LOGINThe room felt smaller than it actually was as she stared at the ring. A family heirloom! Why would he want her to wear that when their marriage was just going to be a contract? He should have given her something different. What if she lost the ring? Would he ask her to pay for it? Mia was sure she wouldn't be able to afford such a ring in this lifetime and the next. It felt like another weight was slowly being placed on her shoulder as she stared at the ring that would soon be placed on her finger. Mia sat on the velvet chair as the attendant carefully slid the ring onto her finger. Her breath caught the moment it settled into place. It fit perfectly, like it had been made for her hand alone. She stared at it in silence. It was beautiful but another weight on her. The diamond gleamed softly under the light, elegant and timeless. It was beautiful in a way that made her chest ache. Not because she wanted it, but because of what it represented. A promise she wasn’t sure she coul
The house remained silent as she walked. Mia noticed it almost immediately after leaving Max’s study . There was no sign of him at lunch, and when dinner time came, he didn’t show up either. Melissa had informed her politely that Mr. Hult would not be dining that evening, and Mia had nodded like it didn’t matter. In truth, she was relieved. She wasn’t sure she would be able to swallow a single bite if Max sat across from her, watching her with those calm, unreadable eyes. Eating alone felt safer and easier. The silence of the dining room didn’t press on her chest the way his presence did. The rest of the day passed quietly. Melissa introduced her to a few of the maids. They were soft-spoken women who smiled politely and told her she could call on them if she needed anything. Their voices were gentle, their movements careful, and they treated her with a respect that made Mia uncomfortable. It was like they already saw her as something important, something above them. Something sh
By lunchtime, Mia had made up her mind. She sat on the edge of the bed, the contract resting heavily in her hands like it could burn through her skin if she held it for too long. She had read it twice already, slowly, carefully, forcing herself to understand every line even though her head still felt cloudy. The terms were clear. Everything about it felt unreal, like she had stepped into someone else’s life overnight. Marrying Max Hult. The thought still made her chest tighten. But running was no longer an option. She had thought about it all night and again that morning, planning different escape routes in her head, but every plan ended the same way, failure. The gates, the guards, the staff watching every corner of the estate. Even if she somehow managed to leave, Jessa and the others wouldn’t let her disappear that easily. And there was the money. Mia squeezed the contract slightly, her fingers tightening around the edges. She didn’t want to think about it, but the re
Jessa’s apartment was unusually quiet, the kind of silence that made every second feel longer than it actually was. Jessa stood by the window, her arms crossed tightly and her eyes staring at the skyline though she wasn’t really seeing it. She was thinking. Everything was supposed to be going according to plan but Max Hult’s actions were making it complicated. “Do you think Max Hult is out of his damn mind?” she asked suddenly, breaking the silence. Her voice was sharp, frustrated and almost incredulous. Blaine looked up from his phone, which he’d been lazily scrolling, pretending to appear occupied. “I mean…” He shrugged, leaning back on the couch. “The guy meets her once, and then bam he asks her to marry him. That’s… unusual. Maybe he actually fell in love at first sight.” Jessa whirled around to glare at him. “Love? Blaine, this isn’t a romance movie. The guy doesn’t know her. This isn’t love. This is…” She trailed off, shaking her head. “…reckless, impulsive insanity.” Rico,
Mia returned to her room in a daze, her mind still spinning from everything Max had said in the study. She pushed the door open and froze because the first thing she saw was boxes There were boxes everywhere. Large boxes stacked against the walls, smaller ones lined neatly at the foot of the bed, open cases revealing clothes wrapped in tissue paper, designer bags still inside dust covers, shoes arranged carefully on the floor as they belonged in a showroom. “What…?” Mia whispered completely taken aback by what she was looking at. She was tired of shocking things and had had enough for the day. Melissa stood near the wardrobe, calmly supervising two maids as they arranged the items with practised efficiency. “Place those on the left side,” Melissa said. “And the shoes in rows, please.” Mia cleared her throat, her voice barely steady. “Excuse me… what is going on?” Melissa turned to her, her expression polite but unsurprised. “These are for you,” she said simply. “Mr Hu
“Eat,” Max said, the single word was calm and firm, like her life wasn't literally falling apart because of him. The way he sounded so calm only made Mia feel worse. How could she eat right now? Food was the least of her thoughts. Mia looked down at the plate in front of her, her appetite completely gone despite the delicious smell rising from the food. Her stomach betrayed her with a quiet growl, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten properly since the day before. She hated that he noticed. “I’m not hungry,” she muttered, though the lie felt weak even to her own ears. Max didn’t argue. He simply stood up, walked over, pulled out the chair across from her, and sat down, folding his hands on the table as he watched her patiently. “You are,” he said evenly. “Eat.” Something in his tone told her resisting was pointless. With a resigned sigh, Mia picked up her fork and began to eat slowly. The room was filled with an uncomfortable silence, broken only by the faint clink of cu







