In part one of Gone: Sending a half-naked picture to a stranger she met online seems innocent and fun to Lilly Randall. After spending the past four years working toward an honors degree, she needs a distraction, and flirting with a man she doesn't know can't hurt, right? Clive Parker is the one man who holds all of Lilly's dreams in the palm of his hand. He's the CEO of one of the world's largest technology firms. When her picture ends up in his pocket, her future will never be the same again.

Sitting next to a stranger on a flight from Boston to New York City alters the entire course of Kayla Monroe's life. In her quest to escape the pain of rejection, she jumps into the bed of an irresistible man who offers her a night that she'll never forget. Their connection is fierce and undeniable. When their paths cross again, a twist of fate brings her to the realization that the man she's using to mend her broken heart is Dr. Ben Foster, a compassionate and respected physician.

Being a nurse gives Vanessa Meyer a true purpose in life. It grounds her in a way that nothing else can. Since she's watched her mother slide into the clutches of a painful condition, she's worked hard to better the lives of her patients, giving as much as she can to those who seek help. Garrett Ryan is an attorney in Manhattan. He centers his life on himself. When he's brought to the hospital after a horrible crash, Vanessa tends to his wounds. Their first meeting is explosive. She sees the worst in him.

Stefan Sabbioni showed up uninvited in my bedroom on my 16th birthday. He stood in the shadows, smelling of whiskey and death and wrapped a broken, blood-crusted necklace around my neck. I thought he’d strangle me with it. That night, he left a message for my father. He said he’d be back to take something precious. I never delivered that message, though. I wonder if things would be different if I had because now, two years later, he’s back. And he’s not hiding in any shadows.

At 35, Marcus Carelli has it all: wealth, power, and the kind of looks that leave women breathless. A self-made billionaire, he heads one of the largest hedge funds on Wall Street and can take down major corporations with a single word. The only thing he’s missing? A wife who’d be as big of an achievement as the billions in his bank account.