Chapter 17: Reluctant Pawn

She didn't have even a shred of interest in him, not for a single second!

Lily stared at her hands, a wave of nausea crashing over her. She wanted nothing more than to spit his offer back in his face, but in the end, she didn't push him away.

At thirteen, when her family's fortunes had crumbled, she had learned the harsh lesson of weighing costs and benefits as she watched her aunt haggle over the price of cabbage at the market.

In her aunt's words, how much was dignity worth per pound? Whoever wanted it, she'd sell it to them.

In the face of money, was selling her already tainted body really such a loss?

If a single night with him could secure an exclusive scoop, wasn't she the one coming out ahead? She couldn't bear to see her uncle's home in constant turmoil, to watch him work himself to the bone to provide for her and the family...

If money could solve their problems, and someone was willing to pay, who was she to refuse?

This man had already shattered her innocence. What difference did it make if she lost herself to him once or a dozen times? She might as well reap some benefits.

But did he truly have access to the kind of exclusives he promised?

Given his age, no more than thirty, and his residence in the upscale Shallow Bay community, he could only be one of three things: the son of a wealthy family, a high-ranking official, or a military scion.

Could a mere princeling wield enough power to obtain such juicy scoops?

"Why should I believe you?" Lily asked, turning to face him.

The moment the words left her lips, he knew she had agreed.

A woman who knew how to utilize her strengths was undoubtedly clever, but at what cost to her dignity and self-worth? Had those qualities been sacrificed for the sake of manipulation?

Her face was an inscrutable mask, betraying nothing of her inner thoughts.

"Because my name is Ethan Blackwood." His lips ghosted over the nape of her neck, his breath a maddening caress as he brushed her hair aside. "Give me the photos you took."

Ethan Blackwood?

His name?

Without a word of protest, Lily handed over the memory card containing the compromising shots of him and Anna in the car. Her voice was flat as she added, "I didn't make any copies."

"Good girl."

Ethan pinched her soft cheek in approval, snapping the tiny card in half and tossing it into the wastebasket. It was done.

No one could use such salacious photos to tarnish his reputation or hold them over his head.

If word of his indiscretions got out, the Blackwood family conglomerate would implode.

"The video?" Lily held out her hand expectantly.

Ethan removed the memory card from his phone and placed it in her palm, bending to press a kiss to her cheek. His voice dripped with mocking amusement, "Don't lose it. Go home and enjoy the show."

Enjoy?!

How could he have the gall to say such a thing?

"You're despicable!" Lily glared at him, shoveling the card into her purse. It was a video she never wanted to lay eyes on again for as long as she lived.

But even as she prepared to leave, a part of her couldn't help but wonder what she had just agreed to. Had she truly sunk so low as to sell her body for a few scraps of gossip?

The weight of her decision settled heavily on her shoulders, a burden she knew she would carry for the rest of her days.

In the end, Lily told herself it was a necessary evil, a small price to pay for the sake of her family's future. If sacrificing her dignity meant saving the magazine and securing her uncle's happiness, then so be it.

She would endure this nightmare, one degrading encounter at a time, until she had wrung every last exclusive from Ethan Blackwood's grasping hands.

And when it was over, when she had taken everything she needed from him, she would walk away with her head held high, knowing that she had done what she had to survive.

For now, Lily steeled herself for the trials to come, locking away her shame and revulsion behind a mask of icy composure.

She had made her choice, and there was no turning back.