I never believed life could fall apart in seconds, until the night everything changed.
"My father is gone," I whispered, staring at the empty hospital bed.
The room felt colder than winter. Just yesterday, he was smiling, telling me everything would be okay. Now he was gone, and nothing made sense anymore.
By the time I returned home, our house—our small, warm house that always smelled like fresh bread and laughter—no longer felt like mine. The landlord didn't even wait for morning.
"You have no one to pay the rent," he snapped. "You have to leave."
I tried to beg, but the police were already pulling my clothes outside like trash. Neighbors peeked through their windows, whispering. I stood in the rain, barefoot, shivering, and alone.
I had nowhere to go. No family. No money. No hope.
My only choice was to walk. I didn't even know where I was going. The rain was heavy, soaking my clothes and hair, but I kept moving. Hours passed before I stopped in front of a tall iron gate.
The Cole Mansion.
Everyone in the city knew this place. Richest family. Powerful. Untouchable.
A guard stepped forward.
"Are you here for work?"
My voice was weak. "Yes… please. Anything."
He stared at me for a long moment, then opened the gate.
And just like that, my life as a maid began—wet, hungry, and broken.
Inside the mansion, everything sparkled. Marble floors. Golden frames. Beautiful walls that looked untouched by human hands. I felt too dirty to even breathe.
The butler appeared, older, with sharp eyes.
"We do not normally hire without interviews, but we are short on staff. Follow me."
I tried not to stare at the chandeliers, but I had never seen a house this beautiful. Every step made me feel smaller.
Then I saw him.
Adrian Cole.
Tall, handsome, and dressed in a dark suit that probably cost more than my entire life. His black hair was perfectly styled, and his eyes—cold, dark, and emotionless—stared right through me.
He didn't ask my name.
He didn't ask why I was there.
He simply turned to the butler and said,
"Keep her until we find a replacement."
Replacement.
The word stabbed me like a knife, but I kept my head down.
"Sir," I whispered, voice shaking, "I just need a chance."
He turned slowly, his eyes locking onto mine. There was no kindness in them.
"You have rules," he said softly, but his tone felt like a threat.
"Don't speak to me. Don't touch anything. Don't make noise. If you break one rule, you're out."
My throat tightened.
"Yes, sir."
He walked away without looking back.
The butler led me to the servant quarters, a small room with a tiny bed and thin blanket. I sat on the edge, too tired to cry.
But that night, as I lay awake staring at the ceiling, one thought whispered in my mind:
The man who hated me the most…
would be the one who couldn't resist me.
Not after he discovers who I really am.
And neither of us knew that my arrival…
was only the beginning.