CHAPTER 1

SERENIA POV

"You have exactly ten minutes to pack your things, Serenia. This is a respectable building, not a zoo."

My landlord, Mr. Henderson, stood in the doorway of my tiny studio apartment. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest, his face practically purple with rage.

Behind him, three tiny kittens peeked out from underneath my worn-out sofa, their eyes wide with innocence. They didn’t know they were currently committing a lease violation.

"Mr. Henderson, please," I said, holding my hands up in a pleading gesture. "They’re just strays. The shelter was full, and it’s raining outside. I was just going to keep them until tomorrow."

"You said that last week. Ten minutes, Serenia. Or I’m throwing your boxes onto the sidewalk myself." He slammed the door shut, the force of it shaking the cheap frame.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. My head was throbbing. I looked down at my phone, hoping for a shred of good news, but the screen remained stubbornly dark. No messages from my boyfriend, Todd. No emails from the jobs I had applied for. Just a notification that my bank account balance was currently sitting at a grand total of five dollars.

"Great," I muttered to the kittens. "Just great."

I grabbed a cardboard box from the corner and started shoving my life into it. It didn’t take long. When you’re twenty-three and broke, you don’t own a lot of property. I threw in my books, my notebooks, and my sparse collection of clothes.

The only thing missing was my favorite oversized grey hoodie.

"I probably left it at Todd’s place," I murmured, checking my watch.

Todd’s apartment was only two blocks away. If I hurried, I could grab my hoodie, apologize for dropping by unannounced, and maybe—just maybe—ask if I could crash on his couch for a night or two until I figured out where to go. The thought of swallowing my pride tasted bitter, but survival was a powerful motivator.

I packed the kittens into a small ventilated laundry basket, hoisted my heaviest box into my arms, and kicked the door open.

The walk to Todd's building was a test of endurance. The rain was coming down in sheets, soaking through my cheap canvas shoes within seconds. By the time I reached his floor and stood outside his door, I looked like a drowned rat. My arms were shaking from carrying the heavy box, and the kittens were mewing unhappily in their basket.

I didn’t bother knocking. I had a spare key. I slipped it into the lock, turned it quietly, and stepped inside, expecting to find him playing video games or sleeping.

Instead, I found a pair of bright red high heels sitting by the entryway. They definitely weren’t mine.

A strange laugh echoed from the bedroom, followed by Todd’s familiar, low chuckle.

My heart did a sudden, violent drop into my stomach. The box in my arms suddenly felt ten times heavier. I walked down the short hallway, my wet shoes squeaking loudly against the hardwood floor, but the two people in the bedroom were too distracted to notice.

I stood at the open doorway. There was Todd, sitting on the edge of his bed. And there was a girl I had never seen before, sitting on his lap.

She was wearing my favorite grey hoodie.

"Todd?" My voice didn’t shake. It was surprisingly flat, hollowed out by the sheer absurdity of the moment.

Todd froze. His head snapped toward me, his eyes widening in pure terror. He pushed the girl off his lap so fast she almost tripped over the rug.

"Serenia!" Todd stammered, standing up and throwing his hands out. "Wait, it’s not what it looks like. Let me explain."

"You're right," I said, looking at the girl, then back to him. "It looks like you're a cheating jerk who doesn't even have the decency to buy his side-piece her own clothes. But maybe I'm misinterpreting the situation."

"Serenia, babe, come on. We were just talking," Todd said, taking a step toward me. He reached out to touch my arm, but I stepped back, my eyes narrowing.

"Don't touch me," I said. My voice was calm, but inside, a toxic mix of anger and humiliation was boiling over. I looked at the girl, who was currently trying to hide behind Todd's shoulder. "Take off the hoodie."

"What?" the girl blinked, looking confused.

"The hoodie. It's mine. Take it off right now, or I will rip it off you."

The girl scrambled out of the sleeves, practically tossing the fabric at my face. I caught it with one hand, balled it up, and shoved it into my cardboard box on top of my books.

"Serenia, let’s talk about this rationally," Todd pleaded, his face pale. "You can't just leave in the middle of a storm."

"Watch me."

I turned on my heel and walked out, slamming his front door behind me so hard the hallway walls vibrated.

Ten minutes later, I was sitting on a plastic bench inside a twenty-four-hour laundromat down the street. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting a harsh, depressing glow over the empty washing machines. The smell of cheap detergent and damp air filled my lungs.

I put the box on the floor and placed the kitten basket beside it. I pulled the damp grey hoodie over my head, shivering as the air conditioning blew directly down on me.

I pulled out my phone. Five dollars in my bank account. No apartment. No boyfriend. Just me, a box of random belongings, and three stray cats.

"Well, Serenia," I whispered to myself, staring at the cracked screen. "You officially hit rock bottom. Congratulations."

I opened a job-seeking app on my phone, desperately scrolling through the listings. Waitress? Required three years of experience. Retail associate? The hiring process took two weeks. I didn't have two weeks. I needed money by tomorrow morning if I wanted to eat and find a cheap motel.

I scrolled down further, my thumb freezing when a newly posted ad caught my eye.

URGENT: Nanny needed immediately. Must survive high-stress environments. Short-tempered child. $10,000/month. Cash paid weekly.

I blinked, staring at the number. Ten thousand dollars a month? Cash? That had to be a typo. Or a scam. Or a joke.

But then I looked down at my wet shoes, thought about Todd’s cheating face, and remembered Mr. Henderson throwing me out into the rain. At this point, even if the job was a front for something illegal, I didn’t care. Ten thousand dollars could buy me a new life.

I clicked the 'Apply' button. A text box popped up, asking for a brief introduction or a summary of my qualifications.

I didn't have a resume saved on my phone. I didn't have a list of references. All I had was a massive amount of adrenaline and absolutely nothing left to lose.

I typed out a single sentence: I can survive anything. Try me.

I pressed send.