Billionaire's captive Heart

Lila Beaumont often thought of life as a winding river, one that had dragged her along its course with a force far greater than she could control. Some people were born into the smooth currents of fortune, while others, like her, had been tossed into the most turbulent waters right from the start. Life had never been kind to her. Yet here she was, still afloat-perhaps even stronger for it. "My mother abandoned me before I could even cry my first tear," she would often remind herself, more as a way to process than to seek pity.

The story of her birth was one she only knew from whispered bits of gossip overheard in the orphanage. A woman too young and too scared to be a mother had left her on the steps of La Maison des Enfants, the orphanage that became both her home and prison. In the early hours of a crisp April morning, Lila had been found, wrapped in nothing but a thin blanket, with no note, no sign of love or regret-just silence and the sting of rejection. The staff at the orphanage had said she was lucky to survive those first few hours, considering the coldness of that spring night. But as Lila would come to learn, luck is a fickle thing.

The orphanage had been a place of loneliness, of feeling unwanted, except for one person-Nanny Vivienne. If there was any goodness in the universe, it was that Nanny Vivienne had found her that morning, cradling her with all the care and love of a woman who had never known the joy of motherhood. Vivienne had been at the orphanage for as long as anyone could remember, and to the other children, she was simply "Nanny." But to Lila, Vivienne was everything. The other children were jealous of their bond, though Lila never quite understood why. Nanny Vivienne wasn't just Lila's, but perhaps that's how it seemed to the others. Lila was the one Vivienne always stayed up with, telling stories long into the night when she was too scared to sleep. She was the one who got a special tuck-in every night, and when things were particularly hard, Vivienne would sneak Lila tiny chocolates-contraband, of course, in the orphanage's strict diet. But even the warmth of Nanny Vivienne couldn't completely erase the coldness Lila felt from the other children. Their whispers followed her in the hallways, their eyes narrowed in resentment. "She's Nanny's favorite," they would say. Some days, they wouldn't even bother hiding their disdain, purposefully bumping into her in the corridor or "accidentally" ruining something precious to her. Lila often found herself playing alone, her imagination being her only refuge from the cruel world of the orphanage. Many of the other children found homes quickly. The sound of excited parents' voices echoed through the orphanage's halls as they came to select their newest addition, as if they were choosing a piece of furniture rather than a child. Each time an adoption day came, the tension in the air was thick with hope and desperation. Some children would dress up, their hair combed neatly and their smiles too wide, too rehearsed. Lila, though, refused to be part of it. At first, she had watched them leave, those children who had bullied her the most, and felt a flicker of relief. Maybe she'd have Nanny all to herself now. But as the years passed and more children found families, Lila began to see a different pattern: Nanny wouldn't always be there. Parents had come for Lila, too. Several couples had shown interest in her over the years, but she never allowed herself to be chosen. Whenever a family would show up to meet her, she'd close herself off, her eyes distant and her smile absent. There was only one person she wanted to be with-Nanny Vivienne. No one ever understood why she would sabotage her chances of leaving the orphanage. But to Lila, leaving Vivienne felt like a kind of betrayal. She didn't want to be part of a family that wasn't hers. She already had one-Vivienne had been there for her in ways no one else ever had. To Lila, Vivienne wasn't just a caregiver; she was the mother she never had, the only source of love she had known. As she grew older, the gap between her and the other children widened. Lila withdrew more, spending most of her days reading or helping Vivienne with her daily tasks around the orphanage. While the other children eagerly awaited adoption days, Lila felt nothing but dread at the idea of being taken away from the only person who had ever shown her kindness.

The children who once mocked her began to leave, one by one, until the orphanage felt emptier than ever. Soon, there was no one left but her. The day Lila turned eighteen was supposed to be the day she was finally free, legally an adult, no longer a ward of the state. But she couldn't bring herself to leave the orphanage. Vivienne had sat her down that morning, a worried look in her eyes, and gently explained that Lila could go anywhere she wanted now. She could find a job, get her own apartment, start a life outside the stone walls of La Maison des Enfants. But where would she go? Who would she be without Vivienne by her side? "I want to stay with you," Lila had said softly, her hands trembling slightly as she reached out for the woman who had been her rock for so long. Vivienne's eyes had softened, her lips curving into a sad but understanding smile. "You don't have to stay here, chérie," she had replied, her voice thick with emotion. "You deserve more than this place." But Lila didn't care. "I have everything I need here, with you." And so, while the other children found new families, new lives, Lila remained at the orphanage. She took on part-time jobs to help out, working at a local café and saving every penny she earned. It wasn't much, but it was enough to help Vivienne. It was enough to keep them together. Now, at twenty-five, Lila no longer felt like an orphan. She lived in a modest apartment attached to the orphanage with Vivienne, who had grown older and more fragile over the years. Every day was a routine: she worked at the café in the mornings, came home to help Vivienne in the afternoons, and spent her evenings reading in the small, cozy living room they shared. Life wasn't glamorous. It wasn't exciting. But it was hers. And, more importantly, she had Vivienne. Yet, deep inside, as much as she wanted to deny it, Lila knew that the world was still out there, waiting for her to step into it. And she couldn't stay sheltered forever.