"Don't you dare call yourself Xu Qing."
Reid's fingers closed around my throat before the words finished leaving his mouth.
"Reid—" I tried to pull back. My voice came out thin, unfamiliar. He tightened his grip and the air narrowed.
"You're not her," he said. "You're Brianna. You belong in the street, not my house."
"Let go," I said. My hands scrabbled against his wrist. I sounded small. That was wrong. I needed to sound like Brianna, the person everyone expected to see — or the person I would pretend to be.
A maid screamed. Two other staff rushed forward. "Sir, please—"
Reid shoved me so hard I hit the walnut console. My hip cracked against the corner. A china vase tipped but didn't fall.
"Get her out," he ordered. "Now."
"Sir, we can call Dr. Battle—" Uri started.
"Not that name," Reid snapped. "Not here. Not in front of guests."
"Guests?" One maid looked at the foyer where ribbons and guests from the charity morning still loitered in carriage tails and polite expressions. Cameras on phones were already tilted toward us.
"Don't be sentimental." Reid's thumb dug into my throat. "She'll leave if I make this intolerable. She'll go back to whatever hole she came from."
"Please—" I said. I needed to make him see me. I needed to show him I wasn't dangerous. I needed to stay.
"Marry me and disappear. That's your deal, isn't it?" Reid
