All Chapters of A Whole New World: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

LUCIAN I nodded slowly, watching Essence, the corners of my lips lifting with a calm sort of confidence. “Yeah… we’ll get married today. And after that, you’ll move in with me.” She blinked at me like she hadn't quite heard me right. Her eyes darted across the modest living room, then at the barely-painted walls and the single bulb flickering dimly above us. I could see the disbelief building behind her gaze like a slow storm. “Isn’t that too fast?” she asked, her voice soft but uncertain. “Look around… I just moved in here after my divorce. I haven’t even unpacked my toothbrush.” I followed her gaze, allowing myself a second to take in the full scope of her new environment. The place was small. Cramped. The faint smell of dampness lingered stubbornly in the air. The walls were bare, and the curtain swayed gently beside a broken window frame. And yet, she had chosen this space to start over—this fragile little box of peace she’d carved for herself in a world that had been so u

ESSENCEI felt as though I had stepped into a whole new world. One moment I was dodging insults and nursing bruises, the next I was married to Lucian Knight and standing in his mansion like I belonged. Everything still felt surreal.Yes, I had signed the marriage documents. Yes, I had moved into his luxurious home. But it hadn’t quite sunk in yet. Was this real life, or a dream I’d soon wake up from? The maids, the respectful glances, the luxury dripping from every wall and corner—it didn’t seem like something someone like me deserved. At least not according to everything I’d been told over the years.Still, there was something else that felt even more unusual than the grandeur. Lucian. His kindness. His attentiveness. No one had ever worried about whether I’d eaten, not even on days when I hadn’t eaten at all. Yet Lucian, within the short span of time we had spent together, had done so twice.And the second time…he didn’t just ask. He had already driven halfway home before he made a

ESSENCEFor a moment, it almost felt like I had time-traveled back to Alex’s house, back to those endless days of being humiliated by Remi. Because standing in front of me now was another version of her.... same disrespectful tone, same hourglass figure that screamed "Instagram model," same hunger for putting another woman down to feel tall.I didn’t know who this girl was or what she meant to Lucian, but the confidence she wore was dangerous. She moved like she belonged here, like she had Lucian’s name tattooed on her waistline. And judging from how the other maids were eyeing her, I was clearly the only one not clued in.But here’s the thing..... I had nothing to lose. I wasn’t going to shrink myself to avoid a repeat of my past. If Lucian wanted to divorce me after this, he was free to file the papers. But before I left this house, this girl was going to learn the hard way that I wasn’t the same woman who cowered in a corner while people called her a fat cow.The girl stepped forwa

ESSENCE Staring at the butler who remained kneeling, his face red and his fists clenched tightly, I finally understood why he had taken Angel's side with so much intensity. It was right there in his body language. The way he burned with silent fury showed, a father, shielding his daughter. A father's love, no matter how misplaced, was something I knew could drive people to madness. Before I could process that thought fully, the six maids who had earlier stood frozen behind Angel suddenly rushed forward. They fell to their knees in front of me, their hands clasped and heads bowed in shame. "Please, Mrs. Knight," one of them begged. "We're sorry. We made a mistake. We didn't know. We swear it won't happen again." You are all fired." Lucian suddenly declared. Before the maids could fully react, he turned to face Sara. Angel's cries had dulled into weak, pitiful whimpers. Her face was a mosaic of handprints, her cheeks swollen and flushed red, her lip bleeding. Her mascara had

ESSENCE Inspite of myself, I felt like the walls of Lucian's massive bedroom were closing in on me. The air suddenly felt thinner, like there wasn't enough of it to go around. My chest rose and fell faster than it should have, and I couldn’t tell if it was from embarrassment, confusion, or the way Lucian had looked at me just a moment ago. "I.... I'm going to check if the maids have kicked Angel out," I muttered, not waiting for a response as I turned and began walking away. But before I could take another step past the door, Lucian's hand caught mine. In one swift, effortless motion, he spun me around until I was facing him again, breath catching in my throat. "Not so fast, baby," he said, eyes narrowing, not in anger, but curiosity. "Tell me something. Earlier, when you walked off during all that drama with the staff... were you about to leave me?" I blinked. "How did you know? Are you secretly telepathic or something? Have you been reading my mind this entire time and