The Ruined Plan

Three months. Ninety long days since Emma signed the papers that legally tied her to Leon Gray.

At first, she had been livid. Her frustration had only grown when, instead of meeting her husband after their almost to none ceremony, she was whisked off to an extravagant but soulless mansion in the hills. The house was pristine, the staff polite but distant, and Leon? A ghost.

Emma stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, her gaze drifting over the perfectly manicured gardens below. For the first few weeks, she had clung to her plan—one that involved Leon falling head over heels for her the moment they met. But how could she make someone fall for her if they refused to even show up?

Michael, who was always around, seemed to act as both her jailer and the messenger between her and her father. "Mr. Whitmore is aware of the situation, Miss Whitmore," Michael would say, his tone as indifferent as ever. "Mr. Gray has a demanding schedule. You'll see him when he's ready."