Chapter 1

"You've changed, Mom! This house doesn't feel like my home anymore!" My voice rose, echoing through the living room that now felt painfully unfamiliar and cold.

Mom let out a long sigh and rubbed her temples. "Selena, watch your tone. You've only been back for a week after spending years overseas. Can't you try to stay calm?"

"How am I supposed to stay calm?" I crossed my arms and looked around the room with utter disgust. "Every corner of this house is filled with new rules. Curfews, breakfast schedules, even dress codes. This used to be our home, Mom. Now it feels like a prison."

"All of these rules were created for everyone's benefit, Selena. A large household needs structure," Mom replied, trying to soften her voice. She stepped closer and reached for my shoulder, but I immediately pulled away.

"For everyone's benefit, or for your new husband's?" I sneered. "Just say his name, Mom. Alexander Kingsley. Ever since you married him, everything in this house revolves around that man."

"Don't say Alexander's name like that. He is the one who paid for all your expenses while you were studying in London," Mom scolded. Her voice was beginning to rise, provoked by my refusal to back down.

"I never asked for his money!" I shouted. My chest heaved as my anger reached its peak. "If I had known you remarried, I would never have come back. This house is hell to me."

"You don't know your stepfather well enough, Selena." Mom looked at me with a mixture of hurt and pleading in her eyes. "Alexander has been nothing but kind to us. If it weren't for him, who knows what would have happened to your father's company."

"He has an ulterior motive, Mom! Don't you think it's strange? A wealthy man his age suddenly wants to marry a widow?"

Mom shook her head, her expression hardening in offense. "There is nothing strange about it. I love him, Selena."

"Are you sure he loves you? Or is he just after Dad's inheritance?" I asked with open contempt.

Bang.

Mom didn't slap me, but she slammed her hand against the nearby table so hard that the sound rang through the room. "Enough, Selena! Alexander is one of the city's billionaires. His company is enormous, and ours is nothing compared to his."

Just as our argument reached its boiling point, the sound of heavy, measured footsteps echoed from the staircase. Mom and I turned at the same time.

Alexander Kingsley descended the stairs with effortless composure. He wore a gray button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing an elegant black watch. His expression remained calm, showing not the slightest hint of surprise, even though I knew he had just heard his name being dragged through the mud.

Alexander walked past us and headed straight for the dining table before taking the seat at its head. He glanced at a servant, who immediately stepped forward to pour water into his glass.

"If dinner is ready, we should sit down," Alexander said in his deep, steady voice. He looked at Mom, then shifted his gaze to me.

The eye contact lasted only a fraction of a second. Yet my chest suddenly thundered. A strange tremor ran down my spine, making my throat go dry. I hated my body's reaction. I immediately clenched my fists inside my pockets to hide the ridiculous trembling.

"I'm not hungry," I snapped, looking away.

"Sit down, Selena," Mom ordered in a tone that clearly wasn't open to argument. "We're eating together tonight. I won't have you acting like a sulking child."

"So that's what I am to you, right? None of my feelings matter." I pointed at Alexander, my finger trembling. "I don't need this man telling me what to do."

Alexander, who had been cutting into the steak on his plate, paused. He set down his knife and fork with a soft clink that sounded unusually loud in the sudden silence of the dining room.

Then he looked at me again. This time, his gaze was more intense.

"The rules in this house apply to everyone, Selena. Without exception," Alexander said calmly, yet his tone carried an undeniable authority.

I laughed scoffingly, forcing myself to meet his gaze. "Including the rule to submit to your every whim? Sorry, but I am not on the list of assets you can control."

"I am not controlling you. I am merely teaching you how to adapt," Alexander replied flatly. He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest while keeping his eyes on me. "Unless life in London made you forget how to respect your elders."

"Elders?" I stepped closer to the dining table, gripping the back of the chair opposite him. "My mother is the only parent I have left. You are just a stranger who happens to sleep in the same room as her."

"Selena! Watch your mouth!" Mom shrieked, her face turning pale at my defiance.

But Alexander raised a hand, signaling Mom to be quiet. His sharp eyes never blinked as they locked onto my face. "Let her speak, Margaret. It seems your little princess developed quite a bit of courage during her time abroad."

"Don't call me little princess. It's disgusting to hear my name come out of your mouth," I hissed.

"Then what is it you want, Selena? To leave this house and live completely free without rules?" Alexander raised an eyebrow, a faint, infuriating smirk touching the corner of his lips. "Go ahead. The exit is always open. But remember, all your amenities, your credit cards, and your living expenses here come directly out of my pocket."

His words felt like a harsh slap to my pride. I clenched my fists tightly. "You think you can buy everything with your money?"

"Not everything," Alexander answered. His voice dropped, sounding dangerous yet alluring all at once. "But at the very least, my money provides you with a decent roof over your head. So, if you still want to enjoy the comforts of my home, cut the drama, sit down, and finish your dinner."

I stared at him with burning hatred, my chest heaving as I fought back an explosion of rage. "Are you deaf, Mr. Kingsley? For the last time, I am not hungry."

"Stubborn," Alexander murmured with a faint smile.

 "Let her be, Margaret. If she doesn't want to eat, don't force her. Perhaps she is still full from her own emotions."