CHAPTER THREE

A Glimpse of Freedom

Nicole stared out the floor-to-ceiling window, the city sprawling beneath her like a kingdom she had never truly owned.

From this height, everything looked small—cars inching along like ants, people lost in their own worlds. How many of them were living freely, making choices without invisible chains pulling them back?

A bitter thought settled in her chest. Probably all of them.

She had spent years carving her own path, proving that she was more than just her last name. Melbourne Enterprises thrived under her leadership, yet the taste of victory was always laced with something else.

Resentment.

Even with all her power, she still wasn't free.

Her phone buzzed, snapping her back to the present.

Rachel: Meet me at the art gallery tonight. I have a surprise.

A slow smile formed on Nicole's lips. Rachel always knew when she needed an escape.

Nicole: I'll be there.

For one night, she could pretend to be just an ordinary woman.

For one night, she wouldn't be the Melbourne heiress, bound by expectations.

She would just be Nicole.

The art gallery was a world away from the ruthless corporate arena Nicole was used to. Soft lighting bathed the walls, illuminating pieces that seemed to breathe with emotion. Here, no one cared about stock portfolios or legacy-building. Here, power was measured in brushstrokes, not bank accounts.

She spotted Rachel near an abstract piece, her excitement barely contained.

Nicole arched a brow. "Alright, what's this big surprise?"

Rachel grabbed her hand. "Come with me."

She led Nicole through a discreet doorway into a private studio. The second they stepped inside, Nicole stilled.

The walls were covered in paintings. Rachel's paintings.

Raw. Emotional. Free.

Nicole turned slowly, absorbing each piece. "Rachel… these are incredible."

Rachel exhaled, as if she had been holding that breath for years. "I've been working on them forever. I'm thinking about leaving my marketing job to do this full-time."

Nicole met her gaze, understanding the hesitation. The fear. The uncertainty.

"Then do it," she said firmly. "You have a gift, Rachel. Don't waste it."

Rachel bit her lip. "What if I fail?"

Nicole's answer was immediate. "Then you try again."

Rachel studied her for a long moment. "And what about you, Nic? What would you do if you could walk away from all of it?"

Nicole opened her mouth—then closed it.

What would she do?

For years, she had told herself that running Melbourne Enterprises was a victory. That winning the fight against her family's expectations meant she had won.

But had she really?

Or had she just chosen a different kind of cage?

Her father had spent years molding her into the perfect heir. Teaching her how to negotiate, how to command attention, how to be ruthless. How to sacrifice dreams for duty.

She had been raised for one purpose: to protect the Melbourne name.

Even if it meant losing herself in the process.

"I don't have that luxury," she finally said, her voice quieter now.

Rachel's brows knitted together. "Why not?"

Nicole swirled the wine in her glass, watching the liquid catch the light.

Because her father wouldn't allow it.

Because her mother had given up her own dreams for the family and expected Nicole to do the same.

Because people like her weren't given the option to fail.

Because walking away meant war.

Because freedom wasn't meant for people like her.

Her chest tightened.

How unfair was it, that the people who were born with the most had the least control over their own lives?

People envied her wealth, her status. But they didn't see the chains that came with it.

She envied them—the kids who grew up with scraped knees and messy childhoods.

The ones who could fall in love with whomever they wanted, make mistakes without headlines tearing them apart.

Rachel was choosing freedom.

Could Nicole? No.

Did she even have a choice? Not really.

Her grip on the wine glass tightened.

For now, she would let herself have this moment—this fleeting, stolen glimpse of what life could be.

A life where she was not just Nicole Melbourne, heiress to an empire, but simply Nicole.

And for the first time in a long time, she let herself wonder—

What if?