Chapter 1

MAYA’S POV

I had loved this boy for seven years.

I watched him on television long before I ever saw him in person, memorizing the way he moved, the sharp line of his jaw, and the sheer dominance he held over everyone around him.

To him, I was just another face in the crowd. An invisible ghost. But to me, he was the center of the universe. His name was Killian Yates. The campus god. The hockey captain.

"Maya, you are drooling," my best friend, Chloe, whispered, bumping her shoulder against mine. "Just go talk to him."

I snapped out of my daze, pulling my textbook tighter against my chest as everyone in the hallway whispered.

The players were walking into the corridor after a brutal game, but Killian managed to look completely calm, his hockey bag slung effortlessly over his broad shoulder. What was he even made of?

He walked right past the crowd, straight ahead, completely ignoring the girls screaming his name.

I rolled my eyes at Chloe’s suggestion, my heart still hammering against my ribs just from his proximity.

"Are you crazy? He doesn't even know I exist, Chloe. Look at him. Why would a guy like Killian look at a girl like me?"

"You never know until you try," Chloe urged, nudging me forward. "He's just a guy."

"He's not just a guy," I muttered, watching him disappear around the corner without a single glance in my direction. The heavy crowd in the hallway slowly thinned out as students headed to their next classes.

My chest felt tight with that familiar, heavy ache of secret pining. I knew it was foolish to love someone from afar, but my heart refused to listen to logic.

After my last lecture, I walked home alone. The afternoon air was chilly, but my mind was too busy with thoughts of Killian to care about the cold.

When I turned the corner onto my street, I froze.

A massive white moving van was parked directly outside our small house. Two large men were carrying boxes down our front steps.

My stomach dropped. I rushed inside, the front door swinging open to reveal a living room filled with stacked suitcases and wrapped furniture. In the middle of the chaos stood my mother, frantically arranging small boxes.

"Mom? What is going on?" I asked, my voice shaking. "Why are our things in boxes?" My mother was startled, turning around quickly. As she raised her hand to smooth down her hair, something caught the light.

A massive, breathtaking diamond ring gleamed brightly on her ring finger. It looked expensive enough to buy our entire house. She noticed me staring at her hand.

She lowered her gaze nervously for a split second, then flashed a brilliant, bright smile. "Maya. You're home early," she said, her voice filled with a strange, excited energy.

"Mom," I demanded, stepping over a rolled-up rug. "Why do you have a diamond ring? What is happening to our house?" She took a deep breath, stepping forward to grab my hands.

She looked directly into my eyes, her face glowing with a happiness I hadn't seen in years. "I’m married, Maya," my mother said softly. "We are moving into his house tonight.”

My breath caught in my throat. I stared at my mother, completely unable to move.

"Married?" I repeated, the word tasting heavy and completely foreign on my tongue. "Tonight? Mom, you didn't even tell me you were dating anyone. How can we just pack up and move into a stranger's house?"

"He isn't a stranger to me, sweetheart," my mother pleaded, her grip tightening on my hands. "William is a wonderful man. He's incredibly wealthy, yes, but he treats me like a queen. I wanted to tell you sooner, but everything happened so fast. Please, Maya. I am finally happy. Can't you be happy for me?"

I looked at the desperate hope in her eyes and felt my anger melting into confusion. My mother had sacrificed everything for me after dad passed away.

She had been lonely for a very long time. If this man truly made her happy, how could I deny her that? "Okay," I whispered softly, swallowing the lump of anxiety in my throat. "I'll go."

Within an hour, we were in the back of a luxury black car, driving through the most expensive neighborhood in Toronto.

When the vehicle finally pulled up to a set of massive iron gates, my jaw dropped. The gates opened slowly, revealing a breathtaking stone mansion surrounded by perfectly manicured gardens.

"Welcome to your new home," my mother whispered, her face beaming with excitement.

The driver opened my door, and I stepped out onto the gravel driveway. My legs felt like jelly.

I walked boldly behind my mother as she led the way through the grand double doors of the foyer.

The inside of the house was even more intimidating. High ceilings, a massive crystal chandelier, and a grand sweeping staircase dominated the center of the room.

"Ah, you must be Maya," A warm, booming voice echoed through the space. A tall, handsome older man in an expensive suit walked toward us with a welcoming smile. This was my mother's husband and my new stepfather.

"Hello, Sir," I said politely, stepping forward to shake his hand.

"Call me William, dear. You are family now," he insisted warmly. He then turned his head toward the grand staircase and called out, "Son. Get down here and meet your new family."

Heavy, deliberate footsteps began to echo from above. My heart skipped a beat. A tall, powerfully built figure emerged from the shadows at the top of the stairs and began to descend.

He was wearing a black hoodie, his dark hair slightly messy, and his sharp gray eyes were fixed directly on me. My entire body froze. The air left my lungs completely.

It was Killian.

The campus god. The hockey captain. The boy I had loved in absolute secrecy for seven long years. Killian reached the bottom step, his massive six-foot-three frame towering over me.

His jaw clenched harshly, a dangerous flash of anger crossing his handsome features. He didn't look like a welcoming brother. He looked like a predator marking his territory.

William smiled, completely oblivious to the suffocating tension in the room. He reached out, placing a hand on Killian's broad shoulder. "Maya, this is my son, Killian," William announced proudly. "Killian, this is Maya. Your new little sister."

Killian didn't break eye contact. His intense gray eyes pinned me to the floor, lowering to my lips for a torturous split second before rising back to my face. A cold, mocking smirk played at the corner of his lips.

He stepped an inch closer, his deep, rough voice sending a shiver straight down my spine.

"Welcome to your new cage, sister.”