LOGINThe morning of the wedding arrived. Clara stood before her bedroom mirror, frozen, while Ana and her two assistants busied themselves arranging the simple white dress she wore."Beautiful, you're truly beautiful, Clara," Ana said.Clara stared at her own reflection. Her face was pale, her eyes slightly swollen from not being able to sleep all night. She smiled faintly, but the smile didn't reach her eyes."Thank you. You've helped me so much."Ana stepped closer, gently holding both of Clara's shoulders."Are you sure about this decision? There's still time, if you have doubts...""I'm sure. Julian is a good man. I'll be happy with him."Ana didn't say anything more. She just nodded and smiled, though there was unspoken concern in her eyes.In the large room downstairs, guests began to arrive. Leon greeted them with a warm smile, while the triplets ran among the guests' feet in their all-white outfits, making everyone laugh. Julian stood near the flower altar Ana had decorated, wearin
The days after Clara accepted Julian's proposal passed like a strange dream. There was joy in the mansion—Ana cried tears of happiness, Leon smiled widely every time he saw Julian and Clara together, and even the triplets ran around excitedly when they heard the news. Julian, of course, looked like the luckiest man in the world. He brought Clara flowers every morning, took her to dinner at fancy restaurants, and never stopped praising Clara's beauty and kindness in front of anyone who would listen. But deep in Clara's heart, there was an empty space that refused to be filled. She tried. She truly tried to love Julian the way Julian loved her. She let Julian hold her hand, kiss her cheek, hug her gently. She smiled when Julian joked, laughed when Julian made silly puns, and nodded enthusiastically when Julian talked about their wedding plans. Yet every night, when Julian walked her to her room and kissed her forehead gently before leaving, Clara would stand by her bedroom window
Two weeks had passed since Julian proposed to Clara at the restaurant near Hyde Park. Clara still avoided the topic whenever Julian or Ana tried to bring it up. She kept busy with work, with the children, with anything that could divert her mind from the big decision she had to make. But that night, Leon called her to his room Clara entered with heavy steps. Leon sat in his worn leather chair, his cane leaning against the table. In front of him, a cup of tea had gone cold. Leon's face was serious, his eyes looking at Clara with a mixture of love and concern. "Close the door, Clara. Sit down." Clara obeyed. She sat in the chair across from her father, her hands gripping tightly in her lap. She could already guess what Leon was going to talk about. "You know what I'm going to say, don't you?" "About Julian," Clara answered. Leon nodded. "Julian is a good man. He's loyal, responsible, and he loves you deeply. I know you're still thinking about that Italian man, but listen to
Three months after Aiden, Lucas, and Sophia's birthday.Clara had taken a more active role in helping Leon manage some family affairs—not the main business that Leon still held, but various properties and small investments that needed attention. This gave her something to keep busy, something she desperately needed to divert her mind from the search for Lucien that had yet to yield any results.That morning, Clara sat in the small study in the east wing of the mansion, which she had now made her personal office. Stacks of documents were spread across the mahogany desk, and she was signing several lease renewal letters for one of the family's apartments in central London.The door opened without a knock. Clara looked up and saw Julian standing at the threshold in a neatly tailored dark grey suit, a navy blue tie around his neck, and the confident smile he always wore."Clara, I see you've been working since morning. You need to take a break."Clara smiled, putting down her pen."You al
Harrington mansion was filled with colorful balloons and silk ribbons hanging from every corner.Today was the fourth birthday of Aiden, Lucas, and Sophia—Leon and Ana's triplets.The big house felt alive with children's laughter. Aiden, the eldest who looked most like Leon, ran through the corridors with a plastic toy car in his hand, followed by Lucas who was quieter but always smiling, and Sophia with her curly hair and big eyes like Ana's, sitting on her nanny's lap holding her favorite teddy bear.Clara stood near the window of the large living room, wearing a navy blue silk dress that fell elegantly to her ankles. Her hair was styled simply, with slight waves at the ends, and around her neck hung a silver necklace with a heart-shaped pendant—the necklace she had found in her dresser drawer in Italy, a relic from Lucien that had somehow been left behind. She had never taken it off since that day."Clara! Come on, you have to see the birthday cake!"Ana's voice called from the din
The morning at Harrington mansion had always felt peaceful since Leon returned from the hospital.The soft clinking of teacups, the aroma of toast spreading from the kitchen, and the small laughter of Clara's younger siblings playing in the living room had become a familiar backdrop for Clara.Leon was already seated at the head of the table, but unlike usual, he wasn't smiling when he saw Clara enter. In his hand, he held a thin cream-colored folder. Beside him, Ana sat restlessly, her fingers playing with the edge of a napkin, her eyes looking at Clara with a mixture of anxiety and hope."Good morning, Dad," Clara greeted, kissing Leon's cheek, then Ana's, before sitting in the chair across from them."Good morning, my daughter," Leon replied.Clara took a piece of bread, spread butter on it, and began to eat. But she could feel Leon's gaze fixed on her. She swallowed her bread, then looked at her father with raised eyebrows."Is there something you want to talk about, Dad?"Leon ex
I fell silent.Marriage. I'd never imagined getting married, especially not to a man as rich and as mysterious as Mr. Leon. I was just a plain, fat girl who spent her life cleaning up other people's dirt."Why me?" I asked.Mr. Leon was still crouching in front of me, his eyes staring at me without
Two days passed.I tried to avoid Mr. Leon and his guests. I worked harder than usual. I cleaned every corner of the mansion, washed Clara's clothes until they smelled fresh, and even swept parts of the yard I had never touched before. I hoped that if I worked hard enough, everything would go back
I stopped walking.My body turned stiff like a statue. Mr. Leon's words pierced me from behind, sharp and cold, like the edge of a knife pressed against my neck."Who taught you to be so rude?"I didn't dare turn around. My eyes burned. Tears gathered at the corners, but I held them back with all m
His possession.I wasn't an object, and I didn't belong to anyone.Mr. Leon slowly released his arm from around my waist, then walked back to the billiard table, picked up the cue he had set down earlier, and continued the game as if nothing had happened.As if he hadn't just saved my life, and as







