Chapter 1

At Vivian's welcome-home dinner, someone suggests we play a game called “Whose Lie Is the Wildest?”

My father has filled the private dining room at his club with sons of the mafia families he does business with.

I've known most of them since we were kids.

To win, I point at my fiancé, Jasper, and my younger stepsister, Vivian.

“Okay, real talk. Those two have slept together.”

The table goes quiet, then bursts out laughing.

“Gardi, you lost. Jasper and Viv have been together for years. Of course they're sleeping together.”

Another guy looks me up and down, lingering on the belly beneath my fitted dress.

“Look at your fat ass. Jasper's got a gorgeous girlfriend like Viv, and you think he'd pick you?”

Jasper lets Vivian lean against him while the others laugh harder.

My father sits at the head of the table and says nothing.

I'm Don Richard Carter's daughter and his named heir.

I've sat beside him through deals those guys weren't even allowed to hear.

Vivian is the daughter my stepmother, Celeste, brought into our family, but tonight she's sitting beside my fiancé while everyone laughs at me.

My face burns, and I fold my arms over my stomach.

I force a smile, telling myself Viv just got back and everyone's getting carried away with the game.

But when I get back to the estate that night, my things are gone.

My toothbrush, my skincare, even my robe have been replaced with Vivian's.

The closet where I keep my plus-size dresses is full of her clothes.

The framed photo of me leaning on Jasper's shoulder now shows Vivian leaning on him.

Same pose, same smile, different girl.

For the next two weeks, they're glued to each other.

Jasper treats me like his girlfriend's annoying stepsister, keeping his distance whenever I approach.

I search the photo albums on my phone, text every friend we share, and go back to the restaurants, parks, and hotels where he took me.

Our shared albums are full of pictures of him and Vivian.

Our friends all give me the same answer.

“He's always been with Viv.”

Celeste looks at me like I've lost my mind.

“Sweetheart, Jasper is Vivian's boyfriend. They've been together for years. You know that.”

When I turn to my father, he sets down his glass.

“Enough. You're embarrassing yourself.”

I stop sleeping, barely eat, and start wondering if they're right about me.

On the day of my psychiatrist appointment, I come home and hear laughter through the door.

Vivian sounds breathless with excitement.

“You should see the clips. First she thought we were joking, then she got suspicious, and now she's sobbing and begging him to admit he loves her.”

She laughs again.

“Those guys wanted video before they'd pay up. I've got enough to win that bet ten times over.”

“She's lost weight,” Celeste says. “Maybe we should just tell her now.”

“She's still a fat fucking embarrassment,” my father says. “And I'm supposed to hand her my family?”

Vivian giggles.

“Wait till everyone at the club sees her falling apart. Let's see who they call Mafia Princess then.”

Jasper laughs with her.

“I'll propose in front of everyone. The second I get down on one knee, she'll forget the whole thing.”

“You sure?”

“Come on, Viv. Who else is gonna marry her besides me?”

So that's what this is.

Vivian made a bet that she could break me, and my own father is helping her prove I don't deserve his place.

Fine.

I'm done playing.

Inside, Vivian is still laughing.

“I knew you'd come through for me, babe. You sure she'll go to the psychiatrist today?”

“Jasper's got it handled,” Celeste says. “You'll get the reaction you want.”

“Thanks, Mom!”

I've always known my father preferred Vivian, praising her smile and her figure while telling me to cover my arms and stay out of photographs.

I just never thought he'd help her film his own daughter's breakdown.

My fingers shake as I enter the code.

The keypad flashes red.

Access Denied.

The laughter stops.