A Pawn's Guide to Success

The world snapped back into focus, the memories of my brutal end crashing into the present. I was back—right here, right now, the exact moment Jarrold Jameson was trying to hand me that obscenely expensive purse.

In my past life, he'd had a nasty fight with his precious Cindy Mayford. To make her jealous, he decided to use me as his pawn.

I'd been stupid enough to love him once, but my pride had revolted. I'd refused to be a stand-in. It didn't matter. He kept engineering "accidental" run-ins, crafting one public misunderstanding after another, all to get a reaction from Cindy.

I had done nothing wrong. I gained nothing. But I became Cindy's enemy. Her jealousy festered until it turned lethal. She had me kidnapped. The men she hired left my body shattered and broken.

And Jarrold? He held his sobbing darling close and whispered those unforgettable words, "She got what she deserved."

In the end, they stepped right over what was left of me and walked off into their picture-perfect life.

Now, staring into his smug face, a cold clarity settled over me. This time, everything would be different.

I snatched the handbag from his grasp.

"A present for me?" I asked, my voice sweet, a sharp, calculated smile on my lips. "I love it. But just so you know, for next time… I've always preferred the classic design from her family's brand. That's the one you should be buying me."

Jarrold stared, utterly thrown.

He hadn't expected me to take the bag. In the past, I'd always refused his gifts, terrified he'd think I was some cheap gold digger.

When he finally found his voice, he said, "As long as you like it."

I looked down at the purse in my hands—a five-figure masterpiece that screamed old money. The longer I stared, the more I liked it.

My father was a degenerate gambler. My mother was rotting away in a hospital bed. We were drowning in a sea of debt they didn't know I knew about.

In my past life, I'd been a pawn in Jarrold and Cindy's twisted game, tangled in their mess until it got me killed. And for what? I hadn't gained a thing.

Back then, I'd still believed in something as naive as pure love. How pathetically foolish.

Now, I knew better. Now, my only true loyalty was to the cold, hard cash that could buy my freedom.

Since I was stuck in their game, I might as well play to win.

When Cindy saw her bag hanging from my arm, her face purpled with rage. She stomped her foot like a petulant child and fled.

Jarrold's eyes followed her, his expression unreadable but tinged with grim satisfaction. I knew that look. He was pleased. Pleased that Cindy was jealous.

He'd gotten exactly what he wanted.

I played oblivious, then quietly sold the bag and pocketed every last cent.

The next day, Jarrold asked me to lunch.

He took me to a French