Prologue

The weight of the world sat heavy on my shoulders as I stared out of the large window of my childhood bedroom. The once-beautiful view of the city below, with its twinkling lights and bustling streets, now looked like a cruel joke. This room, this house—everything in it—had been my prison for as long as I could remember. And now, it seemed like the bars were closing in tighter than ever.

The door creaked open behind me, and I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. My mother’s familiar perfume filled the air, a mix of lilies and something else that I could never quite place. It used to be comforting, but now it only made my stomach churn.

“Irina,” she said softly, but there was no warmth in her voice. “You need to start getting ready. The engagement party will begin soon.”

I didn’t respond. Instead, I kept my eyes fixed on the cityscape, hoping that if I stared hard enough, I could find a way to escape. But I knew better. There was no escape from the fate they had planned for me.

“Irina, did you hear me?” My mother’s voice sharpened, the softness gone. “Your father has worked too hard to secure this arrangement. Don’t you dare ruin it.”

At that, I turned to face her. “This arrangement?” I repeated, my voice hollow. “You mean selling your daughter to the highest bidder?”

Her eyes narrowed, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of regret. But it was gone as quickly as it came. “You’re being dramatic. Viktor Petrov is a good man. He’s rich, powerful, and he’ll save our family from ruin. You should be grateful.”

Grateful. The word echoed in my mind, twisting like a knife. How could I be grateful when they were forcing me to marry a man more than twice my age? A man I had met only once, and even then, I had seen the coldness in his eyes. He didn’t want a wife—he wanted a possession, a trophy to show off to his wealthy friends.

“I won’t do it,” I said, my voice trembling but firm. “I won’t marry him.”

My mother’s expression hardened. “You don’t have a choice. We’ve lost everything, Irina. The company, the house—everything. If you don’t go through with this, we’ll be out on the streets. Is that what you want? To see your father, your brother, and me homeless because of your selfishness?”

Her words struck deep, and I felt the familiar sting of guilt rising in my chest. My father’s health had been declining for years, ever since the company started to fail. I had watched him age before my eyes, the stress of trying to keep our family afloat taking its toll. My brother, too, had suffered, working tirelessly to support us, even as he resented our father for his failures. And my mother—well, she had always been the one to hold us together, even if it meant making impossible choices.

But this was different. They were asking too much of me. They were asking me to give up my life, my future, for the sake of a family that had never truly been a family at all.

“I can’t,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I can’t marry him.”

My mother’s eyes flashed with anger, and she took a step forward, her hand raised as if to strike me. But she stopped herself, her hand trembling in the air before she let it fall to her side. “You will do as you’re told, Irina. You have no idea what it’s like to sacrifice for this family. But you will learn. You will learn tonight.”

With that, she turned and left the room, the door slamming shut behind her. I stood there, trembling, the weight of her words pressing down on me. Sacrifice. That’s all I had ever done for this family. I had given up my dreams, my happiness, and now they wanted my future too.

But not tonight. Tonight, I would take something for myself, even if it was just for a few hours.

I grabbed my coat from the back of the chair and slipped it on, the heavy fabric comforting against my skin. I didn’t bother packing anything else. There was no need. I wasn’t coming back.

As I slipped out of the house, I kept my steps light, careful not to wake anyone. The night air was cool against my flushed cheeks, and for the first time in days, I felt a sense of calm wash over me. I didn’t know where I was going, but I knew I had to get as far away from here as possible.

I walked for what felt like hours, the city lights blurring together as I wandered aimlessly through the streets. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, each one more painful than the last. How had it come to this? How had I let them push me into a corner, with no way out?

Before I knew it, I found myself outside a bar, the neon sign flickering weakly above the door. It wasn’t the kind of place I would normally go, but tonight, nothing was normal. Tonight, I didn’t care.

I pushed open the door and stepped inside, the warm, smoky air hitting me like a wave. The bar was dimly lit, filled with the low hum of conversation and the occasional clink of glasses. I made my way to the counter and slid onto a stool, my hands shaking as I reached for the menu.

“What’ll it be?” the bartender asked, his voice gruff but not unkind.

“Something strong,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. “Something that’ll make me forget.”

He nodded, pouring me a drink without another word. I took the glass in my hands, the coolness of it grounding me as I took a sip. The alcohol burned as it went down, but it was a welcome distraction from the pain that had been gnawing at me all night.

I sat there for a long time, nursing my drink as I watched the people around me. Couples laughing, friends toasting, strangers lost in their own worlds. It was like I was on the outside looking in, a spectator in a life I didn’t belong to.

And then, I saw him.

He was sitting alone at the far end of the bar, a dark-haired man with sharp features and eyes that seemed to pierce through the dim light. He was handsome, in a way that felt almost dangerous, like he could see right through me. Our eyes met for a brief moment, and something in his gaze made my heart skip a beat.

Before I knew what I was doing, I was on my feet, walking toward him. It was as if something was pulling me to him, something I couldn’t control.

“Is this seat taken?” I asked, my voice shaky but determined.

He looked up at me, a slight smirk playing on his lips. “Not anymore.”

I sat down beside him, my heart racing. I didn’t know what I was doing, or why, but I didn’t care. All I knew was that I needed to forget, and maybe, just maybe, he could help me do that.

“Can I buy you a drink?” he asked, his voice smooth and rich like velvet.

I nodded, my throat too dry to speak. He ordered another round, and we sat in silence for a moment, the tension between us thick enough to cut with a knife.

“What’s your name?” he asked, breaking the silence.

“Irina,” I replied, my voice barely audible.

“Irina,” he repeated, as if tasting the name on his tongue. “I’m Lukas.”

There was something about the way he said my name that sent a shiver down my spine. I didn’t know who he was, but in that moment, it didn’t matter. He was a stranger, and that’s exactly what I needed.

“Take me away,” I whispered, the words slipping out before I could stop them. “Take me away and do whatever you want. I don’t have a tomorrow anyway.”

His eyes darkened, and for a moment, I thought he might refuse. But then, he reached out and took my hand, his grip firm and warm. “Let’s get out of here.”

And just like that, I followed him into the night, leaving behind everything I had ever known. Tonight, I wasn’t Irina Marchenko, the daughter of a broken family. Tonight, I was just a woman, desperate to escape, even if only for a little while.

Little did I know, this would be the night that changed everything.