Liar's Trap: The Lost Heiress

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I was the ultimate temptation, meticulously trained to hook rich heirs.

That night, inside the most decadent penthouse suite in Vegas.

Nathaniel leaned back against the headboard, his eyes half-closed with heavy satisfaction, while my cheeks were stained with tears. Stop crying. I'll pay off your brother's debt. From now on, you're mine.

I took the money, whispered sweet nothings to lull him into compliance, and vanished into thin air.

Five years later, the news that Tristan, the seventh son of Manhattan's wealthiest dynasty, was divorcing his wife to marry a widow sent shockwaves through the city. Nathaniel, who had since become the ruthless head of the family, stepped in personally to clean up the scandalous mess.

He sat on the leather sofa with his long legs crossed, his dark, piercing gaze nailed to my slightly trembling shoulders.

"What, does every man in my family have to fall into your trap once?"

Chapter 1

My second year drifting through Manhattan. Cody had coaxed me, promising that after one last massive score, we'd change our names and flee the country. He had spent a year and a half prowling the high-roller tables in Vegas before locking his sights on Nathaniel. And I had spent two months methodically getting close to him.

Three more months to become the only woman by his side.

Tonight, the fruit was ripe for the picking. The water shut off in the bathroom. I stood wrapped in a silk robe before the massive floor-to-ceiling windows.

A towering, solid body, radiating cool dampness from the shower, stepped up behind me and pulled me flush against his chest. "What are you looking at?"

"The air here just smells like premium cigars and crisp dollar bills."

Nathaniel chuckled, his breath grazing my ear as he dropped a kiss there. "You like it?"

I shook my head and turned around in his arms. I met his lips compliantly. "I don't like this city, but I like you."

That sentence hit exactly where it was supposed to.

The untouchable billionaire slowed his pace, his movements deliberate and unhurried as he waited for my body to adjust.

Afterward, I collapsed against the edge of the mattress, my long hair cascading down to the carpet. My muscles felt like lead. I couldn't even lift a finger.

Nathaniel gripped my waist, pressing a hot kiss to my bare shoulder. "Want some water?"

I kept my eyes closed and nodded.

He kissed my temple one last time before getting up. He brought a glass to my lips, making me drink more than half of it.

The second he set it down on the nightstand, his heavy frame covered mine again.

The straight bridge of his nose lightly brushed against the red mole on my chest.

My fingers tangled into his thick, dark hair, my grip suddenly turning white-knuckled. "Nathaniel" I breathed his name, a soft sound slipping past my lips.

"Baby, I'll give you everything."

When Nathaniel woke up in the middle of the night, I was curled up in the corner of the bed, sobbing quietly.

"Fallon?"

"Nathaniel, my brother lost money at the tables. The loan sharks are going to break his leg"

"How much did he lose?" He sat up, grabbing a pack of cigarettes from the nightstand. He pulled one out but didn't light it.

Tears streamed down my face. "Ten million," I choked out.

He leaned against the headboard, his eyes heavy with sleep but laced with the satisfaction of a fed predator. "Come here." He patted the space next to him.

I bit my lower lip and leaned in, pressing my cheek against his scalding chest. My tears soaked into the collar of his open shirt right where they were supposed to.

"Stop crying. I'll take care of his debt. From now on, you're mine." He tossed the unlit cigarette aside and wiped a tear from my cheek.

"Nathaniel?" I looked up at him with red, swollen eyes. My eyes snapped wide, the breath hitching in my throat.

Nathaniel let out a low chuckle. "But on one condition. Once this is paid off, you cut ties with him. A gambler never knows when to stop."

"I know. This is the last time I'll ever help him" I threw myself at him, laughing and crying all at once, planting a childish kiss on his jaw. "Nathaniel, you're so good to me. You are the absolute best man in the world!"

"Once I handle my brother's mess, I'll go back to Manhattan with you. I'm low maintenance, I swear. Just keep me warm and fed. Nathaniel, I'll stay with you for the rest of my life. I'll love you. I'll respect you."

"Less sweet talk, more action." Nathaniel gripped my calves, pulling me forward until I was straddling his waist.

The hem of my silk nightgown was dangerously short, brushing against the hard planes of his muscles.

"Nathaniel" I breathed out.

His large hands clamped onto my waist, dragging me down against him.

"Fallon, cry for me now."

Chapter 2

His burning gaze stuck to me like nails, the tight lines of his muscles radiating an untamed wildness in the dark. It was the first time I'd unleashed every single trick I'd learned over the years on one man so thoroughly. Judging by the aftermath, the results spoke for themselves.

The morning I left, Nathaniel personally walked me to the waiting car. I gripped the edge of the rolled-down window, biting my lower lip hard, letting tears well up just enough to catch the light without spilling over.

Even as the car disappeared from view, he remained standing there.

Three days later.

Nathaniel stood at the harbor, crushing a cigarette under his shoe, his features locked in a cold mask.

His assistant jogged over, looking grim. "Mr. Nathaniel, we checked. It's all fake. The name, hometown, age, background everything. This probably isn't their first time running a con. They're professionals."

Nathaniel's gaze dropped indifferently to his own wrist. Two sets of bite marks rested thereone old, one new. One left by Fallon last night. The other had scarred his skin for twenty years.

"Understood," he said, his voice flat.

"Sir, should we keep digging?"

"No need." Nathaniel glanced at his assistant. "Pull everyone back. We're returning to Manhattan."

The assistant blinked, his posture instantly stiffening before he nodded. "Yes, sir."

Nathaniel strode onto the private yacht but stopped on the deck, standing motionless for a long time. Right before he turned to head inside, his thumb brushed over the faded scar on his left wrist bone.

Ten million. He'd consider it the price of fulfilling a childhood dream. Even if it was a lie. It was barely worth it.

Five years later.

I had just dropped Daisy off at preschool when Peyton burst into my apartment like a hurricane. She collapsed onto my sofa, instantly throwing a tantrum. "Fallon, I don't care. You have to help me this time, no matter what."

"I really can't help you."

"No one else can! Fallon, I swear, wherever you go, the divorce rate skyrockets. There isn't a man on earth you can't break."

"I've been practically living like a nun."

"Yeah, but that doesn't stop guys from looking at you like stray cats staring at fresh fish."

I let out a heavy sigh. "You can't blame me for that. I have to leave the house. I have to work. I have to raise Daisy, and you have no idea how much money that kid burns through."

"I don't care, Fallon. You're helping me. If you don't, I'll go home tonight and hang myself." Peyton was going full drama queen now.

My temples throbbed. "But your husband is a serial player. He's seen every type of gorgeous woman out there. He might not even take the bait."

Peyton shot up from the cushions like a spring. "The first time he laid eyes on you, his jaw practically unhinged."

I frowned. Peyton's husband was indeed a notorious playboy. By their second month of marriage, the tabloids were already having a field day with his cheating scandals. The problem was, the bastard came from old money.

Peyton's family had thrown their daughter at him to climb the social ladder; they would never let her file for divorce. Peyton couldn't nail down any hard evidence, so she spent every day pissed off with zero leverage. And somehow, this crazy girl had decided I was her silver bullet.

Honestly, I hated getting back into this kind of dirty work. But Peyton had saved Daisy's life once. That was a debt I could never fully repay.

"Peyton, I can only try. I'm not making any promises."

Peyton tackled me into a hug, squeezing me tight. "Fallon, I'm a straight woman and even I want to get my hands on you. Don't even get me started on those animals thinking with their dicks. I'll be waiting for the good news, gorgeous!"

Chapter 3

I didn't expect Tristan to be such an easy mark. He fell for me before I even used half the tricks I'd learned since childhood. By our fourth date, I just squeezed out a few tears and whispered that I didn't want to be a dirty little secret.

He went straight home and demanded a divorce from Peyton.

He threw such a massive fit that the tabloids were having a field day with the cheating scandal. The mess blew all the way back to Manhattan, alerting the current head of the dynasty. Rumor had it the man was thirty-two and outright refused to get married or have kids.

The family elders were going crazy, almost ready to freeze all his trust funds just to force him to the altar. A few years ago, they even tried throwing women at him. But his bodyguards physically tossed every single one of them out. Lately, the family seemed to have given up and stopped trying.

Honestly, my stomach had dropped the second I found out Peyton's husband belonged to the same billionaire family. But I held onto a shred of luckafter all, he was based in Chicago, and the main family was in Manhattan. Now, I found out Tristan was a direct branch member of the exact same dynasty.

I sat in the chair, my hands twisting the hem of my shirt in a death grip, forcing my gaze to stay nailed to the floor to barely comfort myself. Manhattan didn't just have one rich family with that name; maybe I was just scaring myself.

But the moment that tall, perfectly tailored figure appeared, the air left my lungs.

Nathaniel took the seat of honor, his presence suffocating the entire room.

I tucked my chin further down, shrinking into myself to look as helpless and pitiful as possible. Playing submissive was always the safest bet.

"Nathaniel, this is Fallon Don't make this hard on her. I'm the one who went after her. She's a single mom raising a daughter all by herself. She's been through enough." Tristan yanked me behind his back like a protective puppy. "I'm marrying her. No one touches her."

Nathaniel's voice was ice. "You're really outdoing yourself. Tearing everything apart for a woman."

"Fallon isn't like the others. I'm serious this time."

"Is that right? And her? Is she serious too?"

Tristan looked sickeningly sweet. "Of course. She told me I'm the absolute best man in the world. She said she'd stay with me for the rest of her life. That she'd love me and respect me."

The exact second those words left his mouth, all the oxygen vanished from the room. My stomach plummeted to the floor. Please, just shut up.

"Nathaniel just give us your blessing." Tristan kept rambling.

I couldn't stop myself from stealing a glance at Nathaniel. I slammed right into his dark, storm-brewing stare. A cold sweat broke out on my neck, and I snapped my head back down. But he clearly wasn't going to let me off the hook.

"Is it Fallon, or is it still your old name?" Nathaniel's voice dropped into a dangerous gravel.

My knee slammed hard into the cold mahogany table leg, my vision instantly blurring, and tears I couldn't control smashed onto the back of my hand.

"What, does every man in my family have to fall into your trap once?"

The tighter the muscles in Nathaniel's jaw coiled, the smoother and softer his voice became.

My knees buckled. I barely caught myself before hitting the floor.

Tristan was promptly "escorted" out by the bodyguards, leaving just the two of us in the massive living room. Nathaniel stood up and closed the distance between us. He radiated even more lethal authority than he had five years ago.

The sheer weight of his presencethe presence of a man at the top of the food chainpressed the air straight from my lungs.

I didn't have time to think. My survival instincts kicked in. Before he could even open his mouth, I let all the tension drain from my limbs, collapsing forward and wrapping my arms around him. I pressed my chest flush against his solid thigh. "Nathaniel I was wrong."

"Fallon, you really know how to bend when you need to," Nathaniel sneered, his tone dropping even lower.

I didn't say a word. I just bit my lip and clamped my arms tighter around him.

Against my chest, the muscles in his thigh visibly snapped taut, radiating a hard, scorching heat.

But the words that came out of his mouth were pure ice: "I suggest you don't dig your own grave."

Chapter 4

"If you really have to destroy me, you might as well let me die in your bed." I looked up at him through wet lashes, letting my shoulders slump just enough to look entirely at his mercy. "Honestly, after all these years, I've never been able to forget you After all, you're the most incredible man I've ever had."

My fingers trailed up his solid thigh, pliant and deliberately slow.

"Fallon!" Nathaniel's brows snapped together. A look of pained restraint hardened his features. "You have a death wish."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes internally. You're reacting this hard, yet you're still playing the saint. Besides, a guy his size could have flipped me off him in a heartbeat if he actually wanted me to stop touching him.

I widened my eyes, forcing a look of soft vulnerability as I peered up at him through my lashes. "Nathaniel" I pressed my fingers down harder.

Nathaniel's breathing grew visibly heavier.

I curled my lips, asking with innocent concern, "Are you uncomfortable?"

Nathaniel's Adam's apple bobbed sharply. He knew perfectly well I was a professional liar, accustomed to playing men like a fiddle. He should have shoved me away. He should have ripped off my mask in front of his idiot cousin and thrown me straight to the cops.

Yet, the moment my body touched his, I could see the rigid tension snapping across his jaw. The heated intensity in his gaze dragged over the curve of my waist and hipscurves that were even more dangerous than five years ago. His throat worked as he swallowed hard, fighting the obvious physical fire burning in his gut.

His dark eyes dropped, locking onto my face.

If I was an untouchable temptation five years ago, I knew exactly what I looked like to him nowripe, deadly, and begging to be tasted.

"Fallon." Nathaniel's hand darted out, his long fingers clamping around my jaw with bone-bruising force. "Spit it out. How much money are you trying to con this time?"

I swear. I ended that shady life a long time ago. This time was purely to pay off the debt I owed the woman who saved Daisy's life. Just one final exception.

Who knew my luck was this garbage, crashing straight into the hands of a former mark.

"I don't want money," I stammered pitifully.

"Then you've got a massive appetite. You want a ring?"

I shook my head. "I don't want that either. I just"

"You just genuinely fell for Tristan?"

Help me. Who in their right mind would fall for a serial-cheating scumbag like him?

"Not that either."

"Fallon, you better start giving me straight answers." Nathaniel released his grip, his dark gaze dragging over the red marks his fingers had left on my skin. "Otherwise, I have plenty of ways to break you."

He finished speaking, seemingly just remembering that my hand was still resting exactly where it shouldn't be. He clamped his fingers around my wrist bone, squeezing until a sharp spike of pain forced me to let go.

I pulled my hand back, looking deeply wronged. Men really were two-faced bastards. A far cry from the guy begging and calling me 'baby' in bed. "I just hated the way he played women. The way he couldn't keep his pants zipped. So I decided to play him too."

Nathaniel let out a harsh, mocking laugh. "Fallon, did you forget what the hell you did five years ago?"

I felt a sudden spike of guilt. "I I turned over a new leaf a long time ago."

More accurately, after walking away with his ten million five years ago, I finally accomplished the one thing I wanted most. And then I dug a grave for the pitiful, detestable Fallon I used to be, burying her deep.

"Turned over a new leaf?" Nathaniel stared down at me from his towering height. "Throwing yourself at a man the second you see himis that what you call turning over a new leaf? Did you forget exactly where your hand was a second ago, Miss Fallon?"

Chapter 5

I shot him a look, defending myself under my breath. "We already slept together. That's the only reason I touched you. I don't just put my hands on anyone. I never laid a finger on your Tristan. Besides, weren't you enjoying it? A second ago, you were practically"

"Shut your mouth."

The vein at Nathaniel's temple was visibly throbbing. Five years ago, I was soft, submissive, and bent to his every whim. Now, I had no filter and wandering hands. Seeing the genuine dark flash of anger tightening his jaw, I wisely snapped my mouth shut.

None of them knew. Even Cody probably never figured it out before he died. If it hadn't been Nathaniel back then, those three days and nights never would have happened. If Cody had picked anyone else as the mark, I never would have surrendered the innocence I had fought so desperately to keep.

And I certainly wouldn't have risked my life to bring Daisy into the world. My body had been wrecked by all the garbage drugs they pumped into me back then. Getting pregnant with Daisy was a miracle I still couldn't believe.

Thinking about all of that, I couldn't help but bite my inner lip, casting my eyes down to look as small and pitiful as possible. I went through hell while I was pregnant. I nearly died on the delivery table. And him? He got three days of mind-blowing pleasure and scored a gorgeous daughter for free.

But I didn't dare let a hint of that show on my face. At the end of the day, I was still the one in the wrong.

Old money families were obsessed with bloodlines. If anyone found out I had secretly given birth to Nathaniel's child, they'd probably chop me into pieces and drop me in the Hudson. Now, all I could do was pray his anger would burn out quickly so he could take his private jet back to Manhattan. I couldn't stay in Chicago anymore.

The second he left, I was packing Daisy up and moving to the West Coast. An entire country apart. We'd never cross paths again.

It was a solid plan, but my physical reaction was betraying me.

Honestly, the second I wrapped my arms around him just now, a spark of heat had flared to life low in my stomach. Raising Daisy alone all these years, I hadn't let another man touch me. And my body wasn't wired like a normal woman's. It wasn't just that men couldn't quit me after tasting me once.

Once I had a taste of a man, the physical craving drove me crazy too.

Especially a prime, top-tier predator like Nathaniel. Maybe living like a nun for five years had starved me too much. The second the thought sparked, it spread like wildfire.

I dug my nails fiercely into my palms, forcing myself to tear my gaze away. I actively avoided looking at the broad shoulders and narrow waist outlined by his custom-tailored suit, or the sharp bob of his Adam's apple swallowing right below his knot.

"Nathaniel, can I go home now?" I shifted restlessly in my seat. If I stayed in this room any longer, he wouldn't be the one losing controlI would.

Nathaniel's secretary walked in right then. Nathaniel grabbed his cigarette case and stepped out of the main hall before lighting up. I had no idea what the secretary whispered to him. Halfway through the conversation, Nathaniel glanced back over his shoulder at me.

The second our eyes met, I flashed him my sweetest, softest, most eager-to-please smile.

Nathaniel didn't so much as blink. He turned his back to me without a flicker of emotion on his face.

I mentally cursed him. Right. Everything about you is rock hard. But no matter how hard you are, you still end up surrendering in the end. Keep playing it cool.

When Nathaniel finally walked back in, I asked again, "Can I go home now?"

Daisy was about to get out of preschool. Peyton would pick her up, but Daisy was clingy with me.

Nathaniel shot me a cold look. "Peyton confessed to everything."

My stomach dropped, an icy chill shooting straight down my spine. "Don't be mad at her. She didn't have a choice. She just wants a divorce."

"If she wants a divorce, she can bring it up with the elders properly. If she's been wronged, the family rules aren't just for show. Teaming up with a professional liar to set up her own husband, however, is a massive mistake."

Chapter 6

My airway seized. "Then what are you going to do? How is the family going to handle this?"

Nathaniel stared down at me, the muscle in his jaw ticking as he clenched his teeth. His voice held zero warmth. "Call the cops. Entrapment, fraud, extortion. Add those charges up, and you two are looking at ten years behind bars."

"No" I shot out of my seat. "Nathaniel, you can't involve the police! It was my idea. I set the whole thing up for Peyton. You know her. She's a spoiled heiress. She doesn't have the brains to pull a stunt like this."

"You're taking the fall for her?"

All the blood drained from my face, but I ground my back teeth together. If Peyton hadn't reached out and saved us back then, Daisy and I would be dead.

"Yes I taught her every single step. Peyton is innocent. I played her too. You said it yourself, I'm a professional liar." I tipped my chin up, a cracked, self-deprecating smile pulling at my lips. "You're absolutely right. Fallon, or whoever I'm pretending to be."

His gaze narrowed. "It's all fake, isn't it?"

I nodded slowly.

"Over the last five years, besides Tristan, how many other men have you scammed?"

"None."

"None?"

"I swear, there's no one else."

Nathaniel obviously didn't buy a single word. "Then you can stay right here tonight. Take all the time you need to jog your memory."

I sat frozen in the chair, watching his broad shoulders turn as he headed straight for the grand double doors.

"Nathaniel."

My gaze slid down the rigid line of his back, eventually landing on his left wrist bone. Compared to five years ago, a dark sandalwood bracelet now wrapped around his wrist. It sat right at the joint, obscuring that faded bite mark.

For some reason, the memory slammed into mea memory so old it had almost rusted away. The blurry face of a young boy surfaced in my mind. His pale skin had been smeared with dirt, and his expensive little tailored suit was wrinkled and torn. But his eyes they were practically identical, blazing with that same arrogant, stubborn pride.

He had shoved me away with every ounce of his strength, over and over again. "Liar. You're a liar. You're all bad guys! I'm not going anywhere with you. My mom said pretty girls are the biggest liars of all!"

When he shoved me back for the final time, my temper snapped.

I lunged forward and sank my teeth directly into his wrist. The harsh metallic taste of blood flooded my mouth. I spat hard onto the dirt and glared right back at him.

"If you don't come with me tonight, they're selling you to the mountain traffickers tomorrow. You will never see your home again!"

He clutched his bleeding wrist, his dark eyes locking onto me like radar.

I didn't give him another second of my time. I spun on my heel and started trekking up the dark mountain path. A few seconds later, I heard the crunch of footsteps trailing behind me.

The moon hung massive and heavy in the sky that night, casting a cold, pale light to guide us. I dragged him over the entire mountain ridge before finally stopping.

"Keep walking straight down that dirt road. It leads straight into town. Do not go to the local cops. Find a phone, call your family, and hide until they come get you."

"What about you?"

"I have to go back."

"You're not coming with me?"

"No."

"Why?"

"I don't remember where my home is. I don't even remember what my parents look like."

"Come to my house." He looked at me, dead serious. "From now on, you're with me."

I stared at him. He actually meant it.

But I just shook my head. "I can't leave."

If I didn't go back, the traffickers would take it out on the rest of the girls.

"But if you go back without me, they're going to beat you"

I waved him off, forcing the brightest smile I could muster. "I'm used to getting hit. It doesn't even hurt anymore."

"Why are you letting me go?"

"Because you're pretty," I said simply. "If your parents lost you, they'd die of a broken heart."

With that, I shoved him forward. "Hurry up. Stop wasting time."

Chapter 7

"What's your name? When I get home, I'll send someone to save you."

"I don't have a name."

His handsome brows pulled together in thought. "Then keep this. I'll come find you." He ripped the small silver locket off his neck and shoved it into my hand. "Keep it safe. You have to wait for me. I'm going to get you out. Wait for me."

Nathaniel turned back around, his eyes locking onto me, waiting for me to speak.

It had been way too many years. The boy's face was nothing but a blur. The silver locket was stolen eventually, or maybe I just lost it. I was too young back then, taking too many beatings to keep my memories straight.

A faded bite mark didn't prove a damn thing. And some dreams were only meant to be dreamt once. Hoping for a second time was just asking to be destroyed.

I let out a sudden, self-deprecating laugh. "Nathaniel, could you just let me off the hook this once? Just let me go back and settle my daughter. Once she's safe, you can do whatever the hell you want to me."

"Fallon."

"I'll give you one chance."

"What chance?"

"If you can do exactly what I want, I'll let you go back to your daughter."

"Nathaniel?" I stared at him, my lips parting as the air stalled in my lungs. It was the exact same look I had given him five years ago in Vegas when he said hed pay off the debt and keep me.

For some inexplicable reason, the moment his eyes caught mine, the harsh lines around his jaw softened for a fraction of a second. But the ice instantly froze over his features again.

"Ten days. If you can keep me satisfied. Fallon, I'll let you walk away one last time."

Nathaniel still seemed to prefer calling me Fallon