Chapter: Chapter 5You Are Not Buying Me OffSomeone knocked.Elara turned toward the sound, Her fingers lingered at the clasp of the gold locket around her neck—the only thing in this estate that felt like hers.She hadn’t moved much since she’d entered the room — just paced the room like a restless ghost. The knock came again, softer this time. Not urgent. Just… waiting.She exhaled and stepped toward the door, slowly opening the door.When she opened it, she didn’t find Adrian.It was a maid. Young. Wide-eyed. Her uniform was crisp, her hair tucked into a perfect bun. Her hands were folded politely in front of her, and her voice was soft.“Good afternoon, ma’am.”Elara blinked. Ma’am. That still felt foreign.The maid continued. “Mr. Wolfe asked that I bring you lunch and assist you with anything you might need.”Elara blinked. Mr. Wolfe. It felt strange hearing him called that. It shouldn’t. It was his name. But somehow it felt like a title too heavy for someone she still barely understood.”I—uh… c
Last Updated: 2025-08-23
Chapter: Chapter 4The Vows No One HeardThe morning of the wedding dawned gray and quiet. No birdsong. No sunlight. Just a thick, still silence that wrapped around Elara’s chest. heavy.She was in a room in that back of the chapel.The room was dim, save for the soft golden glow of the antique lamp on the desk. She hadn’t slept. Not really. Her eyes were dry, but her bones ached like she’d been crying all night.Someone knocked.“Come in,” she said softly.A maid entered without a word, carrying a pale ivory box. She set it on the bed, gave a short curtsy, and slipped out again.Elara stared at the box like it might bite. She knew what was inside.A wedding dress.She opened it slowly, hands trembling. The gown was beautiful of course it was. Delicate lace sleeves. Flowing silk. Not a single thread out of place.It doesn't look like a funeral cloth. But that’s what it was.After changing Elara stood in front of the mirror in the small dressing room.her body wrapped in the expensive silk of a custom made
Last Updated: 2025-08-20
Chapter: Chapter 3Back to the Lion's DenThe drive back to Gerald’s estate dragged on longer than she could bear.Every minute felt like a punishment.Elara sat curled in the back seat of the SUV, staring out the rain-slick window.Cain didn’t speak a word. He simply drove, eyes forward, fingers loose on the steering wheel like he wasn’t returning a girl to her cage.Elara sat hunched in the backseat, arms crossed, hair wet,soaked dress clinging to her skin despite the warmth of the car.Her mind raced with everything that had just happened ,the sting of Adrian's voice, his cold warning, the way he looked at her like he already owned every part of her.She clenched her fists in her lap, nails digging into her palms. He knew things about her. Personal things. Caleb. Her favorite foods. Her habits. How?And why did he care enough to find out?She remembered his words,"Don’t test me.""Whether you walk down that aisle with fire in your eyes or fear in your heart is up to you."Was this what her life was now
Last Updated: 2025-08-20
Chapter: Chapter 2The Man in the RainThe car rolled to a stop a few feet ahead, its headlights cutting through through the darkness. Elara’s breath caught in her throat as the engine quieted. She felt her body stiffen. Her hand hovered over the door handle.Please don’t let it be Gerald. Please.The driver’s door of the approaching car opened slowly. A man stepped out, tall, in a dark coat that clung to his frame from the rain. She couldn’t see his face through the shadows and storm, but his movements were calm. Unhurried. Deliberate.He walked toward her, each step echoing with confidence.Elara debated locking her doors, but something stopped her. Curiosity, maybe. Or exhaustion.He knocked once on her window. Not loud. Just enough.She rolled it down an inch, her voice barely above a whisper. "Who are you?""I could ask you the same," the man replied, voice deep and smooth.His face came into view. Strong jaw. Eyes that seemed to know what he's doingShe blinked. Her heart dipped.No. It couldn’t
Last Updated: 2025-08-20
Chapter: Chapter 1The BargainRain lashed against the windshield as Elara's fingers trembled on the steering wheel. Her heart kept racing fast and against her ribcage, it was so dark she could barely see anything. She didn’t know where she was going, only that it had to be anywhere but there.Headlights flashed in the rearview mirror. She panicked.No. Not now. Not when she was this close.The tires skidded briefly on the wet road as she turned off the main street into a narrow path she barely recognized from memory. Her thoughts were racing, outpacing even the storm.You have to run. You have to leave.She tightened her grip. Gerald would be furious when he found out. And Adrian Wolfe? She didn't even want to think about him yet.Elara had never felt truly free. Not in Gerald’s estate where the walls felt more like polished cages than shelter. Not in that house where smiles were staged and affection was forbidden. Not once in eighteen years since her mum had remarried had she been asked what she wante
Last Updated: 2025-08-20