Chapter 1

“The Wedding Disaster”

I should have seen it coming.

Standing at the altar in my wedding dress, clutching a bouquet of white lilies, I felt a sudden, icy silence settle over the hall. My stomach twisted. My groom — the man I had trusted, the one I had believed would never leave me — wasn’t there. Not a whisper, not a shuffle of footsteps, nothing.

For a terrifying heartbeat, I thought maybe he’d been delayed. But the empty space at the front of the chapel told me everything I needed to know. My heart sank, shattering into pieces that refused to be put back together.

The whispers started almost immediately. Soft at first, then louder. “Where’s the bridegroom?” “Is this some kind of joke?” “Poor girl…”

I felt every eye burn into me. Heat rose to my cheeks as panic clawed at my chest. My hands trembled around the bouquet, and for a moment, I wanted to disappear into the polished oak floors beneath my feet.

And then reality hit. Not only had I been left at the altar, but it seemed everyone in that chapel — friends, family, even strangers — had a front-row seat to my humiliation.

When the ceremony’s coordinator came rushing over, her voice a blend of apology and awkward disbelief, I barely heard her. Words blurred into a haze of betrayal. I muttered a shaky “thank you,” wishing I could vanish.

After what felt like an eternity, I left. Not with the triumphant stride of a bride, but with the hollow shuffle of someone stripped of dignity. The streets outside were wet with rain, and the cold drizzle felt like a reflection of the storm raging in me.

Back in my tiny flower shop, the smell of fresh roses and lilies usually comforted me. Today, it did nothing but remind me of everything I had lost. I ran a hand through my damp hair and stared at the half-finished bouquets on the counter. Each petal seemed to mock me.

Mr. Calloway’s latest letter lay on the counter, an angry reminder that my rent was overdue. Of course. Why wouldn’t life punish me further? He had never been kind, but he had a way of timing his threats to perfection. “Pay within three days,” it said, the words like cold steel slicing through me.

I sank into a chair, closing my eyes, letting the weight of humiliation, fear, and exhaustion crush me. My life felt smaller than the cramped space of this shop. The dreams I had — the life I imagined with someone who loved me — had evaporated in a single morning.

Then came a knock at the door.

I startled. Who would come now? Not family, certainly — most had quietly turned away after the wedding fiasco. My heart beat faster as I wiped my hands on my apron.

The door opened, and I froze.

He was tall. Broad-shouldered. Expensive. Imposing. Every bit the kind of man who seemed carved out of power itself. His hair was neatly combed back, dark and gleaming. His eyes — a shade of gray that felt almost unnatural — scanned the shop with calm precision.

“You’re Lila Monroe?” His voice was deep, commanding, yet not unkind.

I nodded mutely, unsure if I was expected to speak.

“I need to speak with you,” he said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. There was an aura around him that made the room feel smaller, tighter, like the air itself was bending toward him.

“I-I’m a little busy…” I began, but he raised a hand, and the words died in my throat.

“I don’t think you understand,” he said, his tone flat but heavy. “This concerns more than your shop, or even your personal life. It’s about… someone you care for, and a situation you might not be equipped to handle alone.”

My stomach churned. Who was he talking about? I didn’t recognize him, and yet, there was something in his voice that made my heart pound faster — not fear, exactly, but a peculiar mix of apprehension and curiosity.

He stepped closer and handed me a thick envelope. The embossed gold lettering on the cover read: “Contractual Agreement – Immediate Response Required.”

I blinked at it. “I… I don’t understand,” I stammered.

“Read it,” he said. “And decide quickly. You don’t have much time.”

I took the envelope, feeling its weight. My fingers shook. Every instinct screamed that this was dangerous, that I should refuse, slam the door, and run back into the safety of my tiny, crumbling world.

But part of me — the part that had been crushed this morning, the part that knew the storm was not over — felt a glimmer of… hope. Perhaps this was a way out of the mess I was in. Perhaps it was my chance to stand up, even if just a little.

He watched me intently, expression unreadable, as if he could see every thought flickering across my face. The silence stretched, punctuated only by the ticking of the shop clock and the distant hum of the city beyond the window.

Finally, I looked up. “What… what exactly is this about?” I whispered, heart racing.

“Six months,” he said simply. “You’ll live in my residence. You’ll care for someone who depends on you. Follow the terms, and you’ll be compensated. Fail, and…” He let the threat hang in the air. “You’ll regret it.”

I swallowed hard, my mind spinning. Six months? Someone who depended on me? Compensation I could never dream of? The words made no sense, yet my heart skipped at the possibility of stability — or at least a chance to survive.

I opened the envelope with trembling hands. Inside was the contract, neat, legal, uncompromising. I skimmed the first few lines: obligations, responsibilities, rules, restrictions. My chest tightened. It was overwhelming, terrifying… and maybe exactly what I needed.

He waited. Patient, silent, and impossibly composed.

Finally, I whispered, more to myself than to him, “I… I’ll do it.”

He nodded once, curtly. “Good. You won’t regret this.”

I didn’t know whether to feel relieved or terrified. My life, already in shambles, was about to change in ways I couldn’t even imagine. I felt the weight of it all pressing down on me, yet there was a strange spark in my chest — a tiny flame that whispered: maybe… this is my chance.

As he turned to leave, I noticed something subtle — a flicker of concern in his otherwise unreadable expression. And for the first time, I wondered… just what had I agreed to?

And what exactly was waiting for me in that mansion?