---- Chapter 7 Gerard blinked. "What?" The left side of his face was already swelling. His eyes stayed glued to the ashes on the floor- no sadness, just straight-up contempt. "Danielle, you've really gone all out trying to get me to leave Peggy. She just found out she's pregnant, and now you're claiming Nadine is dead? "you even put some dust in a little jar to put ona show. Do you really think you and some kid matter in my family? What a joke. "Tf it weren't for my parents pressuring me back then, I wouldn't have even looked at you." He wasn't wrong. We only got married because of my family's name -and the favor they did for his. Back when my dad and Christopher were ---- finalizing a deal, Christopher collapsed from high blood pressure. Everyone panicked. Tried to move him. I was still a med student. Took one look and called it-a hemorrhage. Told them to stop, called 911, and kept him stable till help came. I saved his life. After he recovered, he thanked me in person-and pulled every string he could to repay me. For two years, I meant more to Christopher than Gerard ever did. He'd invite me to the Busch estate all the time-I even stayed over often. Until that night. Gerard stormed into my room out of nowhere. ---- Covered my mouth before I could scream, said he'd been drugged, begged me to help him. The next morning, the maids walked in. Found me crying, face in my hands. Gerard was passed out on the bed. That was all it took. Both families rushed to arrange an engagement. A marriage between the Busches and Astors meant a power move-Busch Corp and Astor Corp locked together. No one cared what we wanted. We went through with it, half-hearted. But I didn't want to live bitter. I tried to treat Gerard right, tried to make something out of this mess. Didn't matter.