Chapter 1

Why is the world so cruel?”

I whispered those words to the empty room as the lawyer folded the last page of my father’s will.

Fifteen years.

Fifteen years of my life wasted serving a man who never saw me, the loyal daughter who washed his clothes, cooked his meals, and smiled through his silence.

And now, every single property, every drop of sweat I shed was transferred to my little sister.

Dad didn’t even look at me when he died. He left only a letter.

“Forgive me, Nora.”

That’s all.

Just three useless words that tore my heart apart.

The mahogany table gleamed under the dim chandelier, and my hands trembled against my lap. I stared at the folder before me, praying I’d misheard.

“All properties, shares, and assets of the late Mr. Leonard Vaughn shall be transferred to his second daughter, Amelia Vaughn.”

Second daughter.

That’s my little sister.

“Excuse me,” I interrupted, my voice cracking, “there must be a mistake.”

The lawyer, an older man with emotionless eyes, didn’t even flinch. “No mistake, Miss Nora. Your father left you a letter. He asked that I hand it to you personally.”

He pushed a small white envelope across the table.

That was it.

Fifteen years of loyalty, fifteen years of silent sacrifice, and all I had left was a letter.

My fingers trembled as I tore it open. A single sheet of paper. Three words in my father’s handwriting:

Forgive me, Nora.

I read it again, and again, until the words blurred.

Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to cry. Not in front of my stepmother, whose smirk screamed satisfaction. Not in front of Amelia, who clutched her mother’s hand with guilt written all over her face.

“Let’s go, darling,” my stepmother said sweetly, standing to leave. “You know your father always favored you, Amelia. He just wanted Nora to learn her place.”

Her words were knives.

I wanted to scream. To tell her I’d already learned my place, in the shadows of their perfect family, serving meals I could never eat, folding clothes I could never wear, and pretending that I was loved.

But I said nothing.

Silence was the only language I’d ever been taught.

That night, I packed everything I owned, which fit neatly into one worn-out suitcase.

The mansion that once felt like home now looked like a stranger’s house. Every corner reminded me of how foolish I’d been to believe love could be earned by obedience.

When I stepped outside, the rain started to fall. Cold. Merciless. Just like my father’s last words.

I didn’t have a plan, only a direction, away.

By dawn, I found myself standing before a towering glass building downtown, soaked to the skin.

A sign read: COLE ENTERPRISES.

I had seen the name before, Adrian Cole. Billionaire, notorious playboy, and my father’s former business rival.

Rumor had it he bought out my father’s company months before his death. Rumor also said he was heartless, a man who saw emotions as weaknesses.

Perfect.

I was tired of being weak.

I needed a job. Money. Independence. Anything to erase the name “Vaughn” from my life.

I stepped inside the building, clutching my résumé like it was a lifeline.

The receptionist glanced at me, her brows raised. “Do you have an appointment?”

“No,” I admitted, my voice hoarse. “But I need to see Mr. Cole. Please.”

She gave a polite but rehearsed smile. “I’m sorry, ma’am. Mr. Cole doesn’t take walk-ins.”

My chest tightened. “Please. Just a few minutes. ”

“Miss, I said”

“Let her in.”

The voice came from behind. Deep. Cold. Commanding.

I turned around slowly.

And there he was, Adrian Cole.

Every story I’d ever heard about him didn’t do him justice. The tailored black suit hugged his tall frame. His dark eyes were sharp enough to slice through glass. He had the kind of face that made women lose logic and men lose confidence.

But his stare was colder than winter.

“Who are you?” he asked, his tone cutting.

“Nora… Nora Vaughn.”

His eyes darkened at the name. “Vaughn.”

The corner of his lip lifted, but there was no humor in it. “So, the daughter of the man who tried to ruin me finally appears.”

My throat went dry. “I just need a job. I’ll do anything. Please.”

He folded his arms, studying me like I was some interesting puzzle. “Anything?”

I hesitated. “Yes.”

He leaned closer, his voice low and taunting. “You have no idea what that word means, sweetheart.”

A shiver ran down my spine.

For a brief second, I saw something flicker in his eyes, pain? Anger? I couldn’t tell.

Then he turned away. “Follow me.”

I did. I didn’t know if I was walking into salvation or hell.

But for the first time since my father’s death, I felt something other than grief, fear mixed with dangerous curiosity.

When the elevator doors closed behind us, silence filled the space. The soft hum of the moving floor was the only sound between us.

He stood beside me, his scent sharp and intoxicating, a mix of expensive cologne and something darker.

“You think working for me will solve your problems?” he asked, eyes fixed on the elevator screen.

“I don’t have a choice,” I said honestly.

He glanced at me, his jaw tightening. “Everyone has a choice, Miss Vaughn. Some just make the wrong ones.”

When the doors opened, I followed him into his office, sleek, massive, and intimidating.

He turned to me, one hand in his pocket.

“Congratulations. You’re hired.”

My eyes widened. “Just like that?”

“Yes,” he said with a smirk. “I enjoy having people who owe me.”

To be continued…