ANMELDENIRIS My whole life, Savannah Hawthorne had treated me like dirt scraped off the bottom of her shoes. She had sneered at me in the hallways, loaded me with backbreaking chores, mocked my poverty, and had even tried to frame me for stealing Madam Paisley's heriloom just days ago to throw me into prison. Yet here she was, weeping badly at my feet, clutching my knees like I was the most precious, irreplaceable treasure in the entire world."Savannah, what on earth are you doing?" Madam Paisley demanded, her brow furrowing in utter confusion as she sat up straight in her armchair. "What is the meaning of this ridiculous outburst?"Savannah looked up from my skirt, her tear-streaked face twisted into a picture of heart-wrenching agony. She looked at Madam Paisley, then at the rest of the room, her chest heaving as if she were drowning in her own sorrow."I was so young... so terribly foolish," Savannah wept, her trembling voice dripping with tragic sorrow. "Years ago... long before I ever
IRIS My mind was still spinning in circles, trying to piece together the unbelievable reality that was unfolding around me. For my entire life, I had been nothing. I was an unwanted orphan girl, a nameless housemaid who scrubbed floors until her knees bled, came to this massive estate by debt, fear, and a need to keep little Joseph alive.Now, in a single afternoon, everything had been torn apart and rewritten. I was no longer a servant. I was the daughter of the towering, powerful billionaire standing directly beside me.Inside the silence of the study, my father gently turned his head toward the two men who had claimed my body and soul."I will not leave my daughter in a maid's uniform for another hour," Max Cooper said, his voice dropping into a firm, powerful tone that left zero room for negotiation. "I am taking Iris home tonight."Eli stood behind his broad desk, his posture tensed like it was carved from stone. His dark, impenetrable eyes remained fixed on me with an unreadabl
ELIThe gold-embossed seal of an unassailable global trust fund slapped flat against my desk, naming a Iris the sole heiress to a fortune.The thick, leather-bound folder hit the wood with a hard smack. Beside it lay an official trust establishment document and the faded archival photograph from Saint Luke's Orphanage. It was unquestionable. It was indisputable.I stood behind my desk, my broad chest rising and falling slowly as I stared down at the documents. My jaw was locked so tight the muscles ached. Beside me, Liam stood like a carved stone statue, his arms crossed over his chest, his blue eyes fixed on the silver-haired billionaire sitting calmly across from us.Max Cooper leaned back in the high-backed leather chair, steepling his long fingers together. The businessman mask he wore was gone. "I didn't adopt Joseph at Saint Luke's by accident," Cooper said, his deep voice smooth, steady, and ruthless. "When I went to the orphanage to make some donations, I saw a small silver
ELI Cooper pulled his gaze away with deliberate control. He turned his tall, imposing frame toward me, extending his hand."Forgive me, Hawthorne," Cooper said smoothly, his deep voice rich and steady, masking whatever had just passed across his face. "A momentary distraction. It is an honor to be in your home."I took his hand, gripping it with firm, calculated pressure. "Welcome to the estate, Mr. Cooper."Beside us, Savannah let out a high-pitched, nervous laugh, clutching at her throat as Agatha hurried forward with cloth napkins to sweep up the glass. "Oh, goodness! How utterly clumsy of me," she stammered, forcing a tight smile onto her lips. She tried to laugh it off, but her voice was shaking violently, her chest heaving beneath her silk dress. "I am so sorry, gentlemen. Please, don't let my awkwardness delay us."I frowned slightly, wondering what was wrong with her, but I shrugged it off.Cooper offered her a cool, polite nod that didn't reach his eyes before turning back t
IRIS The entire mansion was pulsing with life. Movements were everywhere. All hands were on deck. Different kinds of dishes graced the dining room. Everywhere was transformed.Madam Paisley was in her element, moving through the main floor with her cane tapping against the polished marble, demanding flawless perfection for every task."The glass must gleam, Iris," the old matriarch instructed sharply, pointing her cane toward the long dining table in the center hall. "I heard Max Cooper is a man of immense stature. Every napkin must be folded to exact measure.""Yes, Madam Paisley," I answered softly, carefully aligning the silver forks alongside the plates.My heart raced wildly, a nervous, hopeful flutter stirring in my chest. Eli and Liam had told me earlier that Max Cooper was the very billionaire who had adopted my little brother, Joseph. They said it was just an official business dinner, but I couldn't stop my hands from trembling. This was the man holding my brother's life and
ELI A formal, gold-embossed corporate invitation sat directly in the center of my desk, gleaming under the bright fluorescent lights of my top-floor office.I leaned back in my leather chair, swirling the amber whiskey in my glass, staring at the thick, expensive cardstock with narrowed eyes. The heavy seal at the top bore a distinctive coat of arms—an intricate silver serpent wrapped around a medical staff.Max Cooper.The mystery billionaire who had suddenly stepped out of the shadows to adopt Iris’s sick brother. The same man who had hired a fleet of top-tier pulmonologists to treat the boy at his private estate without asking for a single dime in return.I set my glass down softly, reaching out with long fingers to pick up the smooth paper.The letter was a formal request addressed directly to me, the CEO of Hawthorne Enterprises. Cooper was offering a massive, multi-billion-dollar joint venture—a groundbreaking medical research initiative that would revolutionize private healthc
IRISThe engine roared, cutting off whatever sound I thought I heard behind me. I watched the car speed down the driveway and turn onto the private narrow road.My heart sank. Eli was gone, and I hadn't even got to look at his face.What is wrong with you? I mentally scolded myself, my face heating
ELII swore under my breath as the new girl practically fled the dining room. I had to shift my weight in my chair, trying to adjust myself for the second time that morning without my mother or wife noticing. It was pathetic. I was Eli Hawthorne. I didn't get flustered, and I certainly didn't lose
IRISI try so hard to blink my facial features to normal as an elegant woman walked into the parlor. She wore a tailored, expensive emerald dress that hugged her curves perfectly, her diamond jewelry catching the light. Her beautiful face twisted into immediate disgust the moment her eyes landed on
IRISThe heavy iron gates of St. Luke’s Orphanage screeched as they swung open. For twenty years, that sound meant someone else was leaving. Today, it was for me.I clutched my small canvas bag against my chest, the fabric rough against my palms. Inside were three plain dresses, two pairs of worn s







