to kill your mom. You’re the one being unreasonable. Just say sorry to Zoey, and none of this would’ve happened.”
Unreasonable? Seriously? He was the one who stood by while Zoey turned her nudes into art for the world to see–and now she’s the one at
fault?
Lena stared at him, something cracking wide open inside her. Years of love suddenly felt like a lie.
Another five minutes passed. Her throat burned as she asked hoarsely, “If I still refuse to apologize, would you really show those clips to my mom?”
“You can try me,” Kevin said casually, eyes cool and calculating like a seasoned gambler. “Whether you want to take the risk or not–that’s up to you.”
A gamble? That was a game Lena couldn’t afford to lose.
She shut her eyes, and a single tear hit the floor. Her whole body felt ice- cold, trembling.
She couldn’t believe it. In the end, she still lost to Zoey.
Back in college, the three of them went to the same university. Kevin and Zoey were the stars of the art school–handsome and beautiful, talented, picture–perfect. Campus darlings.
Meanwhile, Lena? Just a music student with a secret crush, hiding in the background, watching them from the shadows.
Then, in junior year, out of nowhere, Zoey dumped Kevin and flew off to study abroad.
He changed. Started painting obsessively. He even put out a public call for nude models. Girls lined up like crazy to apply. Lena joined the crowd -and somehow, she got picked.
That’s how they started talking.
She once asked him why he chose her. Kevin said it was the softness in her–graceful and quiet, like a ballad played on strings, her voice floating through the haze like something out of a dream.
Her face turned beet red, but her heart melted. From then on, they met every day.
Lena didn’t want much. She just wanted one more day by his side. Just
one more.
Then, one day, Kevin showed up drunk. He cornered her in his studio, eyes hazy, and whispered, “Do you like me?”
“I do.” Her heart nearly exploded in her chest.
She shut her eyes tight, blushing so hard it hurt. And then, she felt the
warmth of his lips.
Kevin kissed her–hard, hungry.
One thing led to another. They went at it over and over in the studio until the break of dawn, when the first rays of sunlight spilled across her skin like silk. Inspired, he painted her on the spot.
..
That painting went on to win him a major award.
But for Lena? It brought disaster. Rumors spread like wildfire. The painting made headlines. Her mom saw it back in their hometown. The neighbors whispered, judged, and pointed fingers. Her mother was so furious she had a stroke and was rushed to the hospital.
Lena cried so hard she couldn’t breathe.
Kevin held her in his arms and whispered, “I’m sorry, Lena. I didn’t think this would happen. I’ll take care of you both from now on.”
And he did.
That award launched his career. In just five years, the once–struggling artist turned into a billionaire mogul. Lena became the envy of everyone- the perfect Mrs. Halden.
He treated her like a queen, gave her everything she wanted, and even made sure her mom had the best doctors and around–the–clock care.
Lena thought her future was set. Stable. Happy. But once Zoey came back, everything fell apart again.
He claimed Zoey had nowhere else to go, so he let her move in. Saying they were just “art colleagues“, he brought her to every gallery, every
event.
And now? He was using her mother’s life to force her to apologize.
“Fine. I’ll apologize.” Lena bit her lip and reached for her phone with trembling fingers. She dialed Zoey. “What happened today was my fault. I’m sorry.”
As the words left her mouth, the people headed to the nursing home
arrived.
Kevin made a call to stop them–finally satisfied. He got up and walked over to her, gently brushing her cheek. “Good girl, Lena. I had no choice, you know that. Just don’t be so stubborn next time, okay?”
With that, he left.
Lena’s hands clenched into fists. Shame and heartbreak churned in her
chest until it physically hurt to breathe.
No choice?
She let out a small, bitter laugh.
Then her phone rang again. It was the nursing home.
Heart dropped, she answered right away. “Mrs. Halden, something’s wrong,” the voice on the other end said, panicked. “Your mother’s condition just took a serious turn.”
