Chapter One

Sam’s POV

I pushed my cleaning cart down the long hallway of Royale Lodge. It was the same routine for me every day, although my mind was never truly here. It was always somewhere else.Somewhere emotional and sad.

Two weeks ago, Amelia had stood in the doorway with her arms crossed, her lips twisted in that cruel smile of hers she always wore when she wanted to display her hatred of me.

“Pack your things and leave my house, Samantha. I’m tired of feeding you and that bastard child.”

She had finally done what she’d always threatened to do. She said I was a burden. That I reminded her too much of my father. That she had enough problems already to care for Clara and I.

After everything I did in that house, joggling it all with caring for my little sister, my terminally sick sister after she was abandoned by our heartless stepmother. She didn’t care what she had to do to get us far away from her this time.

As I went door to door, the wheels of my cart squeaking softly against the polished floors, I recalled how I clutched my small bag, my hands shaking while Clara cried from her hospital bed.

“I’ll come see you every day, I promise.” I’d said to her, forcing a smile through the lump in my throat and fighting back hot tears.

But I did exactly as I promised. I was there every single day after my shift here, I went straight to the hospital. Clara was only fifteen, she was too young to be fighting cancer. Even though I’d never wish that on anyone.

Regardless, it hurt me terribly to have to watch her layinghelplessly on that bed, sometimes flashing a fragile smile at me, sometimes sleeping peacefully. And sometimes, she cried whileasking me if she was going to die.

That was the hardest of it all to be honest, but each time, my heart broke a little more, and more. Until there was barely any life left in me.

Even my dreams of saving enough for college had flown out the window… slipping everyday farther away from my reach.

If it wasn’t for Nora, my best friend in this whole world, I don’t even know what would have been by now.

Nora had taken me in without a second thought, squeezing me tightly and saying, “You’re not going to do this alone, Sam. Not while I’m here.”

I hated being such a burden to her. But I was grateful beyond words for her kindness and support. Her small apartment was tight, but welcoming. She even sometimes made jokes whenever I cried to cheer me up.

Nora would cook us cheap meals and pretended they were fancy dishes served in fancy restaurants. She reminded me to keep going when everything felt dark around me. Still, most nights I stared at the ceiling wondering how long I could keep going.

Sighing softly, I checked my list. Next, room 203. New guest. I rolled my cart down the hall toward the elevator, my mind dipped into the sadness that was now my life.

The doors slid open on the fifteenth floor, revealing a far more luxurious and quiet suite… this obviously was where rich onesstayed. I parked my cart outside room 203 and knocked lightlyon the door.

“Housekeeping,” I said waiting patiently for the door to open.

But nothing. Quickly assuming the room was empty, I slid my card key in and pushed the door open.

And that’s when I saw him… and forgot how to breathe. The man standing in front of me was very tall. He stood by the window, his back to me as the morning sunlight poured in, outlining his built frame. His broad shoulders stretched the fabric of the black shirt he wore in a rather too sexy manner.

His dark hair was slightly messy…like someone had been running their hand through it too many times… and something about him just felt powerful.

Well, whatever it was, I didn’t know what. And neither should I care to, I thought. I’ve got enough problems of my own to deal with anyway.

The man turned and our eyes met. Immediately, something strange began to happened in my chest. It felt like a pull and a spark at the same time. There were hardly words to describe it.

“Yes?” the man said sharply.

His eyes were dark, deep, and intense. I swallowed hard. “Um… I’m here to clean the room,” I said softly.

He stared at me for a moment like I had just insulted him. Also like he was studying me. Then he nodded slowly and said, “Come in.”

Tensed by his strange aura, I stepped fully into the suite, nervously wheeling the cart into the most splendid space.

The place was massive. The glass windows which went from floor to ceiling showed the whole city of Oceandale below. Everything in the room looked and smelled expensive.

Before I could finish taking in the beauty of the room, he sighed sharply and rubbed his jaw.

“Look,” he then said in a deep voice, “I’m really not in the mood for fans right now.”

I blinked.

“I’m sorry?”

He glanced at my name tag. “Samantha, right? If you want an autograph, I’m not in the mood.”

Heat rushed to my face.

“I don’t… I don’t know what you’re talking about… sir.”

He frowned.

“You don’t recognize me?”

I shook my head slowly. “No, sir.”

His expression shifted from annoyed to surprise.

“You’re kidding.”

“I’m not,” I answered honestly. “I just clean rooms.”

He studied me again like I was some kind of puzzle he was having a hard time with.

“You seriously don’t know who I am?” he questioned again.

I felt embarrassed then. “Should I?”

His lips then tightened.

“Huh.”

“Just do your job quickly,” he snapped. “And give me someprivacy.”

The sudden coldness stung me… right in my chest where I’d felt some kind of spark.

“Yes, sir,” I just whispered and went straight to work.

Placing my cleaning cart near the door, I began quietly. But I could feel his eyes on me. And it made my skin scrawl.

He showed no hint of emotion or mood in his features. Just a long weird and uncomfortable stare he fixed firmly on me.

His eyebrows twitched slightly, and in my mind, I thought heprobably wasn’t used to people walking into his space unannounced.

Not knowing what to think, I just continued with my cleaning. Then I heard his voice behind me.

“I only hope that when you’re done, you won’t be asking for anypictures?”

I paused and turned to him, confused.

“Pictures?” Naively, I asked.

“Yees,” he said slowly. “Or whatever it is you people alwaysseem to want from me.”

I shook my head, genuinely confused by his words.

“I’m sorry sir, I’m really not here for any of that,” I said.

For a split second, something flashed in his eyes. Was it anger,surprise, amusement, or something else? I couldn’t tell.

“Just… finish up,” he said and I nodded quickly, all eager to remove myself from the awkward situation.

The rest of the cleaning passed in silence. But I could tell something had changed. The tension between us wasn’t just uncomfortable anymore. It was becoming electric.