CHAPTER 1

Hannah pov

In the gilded world of New Orleans elite society, I was meant to be treated like royalty—the rightful heiress to the multimillion-dollar Vance empire.

 But behind the towering wrought-iron gates of the Vance Estate, my life was anything but glamorous. 

I was practically a glorified maid in my own home.

"Look at you, lingering around like a shadow," my stepmother Janet  sneered one afternoon as she tossed a heavy leather binder onto the kitchen island.

 "You have your mother’s pathetic blue eyes and that infuriating smile. It’s a miracle your father can stand looking at you."

My father, Carlos  Vance, had never forgiven me.

 My mother died during childbirth, and in his overwhelming grief, he blamed me for taking the love of his life. 

The high-society tabloids ran wild with the story, branding me as the curse that shattered the Vance legacy.

"Why are you standing there gaping, Hannah?" Janet  barked, snapping her fingers sharply.

The catering staff left the ballroom in a state after the charity gala. 

Polish the silverware, scrub the marble flooring, and make sure every single crystal glass is put away.

 If I find a single speck of dust tomorrow morning, you won't get a cent of your allowance.

"I've been on my feet since five in the morning, Janet ," I whispered, holding back tears as my soles throbbed with pain. 

"Can't the house staff take care of the ballroom?"

"The house staff works for me," she replied coldly, taking a slow sip of her champagne.

 "You live under this roof out of charity. Now get to work before I call your father down here."

I had no choice. Without access to my inheritance and completely isolated from the outside world, I was stuck.

By midnight, my body felt completely numb.

I dragged myself down to the basement guest room—the small quarters Janet  insisted I occupy to keep me out of sight from wealthy guests.

 I collapsed onto the edge of the mattress, resting my head in my hands.

Just one more day, I tried to convince myself. 

Just survive until you can find a way out.

Suddenly, the heavy wooden door burst open, slamming against the wall.

I jumped up, my heart hammering against my ribs. 

The sickeningly sweet stench of expensive scotch flooded the room. Standing in the doorway was my stepbrother, Gabriel .

"Hannah..." he sang out mockingly, leaning against the doorframe with a dark, unsettling grin. 

"Where are you hiding, little sister?"

"What are you doing here, Gabriel ?" I asked, backing toward the far wall. "It's late. You've been drinking."

"So what if I have?" Gabriel  scoffed, taking a heavy step forward. 

He held a thick velvet drapery tie in his hand, idly snapping it against his palm. 

"Dad held a board meeting earlier today. Once the takeover goes through next month, I’m officially taking over as CEO of Vance Enterprises."

"Congratulations," I said evenly, trying to keep my voice from shaking. "Now please leave. I’m exhausted."

"You don't get to order me around," Gabriel  growled, closing the distance between us. 

Do you know what that means for you, Hannah? It means I own this house. I own the family company.

 And if you want to keep living here instead of rotting on the streets like a vagrant, you're going to start showing me some appreciation.

"Get out!" I demanded, pushing against his chest.

Gabriel  grabbed my wrist in a crushing grip, shoving me backward.

 Who do you think you're talking to? 

Nobody in this city cares about you! If you go to the press, if you go to the police, who do you think they'll believe? 

The next CEO of Vance Enterprises, or the crazy outcast daughter who killed her own mother?

"Let go of me, Gabriel !" I screamed, struggling desperately.

"Shut your mouth!" he yelled, raising his hand and striking my face with enough force to send me crashing into the side table.

A sharp gasp escaped my lips as my back hit the wood. 

My fingers brushed against a heavy crystal decanter sitting on the edge. As Gabriel  lunged forward to grab me again, survival instinct took over.

I grabbed the decanter and swung it with all the strength I had left.

CRASH!

The heavy crystal shattered violently against the side of his head. Scotch and blood dripped down his forehead as he reeled backward, groaning in absolute shock.

"What did you just do?!" Gabriel  roared, clutching his bleeding head as his eyes burned with pure rage.

"Don't come near me!" I whimpered, snatching my purse off the desk.

"You bitch!" he screamed, taking a staggering step forward.

 "If you walk out that door, you're dead! I'll make sure you're blacklisted from every company in the state! You won't get a job, a home, or a single dime!"

"I'd rather starve on the streets than stay here another second!" I yelled back.

I kicked his knee with all my force, sending him staggering back into the wall. 

Without looking back, I bolted out the door and sprinted up the narrow basement stairs.

"Guards! Stop her!" Gabriel 's enraged voice echoed down the marble hallway behind me.

My heart pounded like thunder as I rushed through the grand foyer, pushing open the heavy glass doors into the pouring rain.

 The night wind cut through my thin clothes, but I didn't care. 

I ran past the front courtyard, sprinted through the open iron gates, and plunged into the dark streets of New Orleans.

I ran for blocks, my shoes slipping on the wet pavement, my chest heaving for air.

 After what felt like an eternity, I collapsed onto my knees in a secluded downtown alley, gasping for breath.

"I made it..." I whispered into the rain, tears mixing with the water on my face. "I actually escaped."

Suddenly, the hum of a powerful engine cut through the silence. 

High beams cut through the alley's darkness, blinding me as a sleek, black ultra-luxury sedan glided to a halt right in front of me.

The driver's door clicked open. 

A tall, broad-shouldered man in a tailored dark suit stepped out into the rain, his intense gaze locking onto mine...