The Accident
TEN MINUTES BEFORE THE CRASH—SIX YEARS AGO…
The night air throbbed with the bass of the music, carrying the sharp tang of salt and the sweetness of spilled champagne.
This was it.
We were finally gonna do it.
That yacht was a shining streak cutting through the black Pacific. The wind caught my silk dress, brushing it against my thighs as I stood by the railing. Goosebumps prickled my arms, but I couldn’t tell if it was the ocean breeze or the weight of what Reese and I were about to do.
Breathe, Laurene.
With a sigh, I turned and watched the yacht club, the glittering lights reflecting off the water. I twisted my engagement ring, feeling its smooth surface under my fingers.
Can I really do this?
Yes. No more secrets. No more lies.
I turned to find Reese standing there, his face pensive. He stepped closer, his fingers brushing my arm, sending a fiery, dangerous shiver down my spine. “Are you sure you can do this?”
No. I was freaking out. Terrified. What would Mama do? I didn’t even want to go there. But I couldn’t marry Conrad. I couldn’t go along with her plan.
“We said we’d do this tonight, so that’s what we’re doing.”
He hesitated before putting his hand on mine. “Nothing’s gonna happen that we don’t want.”
A bitter smile twisted my lips. “We’re blackmailing Conrad into calling off our engagement so I can marry you. Do you really believe that?”
His jaw ticked, but he didn’t argue.
I glanced left and found Blair staring directly at us. Her gaze latched on to me, unblinking, unreadable. The knot in my stomach tightened. I yanked my hand away from Reese.
“I need to fix my makeup again.”
I had fixed everything after our encounter in the bathroom earlier, but I just had to make sure.
I stumbled back, my heel catching on the slick deck, but before I could fall, a hand clamped around my wrist.
“Whoa, easy there,” Nina said, steadying me. “Are you okay?”
I forced a smile. “Perfect. Excuse me.”
The stairs felt endless as I descended into the lower deck, my breath coming fast, uneven. The moment I stepped onto solid ground, I braced myself against the nearest wall, pressing a hand to my chest.
What if this all fell apart?
For two years we’d managed to keep our relationship a secret, and soon it would be out. I just prayed I was right in my assumption that Conrad hated this engagement just as much as me. I didn’t know the exact pressure Harold was putting on Conrad, but if it was how Mama was treating me, I was fucked.
And me—God, what would people say when this got out? That I was reckless, stupid, selfish? That I destroyed my own engagement, my own reputation, my family’s reputation, just to crawl into bed with the one person I was never supposed to love ?
But what if, for once, I stopped caring? What if I let Lush burn behind me? Leave my parents, leave the expectations, leave behind the version of me that never felt like enough?
My nails dug into my palms. The thought was huge, scary, and irresistible.
I gulped and straightened up, smoothing my dress. No. I couldn’t lose it now.
I stepped forward, deeper into the dimly lit hallway, the low hum of the yacht’s engine beneath my feet grounding me. I just needed a moment.
But then—footsteps.
“Laurene…”
Conrad was standing behind me. His cold blue eyes gave nothing away as they looked me over, his dark hair neat despite the wind. He was just steering the boat. So why the hell was he down here?
I straightened up, trying to relax. “Hey, what’s up?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
I lifted my chin. “I just needed a moment.”
He hummed as he drew near, his expensive cologne mingling with a hint of alcohol. “Funny. So did I.”
My pulse kicked up. His face was blank, but there was something in his eyes—a deadness.
“Wasn’t our kiss good?”
I swallowed. “Was there a reason you had to pull that?”
“You’re going to be my wife,” Conrad said. “What do you think we’re going to do on the wedding day?”
“About that?—”
“Look, look.” Conrad raised his hands. “I haven’t been the most charming version of myself. I understand. You’re not a bad-looking woman, Laurene. But let’s just keep any of that pushback and back talk to a minimum in our…arrangement.”
I blinked. “Excuse me?”
He exhaled angrily, like I was exhausting him.
“I’m going to have it all. A mansion, a high-paying job, a beautiful wife—and I’m going to hate every second of it.” His lip twisted up. “I’ll hate waking up in that house to greet my nosy neighbors, hate driving to my soul-sucking job, and especially hate going home to you every night. You’ll leave me leftovers in the fridge and kiss me good-night before bed, and I will stay up every night wondering how to escape this fucking limbo.”
I straightened.
“But guess what?” He got super close, and I smelled alcohol on his breath. “We’ll do it. I’ve…made some mistakes. But that’s being fixed. This is my life, and I’m staying here. Because if we don’t act together, that fucks up everything I’ve done and am trying to fix. And, Laurene, I don’t let anyone fuck up my plans.”
A cold sweat broke out along my spine. “Then don’t do it.”
He cocked his head. “What?”
I breathed slowly. “You just said it yourself. You don’t want this. Why don’t you just walk away?”
Wasn’t this exactly what we needed? Was Reese right? Would it really be that easy?
“You think I can?” he asked. “Laurene, sweetheart, this isn’t about you. It’s not even about me.”
I frowned. “Then what is it about?”
“That is all I have.”
“What does that mean?” I asked carefully.
He shrugged. “It means the money, the power, the family name—it’s all tied to this. You, me, the pretty little life our parents arranged for us. I thought I didn’t want it. But I do. I change my mind, and I can fix things and if I can’t, somebody has to take the fall.”
Go ahead, tell him.
“You know, Conrad, I’m starting to understand why you’re so desperate to keep this engagement.”
He squinted, but said nothing.
I leaned in, keeping my voice calm. “You’ve been stealing Reese’s ideas. And you’ve been getting away with it. ”
For the first time, I saw a flicker of something in his eyes—a little tension, a slight tightening of his jaw.
“How did you find out?”
“Why? You and Reese could work together and be something?—”
“I don’t need his ideas. Hell, I don’t even need him. The only reason he’s still right there for now is because it’ll look bad if I throw him on his ass. Is that all you know?”
I held my ground, refusing to let him break me. “You think I’m just going to sit back and let you ruin him?”
“Why are you worried about my brother? Is it?—”
He recoiled, his eyes wide with shock as he figured it all out.
“Yes, Conrad. Me and Reese. Sleeping together. For a long time now.”
Until then Conrad had been controlled and cool, but it was like his face cracked. A searing ugliness crossed his features, and I took a cautious step back.
“Did he put you up to this?” he hissed, voice laced with venom. “Was this his idea? His way of getting back at me? Fucking my fiancée ?”
I sucked in a sharp breath. “I’m not your fiancée.”
His fingers tightened at my waist, digging in.
“You are ,” he murmured. “Until I say you’re not.”
I shook my head, ready to go back upstairs, and he grabbed me.
“That’s fine. Fuck him for now, but that won’t happen in our marriage. I’m thinking of having him fired. He’s nothing but a liability. I’ll make sure they see him as a failure, someone who’s been holding the company back. Fuck, I got feet and changed everything only for him to fuck me over? He’ll never work in this town again, and face it, Laurene, you’re far too prissy to love a poor man.”
My breath hitched. “You can’t do that.”
He reached out quickly before I could respond, fingers brushing my jaw in a mockery of affection before gripping my chin hard enough to make me gasp and force my neck back.
“You can either walk down that aisle and smile pretty for the cameras, or you can watch everything crumble—your family, your name, that little empire your mother built, and your beloved Reese.” His grip tightened just enough to make my eyes sting. “And if you think I won’t make it happen, I dare you to test me. You will marry me, you will like it, and you will end it with him.”
I jerked my face away, my heart hammering. “Go to hell.”
I didn’t see it coming.
One second, I was standing there, my pulse hammering, my brain screaming at me to run. The next?—
Pain.
Conrad shoved me—hard. My back slammed against the wall, the impact rattling through my bones, knocking the breath from my lungs.
I let out a strangled gasp. My fingers scrambled for something, anything, to grab on to, but there was nothing but smooth, polished wood.
Conrad came closer; I felt the heat radiating off him. Whiskey was all over his breath as he yanked me by my dress.
I pushed, but he was solid muscle and pure anger. He didn’t budge.
“I will not be second-best to Reese. I’m first. I’ve always been first. Do you understand?” he whispered.
I gulped, short of breath, heart racing.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
And then Conrad let go.
I stumbled forward, gasping, and when I lifted my head—Reese.
Standing at the top of the stairs. Face thunderous. Jaw clenched.
He glared murderously at his brother.
Conrad barely smirked before Reese moved .
He was on top of him in a matter of seconds. A crack echoed as Reese’s fist slammed into Conrad’s jaw.
Conrad staggered back, a snarl ripping from his throat. He braced himself against the wall, eyes wide, still stunned by Reese’s punch. Then, his hand rose to his lip, smearing the dark, sticky blood.
And then he laughed.
“Wow,” he breathed, rolling his jaw. “So that’s how it is, little brother?”
Reese didn’t answer. His whole body was coiled, ready. His hands, clenched at his sides, twitched with barely controlled rage, his knuckles white.
“You’re pathetic,” Conrad sneered, stepping forward. “We really got fucked when Mom gave birth to you. You can’t lead. You don’t listen. You fly off the handle each and every time. Now, you’re slumming it with the woman they gave me? You think you get to win ?” He let out a sharp breath, his eyes wide. “You’re just a fucking nobody, Reese. Do us a favor and get the fuck out this family. And once I get back up there, I’m turning this boat around, and we’re going home. Then I’m telling Mom and Dad everything . Let’s see how long your little fantasy lasts then.”
“No,” I breathed, heart stopping in fear.
Conrad barely looked at me. He shoved past Reese and stormed up the stairs.
“Conrad, don’t ,” I called out, but he was already gone, taking the steps two at a time.
I spun to Reese, breathless. “Stop him.”
Reese didn’t hesitate. He ran up the stairs after him, and I followed.
Conrad shoved past everyone to get to the helm where Nina was, totally unaware of the trouble brewing.
Reese lunged.
He grabbed Conrad’s shoulder, yanking him back just as he reached the helm. Nina screamed. Conrad spun around, swinging. But Reese dodged, catching his wrist midair and slamming him back. The yacht jerked from the sudden weight hitting the helm.
People gasped.
Heads turned.
“We don’t need to do this, Conrad,” Reese said.
“You want to know why you’ve always been a fucking disappointment?” Conrad sneered and stepped closer. “Because you never listen . You don’t shut up long enough to realize that no one— no one —cares what you think.”
Reese gritted his teeth.
“If you just listened instead of running your damn mouth all the time, then maybe Mom and Dad would have loved you. Maybe Dad would’ve trusted you with something real instead of just tolerating you.”
Reese’s eyes flashed dark, but he didn’t flinch. “That’s funny, because last time I checked, you don’t do shit without Daddy’s approval. Or have you convinced yourself you’re actually in charge?”
“You see everyone here?” Conrad whirled around to face the crowd. “They’re here for me. Me! Not you. Never you. That’s how it is and will always be.”
“You mean they’re here for Dad’s money. Same as you,” Reese said.
“You know why we were never close? Because I never wanted to be associated with a fucking disappointment.” Conrad leaned closer. “You always needed saving, Reese. From Dad, from school, from yourself. Pathetic.”
Reese’s jaw clenched. “Maybe if you weren’t such a selfish, spineless bastard, I wouldn’t have had to do it alone . I wanted my brother to love me, was that wrong?”
“Save the sentimental bullshit, Reese. Because if you were in my spot, you wouldn’t do the same thing as me?” Conrad chuckled.
Reese moved forward. “And what does that make you? Scared? Dickless? You rather take the easy way.” His laugh was bitter. “You can steal my ideas, take my job, hell, you can try to be me—but you’ll always be nothing more than a fucking fraud.”
Conrad lunged forward, yanking Reese’s shirt collar, the sound of ripping fabric tearing through the sudden silence. “Say that again.”
Reese shoved him back. “Fraud.”
Conrad snapped . With a merciless thud, he collided into Reese, the combined weight sending them both crashing into the wooden wheel with a splintering sound. Their weight yanked the wheel hard to port.
The yacht tilted, throwing everyone off-balance with a earsplitting creak of the hull.
Screams.
The second punch landed, Reese’s fist meeting Conrad’s jaw, sending a spray of blood arcing through the air as Conrad’s head snapped violently to the side. Conrad stumbled, recovering in a flash, and connected with a vicious right, his knuckles cracking sharply against Reese’s ribs. Reese grunted in pain.
Someone shouted, “Jesus Christ, stop them!”
Reese grabbed Conrad by the front of his shirt and drove him back, slamming him against the mast. The impact made the sail snap, ropes whipping dangerously overhead.
Conrad laughed through clenched teeth, blood on his lip. “Hit harder, little brother.”
“Reese! Don’t!” I shouted.
He landed another punch—this time to Conrad’s stomach, making him double over. But before he could land another, Conrad twisted, using his weight to shove Reese back. The music cut out.
“Shit! Watch the wheel!” someone shouted, but the fight was moving too fast.
Conrad charged.
He tackled Reese, the force slamming them to the ground. The wood splintered under their weight. Reese grabbed Conrad’s collar and flipped them over, landing on top. He drove a fist into Conrad’s face, then another.
And another.
But Conrad caught his arm and headbutted him.
A sharp, pained groan ripped from Reese’s throat, his face contorted in agony. His hands went to his face, just enough for Conrad to roll them over, pinning Reese down. His hands clamped around Reese’s throat, squeezing hard.
“You don’t get to win,” Conrad growled, his voice a low, venomous hiss. “You never get to win.”
Water splashed over the side as the boat jerked dangerously close to the rocks.
He grabbed Conrad’s wrist, trying to pry him off, but Conrad was unshaken, his grip tightening.
The yacht swayed hard again, nearly knocking them both over. More screams. More chaos.
“Conrad!” I turned to see Nina screaming.
A sharp, splintering crack echoed through the deck as the yacht teetered, too close to tipping, and people screamed—some scrambling to grab on to the railing, others falling into each other like pins.
“Let—go—” Reese gritted out.
But Conrad didn’t listen.
I couldn’t just watch this. I couldn’t.
“Conrad!” I shout, my voice barely reaching over the crashing waves. “Stop!”
But it was no use. He was lost to rage. He didn’t hear me. He didn’t care.
I surged forward, my feet slipping on the slick deck, but I forced myself to push through. I reached out, my fingers gripping the back of Conrad’s shirt, trying to pull him off Reese.
But Conrad was solid, like a damn boulder.
I pulled harder, determined to break this up before it was too late .
The yacht swayed again, more violently this time, and I lost my footing, stumbling backward.
“Laurene!” someone shouted as I was knocked off-balance.
But I wouldn’t give up. Not when Reese needed me.
I lunged forward again, reaching out just as Conrad shifted his weight, his attention still solely on Reese. I grabbed his arm, pulling, yanking, using every bit of strength I had left.
Then my fist slammed into the side of Conrad’s jaw, the contact jolting through my arm, pain flashing up my wrist. But I didn’t hesitate. I swung again, landing another punch to his ribs, a satisfying grunt escaping him.
But then?—
Conrad shoved me back, his eyes flashing with fury.
That was all the distraction Reese needed.
He slammed his knee into Conrad’s side. Conrad grunted, his grip loosening just enough, and Reese punched him in the throat.
Conrad choked, stumbling back, grasping at his neck.
The boat jerked again, and this time, it felt like it might just capsize.
But no matter how bad it got, I couldn’t tear my eyes away.
But then my eyes locked on to the distant shoreline—and my stomach dropped like a stone.
The lighthouse. Its beam cut through the darkness, rotating like a warning, illuminating the jagged rocks below.
We were heading straight for them.
Reese didn’t hesitate. He shoved him off. And Conrad went staggering back into the rail. For a moment, he teetered.
The rocks rose up out of the water, sharp and unforgiving, just beyond the light’s reach. We were going to crash—I could feel it.
“Reese!” I screamed, my voice breaking through the chaos.
“Laurene!” Reese turned to see the imminent crash. He let go of Conrad, and started to run to me.
And then— bang .
The boat crashed into the jagged rocks, the impact shattering the night air with a deafening crack. I heard the wood splintering, breaking apart under the force. The boat jerked violently, and for a moment, everything was disoriented, as if the world itself was tilting upside down.
I heard a scream—Nina? I didn’t know. It didn’t matter. Everything was spinning.
The last thing I saw was Conrad’s wide, shocked eyes before he went overboard.
A splash.
A crunch.
Then silence.
And Conrad was gone.