chapter 1

Eleanor POV

I woke drenched in cold sweat, fear coiled tightly around my body as violent tremors raced through me.

Swallowing had become nearly impossible. My chest constricted until each breath felt like a battle I was losing. I clutched at the fabric of my night gown, eyes squeezed shut, fighting to slow the frantic rhythm of my heart.

The nightmare had returned.

No—it was not just a nightmare. It was a memory, one that invaded my sleep night after night, refusing to loosen its grip. If it had only been a dream, I might have convinced myself it wasn’t real. But this was different. This was a fragment of my past that had fused itself into my present, stubbornly refusing to stay buried.

No amount of therapy, no carefully practiced grounding exercises, nothing had ever managed to erase it.

I was only a child.

I repeated those words every time the memory resurfaced. I was no longer twelve. I was an adult now. It shouldn’t still terrify me the way it once had.

Yet nothing changed.

No matter how many times I reminded myself that I was safe, my body never believed it.

I lay back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling. Sleep had abandoned me completely. If I closed my eyes again, I knew I would only be dragged back into that same horrifying memory. So I stayed awake, watching the darkness slowly thin until the first pale rays of sunlight crept through the window.

The moment morning arrived, I climbed out of bed and headed for the only place that ever brought me any real comfort in this frightening world.

The kitchen.

I opened the refrigerator, pulled out yesterday’s leftovers, and slid the container into the microwave. While it heated, I folded my arms tightly across my chest, trying not to think.

The beep finally sounded.

I carried the plate to the table and took my first bite. Instantly, warmth spread through me. The rich taste melted on my tongue, bringing a fleeting sense of comfort that nothing else could. Every mouthful felt like fresh air filling lungs that had been starved of oxygen.

For a few precious moments, I forgot everything.

Then loud, relentless banging erupted from my front door.

The sudden noise startled me so badly I nearly dropped my fork. I set the plate down at once, appetite gone. There was only one person who pounded on my door like that. I had begged him yesterday for one more week.

Why was he back already?

The knocking grew louder, more impatient.

With a weary sigh, I made my way toward the entrance.

Another hard bang echoed through the apartment.

“I’m here! I’m coming!” I called, my voice catching in my throat.

I drew a deep breath and pulled the door open, bracing myself for the same familiar face glaring at me with nothing but disgust.

Instead—

I froze.

A powerful, unmistakable scent slammed into me before I could even properly focus on the people standing outside. Everything inside me went still. My heartbeat thundered in my ears.

No… not just one heartbeat.

Two.

I frowned, confusion cutting through the rising panic. Why could I hear another heartbeat? What was happening?

A sharp pain suddenly pierced my head. I winced.

“It seems you took quite a while.”

The familiar voice shattered the silence. The instant I heard it, the air vanished from my lungs. A terror far worse than any nightmare seized me.

The two men standing in front stepped aside without another word.

And then he appeared.

A man I knew far too well. A man whose face had haunted every nightmare I had ever endured. The man who had destroyed my life.

He stood there as though he owned the very air around him. One hand rested casually in his pocket. His tailored suit was flawless, his hair perfectly styled. And his face—

It hadn’t changed at all.

It was the exact same face burned into my memory from the day I was twelve years old. Not a single feature had aged.

Without realizing it, I stumbled backward. One step. Then another. And another.

His lips slowly curled into a mocking smile.

“I see you’re still the same little scaredy-cat,” he said lazily, his gaze sweeping over me with open disdain. “But tell me…” The smile widened into a cruel smirk. “How have you grown this fat?”

I swallowed hard, terror tightening my throat. “What are you doing here?” I managed, still backing away as he stepped forward into the apartment.

“Don’t worry. I come in peace.” His voice was smooth, almost amused. “As a matter of fact, I have a proposal for you.”

“What?” My back finally hit the sofa. Both hands clenched the edge of it so tightly my knuckles ached. After all these years, what could he possibly want from me?

“What proposal?” I asked, the words barely more than a whisper.

He stepped closer until there was barely any space left between us. One hand came to rest on the back of the sofa beside me, trapping me beneath his shadow. His face was only inches from mine.

I swallowed hard, the familiar fear surging through me.

This man had haunted me my entire life. Because of him, sleep had become something I could never truly escape into. If only he knew the damage he had done to me.

But something in his eyes told me he knew.

Worse, it seemed my suffering pleased him.

“I know you don’t like me,” he said quietly, his gaze following every flicker of emotion across my face. “What happened that day must have been difficult for you. But a traitor is a traitor, and traitors must be dealt with.”

“You used me,” I whispered. “I trusted you.”

He smiled. “I’m glad you hate me. It’s better this way. At least now, I know someone truly hates me.”

A low, slow laugh escaped him, sending another shiver of disgust down my spine.

“Anyway, that’s not why I’m here.” His smile faded slightly as he looked at me. “I came to make you an offer.”

He stepped back slightly, giving me just enough space to breathe.

“Be my bride for one year. Give me a son, and whatever you want afterward will be yours.” His gaze swept around the house before returning to me. “You’ll have a place you can depend on—somewhere far better than this place where you’ve done nothing but grow fat.”

His words stung, but he continued as if he hadn’t noticed.

“Behave yourself, and you’ll be treated well.”

I stared at him, completely stunned. My mind struggled to process what he was asking of me.

“What… you want me to marry you?”