Chapter 1 ( The care taker )

Ethan had been searching for work for months when a man suggested a peculiar job: caring for a young woman named Lily.

Once vibrant and full of life, Lily had been confined to a wheelchair after a devastating accident. The incident had taken more than her ability to walk—it had stolen her confidence, her sense of safety, and her belief that the world could still be gentle. Since then, fear and trauma had built walls around her heart, walls she refused to let anyone cross. The mansion she lived in was grand and elegant, yet painfully quiet, filled with space but devoid of warmth.

From the very first day, Ethan realized the task would test every ounce of his patience. Lily recoiled at his presence, her sharp eyes suspicious, her posture defensive. She rejected even the simplest help—refusing his hand, his questions, even his kindness. Yet he stayed. Quietly, steadily, he worked around her—washing dishes, tidying rooms, handling the endless chores of the mansion—never pushing, never forcing conversation, simply existing where she could see him.

Late one night, long past midnight, Ethan passed by Lily’s room and noticed the door slightly open. A dim lamp cast soft shadows across the floor. Inside, Lily lay trembling in her sleep, tears running silently down her face. The sight stopped him cold. He stepped closer, lowering his voice as he whispered gently, trying to soothe a pain he could not see but deeply felt.

When Lily woke, fear and loneliness poured out all at once. She reached for him instinctively, clinging to his chest in a desperate hug, as though afraid the moment she let go, she would be alone again. Ethan froze, then slowly relaxed, allowing her to hold on. For a moment, it felt as though she would never let go.

Then shame rushed in. Frightened by her own vulnerability, Lily pulled away abruptly, pushing him back. Her walls rose again, thicker than before. Without a word, Ethan left the room, his chest heavy with emotions he couldn’t yet name.

The next morning, Lily was quiet. She avoided his eyes as she ate breakfast, her expression distant. Her father was always absent, consumed by work, leaving her alone in a house far too big for her pain. Wealth surrounded her, but it could not fill the emptiness left by her mother’s death when Lily was only twelve.

After breakfast, Ethan went outside to work on the mansion’s sprawling lawn. The air was warm, the scent of grass fresh. From the balcony above, Lily watched him silently, longing to join him, to feel sunlight and freedom again—but her body refused. When he noticed her watching, she quickly looked away, embarrassed.

“What are you doing?” she asked softly.

“Nothing,” he replied.

Before she could protest, Ethan stepped closer, lifted her gently from the wheelchair, and carried her toward the lawn.

“Hey—what are you doing?” she asked, laughing nervously, her hands instinctively gripping his shirt.

“Just a little fun,” he said.

For a few precious minutes, Lily laughed freely. The sound was light, rare, and beautiful as it echoed across the open lawn. Ethan watched her closely, struck by how alive she looked when she forgot her fear.

Then the doorbell rang.

Ethan carefully set her down and went to answer it. Three people stood outside—a man, a woman, and a small child. Tension prickled his senses.

“Who are you?” he asked warily.

“We’re family,” the woman said softly.

Ethan’s mind raced. Misjudging them, he assumed danger, thinking they might be connected to Lily’s father or her past trauma. “You’re not coming inside,” he said firmly.

They tried to explain, but Ethan remained unyielding.

From inside, Lily called out, “Let them come in.”

Ethan hesitated, then stepped aside.

When Victoria, Robert, and the child entered, Lily said nothing at first. But when Noah ran toward her laughing, her expression softened. She reached out instinctively, a genuine smile blooming across her face. Ethan stayed back, uneasy but silently observing—aware that something subtle had shifted.

Not just in Lily.

But in him.