Chapter 1: A Stormy Night in London
Rain lashed against the stained-glass windows of the Cooper estate. Inside, the chandeliers flickered under the weight of a storm that mirrored Charlotte Cooper's heart.
She gripped the edge of a marble pillar, her vision blurred—not just from tears, but from the bitter aftertaste of the wine Meredith handed her earlier.
A glass of betrayal.
The ballroom spun around her. Gowns shimmered. Laughter echoed. Her father's cold gaze from across the hall burned into her back.
Charlotte's he
Beyond the heavy curtains, the balcony was soaked, the wind ruthless.
Charlotte leaned over the railing, choking on humiliation. Her hair clung to her face, her chest heaved, and the rain made no effort to be gentle.
That's when she saw him.
A man stood under the shadows, soaked in rain and silence. He didn't flinch. His eyes were sharp, haunted—like hers.
"You shouldn't be out here," he said, voice low and steady.
"Neither should you," she replied, not turning.
A beat of silence.
"Running from something?" he asked.
"Someone."
That was enough. No names. No explanations.
Only two broken souls clinging to the edge of a night that had already gone wrong.