All Chapters of Just One Year With Mr. Billionaire: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

_Danica's POV_The house looked like something straight out of a fairytale.I’d grown up in a wealthy family myself, so I was used to nice things, but this? This was on another level entirely. The mansion sprawled before us, all elegant architecture and manicured gardens that probably cost more to maintain than most people’s yearly salaries. I couldn’t help but be genuinely impressed, even though I tried not to let it show too much on my face.When we stepped inside, my jaw nearly dropped. The interior was even more stunning than the exterior, marble floors that shined under crystal chandeliers, artwork that looked like it belonged in a museum, and furniture that screamed old money and good taste.But what shocked me even more than the house itself was seeing Eden’s grandmother already there, standing in the grand foyer like she owned the place. Which, I supposed, she probably did in some way.She was barking orders at a handful of servants, gesturing at flower arrangements and tellin

_Danica's POV_The past two days had been surprisingly peaceful. Eden worked from home, his laptop perched on the dining table while he made calls and reviewed documents. Grandmother had insisted he take his honeymoon at home, and for once, he hadn’t argued. I watched him from the corner of my eye as I pretended to read, still trying to understand this man I had married.On the third day, everything changed.“Get ready,” Eden said that morning, his tone brisk and businesslike. “We’re going to Stanford.”My heart jumped. Stanford. The school I had dreamed about for so long, the place where I thought I would build my future before everything fell apart. I hadn’t dared to hope he would actually take me there himself.I dressed carefully in a simple blue dress that accommodated my body. Today was about my education, my future.The drive to Stanford’s campus took about an hour. Eden sat beside me in the back of the car, his attention fixed on his phone. He typed rapidly, occasionally frown

_Author’s POV_ Eden hated being home. Work had always been his escape, his armor against everything he didn’t want to feel. The office was clean, logical, predictable. Numbers made sense. Contracts had clear terms. Business didn’t ask him to care. But his grandmother had insisted he take a few days off, claiming he looked exhausted. So now he was trapped in his own house with nothing to distract him from the one person he was trying hardest to ignore. Danica. She moved through the house like a ghost, quiet and careful, as if she was afraid to take up too much space. Eden found himself noticing things he didn’t want to notice. The way she barely touched her food at breakfast, pushing scrambled eggs around her plate until they went cold. How she disappeared for naps in the afternoon, her face pale and drawn when she emerged. The small wince that crossed her features when she stood up too quickly, her hand instinctively moving to her still-flat stomach. None of it matched the image

_Eden's POV_ I needed to regain control. That was what I told myself as I called Danica into my study that morning. The past few days had been too loose, too undefined. Lines were blurring, and I needed to draw them back with clean strokes. She appeared in the doorway wearing one of those soft sweaters that made her look smaller than she was. “You wanted to see me?” “Sit.” I gestured to the chair across from my desk, keeping my tone businesslike. Professional. “We need to establish some ground rules.” She sat without argument, folding her hands in her lap. “First, privacy. Your room is yours. Mine is mine. We maintain separate spaces except when necessary for appearances.” I ticked off points on my fingers like I was outlining a business proposal. “Second, schedules. I need to know when you have doctor appointments so I can arrange my calendar accordingly. We need to present a united front at medical visits.” “Okay,” she said quietly. “Third, public appearances. When we’re out

_Danica's POV_ The sound of that slap still rang in my ears as I stared at Margot in complete shock. She’d just hit Evelyn. Actually hit her. Something inside me snapped. “How dare you!” I yelled, my voice coming out louder and stronger than I’d ever heard it. “You have no right to touch her!” Margot whirled around to face me, her face red with anger. “Oh, so now you have a voice? Now you want to talk back to me? You ungrateful little brat!” “Ungrateful?” I repeated, my hands shaking. “For what exactly should I be grateful to you?” “We took care of you after your mother died!” Margot shrieked, her voice getting louder. People were starting to gather around us now, watching. “We gave you a home, fed you, clothed you! And this is how you repay us? By marrying some rich man and acting like you’re better than us?” My cheeks burned with embarrassment as more people stopped to stare. I could hear them whispering, could feel their judgmental eyes on me.They fed me and clothed me? Bec