Chapter One: A Stranger's Mercy

Chapter One: A Stranger's Mercy

Sophie Evans had always imagined what it would feel like to step into a mansion—one of those grand estates she passed on her way to school, where the wealthy lived without a care in the world. She had pictured chandeliers so bright they mimicked the sun, staircases so wide they looked like they led to heaven, and the kind of polished floors where you could see your reflection.

But standing in the massive foyer of Ethan Cole's estate, she felt nothing but small.

The air was crisp, too controlled—like the entire house had been designed to keep emotions out. Towering windows let in just enough light to make the marble floors gleam, but not enough to make the place feel warm. Every piece of furniture was sleek, expensive, and soulless. It was nothing like the cluttered, cozy apartment she had shared with her mother. Nothing like home.

But home was gone.

She clutched the strap of her worn-out school bag, fingers tightening to keep them from trembling. The silence stretched between her and the man standing a few feet away—the man she was supposed to trust.

Ethan Cole.

Sophie had heard his name before, whispered in conversations, printed in glossy magazines she could never afford. A billionaire, a business mogul, a man with more power in his signature than most people had in their entire lives. But none of those articles had captured the way he felt in person—how his presence alone seemed to shift the air in the room, thickening it with unspoken authority.

He wasn't old like she had expected. He couldn't have been older than twenty-eight, yet something about him felt ageless, like he had spent years learning how to control everything—including the way he looked at her now, with unreadable gray eyes that studied her like a problem he hadn't solved yet.

"You're saying my mother left?" Sophie's voice barely rose above a whisper, but the words felt deafening in the quiet room.

Ethan exhaled, his expression unreadable. "She's gone."

Sophie's breath caught in her throat. No. That can't be right.

"She wouldn't just—" Her voice faltered, eyes darting around as if her mother might suddenly appear from behind one of those cold, lifeless walls. "She wouldn't leave me."

Ethan didn't react. He simply reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, folded piece of paper. He placed it on the sleek mahogany desk between them and slid it toward her.

Sophie hesitated before picking it up. The paper felt thin, fragile, like the words themselves had been written in desperation.

I'm sorry, baby. I couldn't fix things this time. Please, stay here. He will take care of you.

Her vision blurred as the words sank in.

Her mother was gone.

She had run.

Abandoned her.

Sophie's hands trembled as she let the note fall to the desk.

"She left me here," she whispered, more to herself than to him. "With you?"

Ethan's gaze remained steady. "She had no other choice."

A bitter laugh bubbled in Sophie's throat, but it never made it past her lips. No choice? That was a lie. Her mother had chosen this. Chosen to run. Chosen to leave her behind.

The silence between them grew heavier, pressing against Sophie's chest.

"What do you expect from me?" she finally asked, her voice laced with quiet defiance.

Ethan leaned back against the desk, his arms crossing over his broad chest. He didn't speak right away, as if carefully weighing his words.

"Nothing," he said at last. "I agreed to take you in. That's all."

Sophie narrowed her eyes. She didn't believe that for a second. No one did something for nothing—especially not a man like him.

But what choice did she have?

She had no home. No money. No family.

And Ethan Cole, this stranger with his unreadable eyes and ice-cold demeanor, was the only person left willing to keep her.

She swallowed hard and lifted her chin. "Fine."

Ethan's brow lifted slightly, as if he had expected more resistance. "Fine?"

Sophie crossed her arms. "I'll stay. But I don't need your pity, and I don't need your money. Just—" She hesitated, pushing down the lump in her throat. "Just let me finish school. That's all I want."

Something flickered in Ethan's gaze—something she couldn't name.

After a long pause, he nodded. "You'll finish school."

Sophie exhaled, tension draining from her shoulders.

"Your room is upstairs," Ethan continued, pushing away from the desk. "Second door on the left. Stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours."

It wasn't an offer. It was a command.

Sophie lifted her chin higher. "Deal."

Ethan didn't say another word. He simply turned and walked out of the room, his footsteps echoing in the vast emptiness of the mansion.

Sophie stood there for a moment, alone in a house that wasn't hers, left behind by a mother who had abandoned her, under the roof of a man who felt more like a warden than a guardian.

Her life had changed in a single night.

And something told her this was just the beginning.