Tempted by Eden (Eden #1)

Chapter One

Hailee

H eavy rain pounds against the metal roof of the taxi, creating a deafening roar that echoes the nervous anticipation thumping in my chest. I swipe my palm across the fogged cab window and peer out at my destination: Madison Park hot spot The Drawing Room. It’s not just any restaurant—it’s one of the most exclusive dining rooms in New York, known as much for its elite clientele as its innovative menu. It’s no wonder my mother chose this place. It’s the kind of restaurant where every detail is meticulously curated, much like the facade my mother maintains.

Exhaling loudly, I close my eyes for a moment and remind myself why I’m here. Why I flew more than twenty hours to have dinner with my mother.

For my sister, Beth.

Suck it up, you can do this.

Asking my mother for a favor shouldn’t be this hard. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t seem like a huge ask. What mother wouldn’t want to do everything in her power to help save her daughter? To extend her life by giving her the operation she desperately needs?

It’s been ten years since I last saw her, and even that doesn’t feel like long enough. The memory of our last encounter still stings, and the thought of facing her again makes my stomach twist. As much as I’ve tried to distance myself from her toxic presence, life has pulled me back into her orbit, and I’m dreading every second of it.

I’d rather stick needles in my eyes than ask my mother for anything. But I will endure this conversation and swallow my pride a thousand times for Beth. I would do anything for her.

I tug down the hem of my red dress with clammy hands, my nerves making the fabric feel tighter than it is. Pulling out my compact mirror, I carefully reapply my scarlet lipstick, knowing she will undoubtedly have something to say about my appearance. She always does. I snap the mirror shut, the sound piercing in the cab.

“Are you going in, Miss?” The taxi driver’s voice startles me and I catch his eyes in the rear-view mirror.

“Yes, thank you,” I reply with a forced smile.

I pay him, adding a generous tip for making him wait, and thrust open the car door. Flipping my coat over my head, I step out into the pouring rain and dash toward the restaurant.

I’m not leaving until I secure Beth a new heart. Failure is not an option.

Let’s fucking go.