Chapter 1 : Arrangement

"Why would you do this?" Racheal Louis shouted, her voice trembling with anger and disbelief. Her younger brother Carl stared at the floor, his hands stuffed into his pockets, unable to meet her eyes.

"I... I didn’t think Chelsea would actually win," he muttered, his voice barely audible.

Racheal's heart sank. Again. "I've told you a thousand times—you're not meant for gambling. You've never won a single game, Carl. We can’t keep going like this." Her tone softened as she sank onto the threadbare couch in their tiny living room. She opened the warm box of pizza she'd brought home for dinner, the only comfort she could afford that night.

Carl said nothing. Shame coated his silence.

Racheal had fought for everything. Orphaned at fourteen, cast aside by her family who had only wanted her father’s company, she had learned to survive on her own. Life had been brutal—menial jobs, abusive environments, and countless foster homes. She had endured it all, not for herself, but for Carl. He was her only family, and she had vowed to give him a better future, even if it meant stealing, lying, and conning her way through life.

Racheal’s days followed a pattern. While Carl attended college—thanks to the money she scraped together—she dressed herself in stylish clothes and slipped into jewellery stores and upscale boutiques. With a smile that disarmed and eyes that lied with ease, she was a natural con artist, blending charm and desperation into a perfect disguise.

She never got caught. Her small frame and striking beauty made her the last person anyone suspected.

That evening, after a long day of shoplifting, she sat on a roadside bench, eyes distant.

“Louis… he was always a workaholic,” she murmured to herself, thinking of her father. A longing flared in her chest. She would get his company back. One way or another.

"Grandfather, I couldn’t find her," Austin Daniels said quietly.

The older man, frail and pale in his hospital bed, barely stirred. Once the formidable founder of Daniat Airways, he was now kept alive by machines and memories. The guilt of disowning his daughter Elara had consumed him ever since the car crash that claimed her life and that of her husband, Dave. Their daughter, Anna, blamed for her parents death ,had vanished afterward.

His dying wish: to see Anna one last time.

Austin had searched for years. Across states and countries, through orphanages and graveyards, he followed the fading trail of a girl who had disappeared into nothing.

“Good morning, sir,” Austin’s secretary entered his office, holding a folder thick with documents and photographs. She handed him a few pictures. “These are from people who grew up around her.”

Austin flipped through the images and instructed her to send them to Sam, the investigator working on Anna’s case. “I’m not coming to the office tomorrow,” he said. “Report to me if anything comes up.”

Later that day, needing a break before an important meeting, Austin stopped by a boutique. He was flipping through suits when he noticed a young woman on the other side of the store. There was something about her—confidence wrapped in silence.

Then he saw her slip a designer dress into her bag.

Intrigued and curious, he followed her to the counter. She paid for a few items and headed for the door.

“I saw what you did,” he said, grabbing her gently by the arm.

The woman—Racheal—froze, her heart pounding. She had never been caught before.

“Please, I really need this,” she pleaded, her eyes sincere and wide. “I have a brother… he’s in school… I can’t get arrested.”

Austin studied her. Up close, she was breathtaking—curly black hair, deep eyes, a soft yet resolute face. She wore a flowing red and white dress that clung to her slim figure.

He let go. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Embarrassed, he turned to leave, but his phone rang.

“Sam?” he answered.

“I’m in Jadosa Town,” Sam said. “All signs point to Anna dying here. She ran here after her parents died. Locals said she ate from trash cans and fell sick. She never left… and she didn’t survive.”

-

Sam sent a photo taken of Anna in Jadosa town —a girl of about fourteen. Dark hair. Round face. Black eyes.

Austin’s mind whirled.

Suddenly, he turned on his heel and ran back into the boutique’s lot, searching until he spotted Racheal walking down the street. He jogged up behind her and grabbed her arm.

“Please… I need a favor.”

She frowned, clearly uninterested.

“I’ll give you one million dollars if you just hear me out.”

Racheal stopped in her tracks, her interest piqued.

Austin adjusted his suit. “My grandfather is dying. He’s been searching for his granddaughter, Anna, for years. I just found out she’s dead. But I want him to die in peace. I want you to act like her. Just for two months. I’ll pay you five million dollars.”

Racheal narrowed her eyes. “What’s your full name?”

He hesitated. “Austin Daniels.”

Her eyes widened. She turned to walk away. Everyone knew the Daniels family—their wealth, their power, their ruthlessness.

“Ten million. And I’ll make sure you’re safe,” Austin said desperately.

Racheal paused. Ten million dollars… enough to secure Carl’s future. Enough to sue her own family. Enough to get her life back.

She nodded once.

Austin’s expression didn’t change, but relief flooded him. He handed her his card and took down her number.

“I’ll call you,” he said softly, then turned and walked away, a storm of fate beginning to brew behind him.