5.0
Comment(s)
65
View
16
Chapters

In a world of secrets, danger, and forbidden love, Lena, a humble maid, finds herself entangled in a web of deceit after crossing paths with Lord Montrose, a nobleman with a dark past. Initially employed to serve him in his grand estate, Lena soon discovers that Montrose is fleeing powerful enemies who seek to destroy him. As the two grow closer, their bond deepens into a passionate love, but they are forced to abandon their safe life when Montrose's enemies close in. Fleeing to a secluded cottage, they attempt to build a life together, but their happiness is overshadowed by the constant threat of discovery. Determined to end the cycle of fear, Montrose contacts old allies, including Isla, a former friend, to help expose the corruption behind the plot against him. However, trust is a fragile thing, and betrayal lurks around every corner. In a shocking twist, Isla reveals her true allegiance, leading to a deadly confrontation. Lena, no longer a mere maid but a partner in Montrose's fight for survival, must navigate treachery and danger to protect the man she loves, knowing that their fate hangs in the balance. Together, they must face the ultimate battle for freedom.

Chapter 1 The Arrival

The grand manor stood at the end of a winding driveway, its tall, imposing structure looming over the well-manicured gardens like a sentinel of times long past. Victoria, a young woman in her mid-twenties, stepped out of the taxi, her breath visible in the crisp autumn air as she took in the sight. Sinclair Manor was more than she had expected-its stone facade, dotted with ivy, exuded a sense of history, a grandeur that felt both alluring and intimidating. She felt a nervous thrill flutter in her stomach. This was her new place of employment, her new life.

Victoria adjusted the collar of her coat, trying to shake off the nerves as she approached the massive wooden doors. She could hear the echo of her footsteps on the gravel, a rhythmic reminder of how alone she was here. The house had a presence, a kind of weight that made her feel like she had already stepped into a different world-one where she didn't quite belong. But she had no choice. A job was a job, and Sinclair Manor had a reputation for paying well.

Before she could knock, the heavy doors swung open, revealing Mr. Sinclair himself. He was a striking man, easily in his late thirties, with sharp features and a carefully cultivated appearance that spoke of old money. His dark hair was immaculately combed back, and his tailored suit clung to a physique that exuded both power and grace. His eyes, a piercing shade of blue, scanned Victoria with a quiet intensity that made her shiver despite herself.

"Miss Victoria, I presume?" His voice was smooth, deep, and carried the kind of confidence that came from a lifetime of getting exactly what one wanted. "Welcome to Sinclair Manor."

Victoria felt her breath catch in her throat. "Yes, Mr. Sinclair," she said, her voice quieter than she intended. "It's an honor to be here."

His eyes lingered on her for a beat longer, and she couldn't quite read his expression. Amusement? Curiosity? Desire? Whatever it was, it was enough to make her skin tingle. He stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter, and Victoria took her first step into what felt like another world.

The foyer was breathtaking-marble floors gleamed underfoot, a grand chandelier hung above, casting a soft, golden light over the room. Every inch of the place screamed wealth, from the intricate carvings in the walls to the antique mirrors that reflected every flicker of light. Victoria felt small, insignificant in comparison.

Mr. Sinclair moved with the same effortless grace as he led her deeper into the manor. "I'll have Mrs. Harlow show you to your quarters and explain your duties," he said, his tone businesslike but still carrying that underlying current of something more. "But before that, there's one thing you need to understand."

Victoria stopped, her heart quickening at his sudden seriousness. "Of course, sir."

His gaze settled on her, steady and unflinching. "This house has rules, Victoria. You'll be expected to follow them-strictly." His voice lowered slightly, and the air between them seemed to hum with an unspoken promise. "Do you understand?"

Victoria swallowed hard, feeling an unexpected pull toward him. "Yes, sir."

His lips curved into a small, almost predatory smile. "Good."

Before she could respond, another figure appeared. Mrs. Harlow, the housekeeper, was the very picture of efficiency and professionalism. Tall and stern, her graying hair pulled into a tight bun, she greeted Victoria with a curt nod. There was no warmth in her eyes, only a brisk, no-nonsense attitude that made it clear she didn't tolerate mistakes.

"This way, Miss Victoria," Mrs. Harlow said, her voice sharp. "We have a lot to cover."

As Victoria followed the housekeeper up the grand staircase, she could feel Mr. Sinclair's eyes on her, lingering longer than they should. Her pulse raced, and she couldn't help but wonder if she had just stepped into something far more complicated than she had anticipated.

Continue Reading

You'll also like

Rejected Heiress: My Heartless Family's Regret

Rejected Heiress: My Heartless Family's Regret

Cassandra
5.0

For seventeen years, I was the pride of the Carlisle family, the perfect daughter destined to inherit an empire. But that life ended the moment a DNA report slid across my father’s mahogany desk. The paper proved I was a stranger. Vanessa, the girl sobbing in the corner, was the real biological daughter they had been searching for. "You need to leave. Tonight. Before the press gets wind of this. Before the stock prices dip." My father’s voice was as cold as flint. My mother wouldn't even look at me, staring out the window at the gardens as if I were already a ghost. Just like that, I was erased. I left behind the Birkin bags and the diamonds, throwing my Centurion Card into a crystal bowl with a clatter that echoed like a gunshot. I walked out into the cold night and climbed into a rusted Ford Taurus driven by a man I had never met—my biological father. I went from a mansion to a fourth-floor walk-up in Queens that smelled of laundry detergent and struggle. My new siblings looked at me with a mix of fear and disgust, waiting for the "fallen princess" to break. They expected me to beg for my old life back, to crumble without the luxury I’d known since birth. But they didn't know the truth. I had spent years training in a shark tank, honing survival skills they couldn't imagine. While Richard Carlisle froze my trust funds to starve me out, my net worth was climbing by millions on an encrypted trading app. They thought they were throwing me to the wolves. They didn't realize they were just letting me off my leash. As the Carlisles prepared to debut Vanessa at the Manhattan Arts Gala, I was already making my move. "Get dressed. We're going to a party."

Secret Baby: The Jilted Wife's Final Goodbye

Secret Baby: The Jilted Wife's Final Goodbye

Cait
5.0

I sat on the cold tile floor of our Upper East Side penthouse, staring at the two pink lines until my vision blurred. After ten years of loving Julian Sterling and three years of a hollow marriage, I finally had the one thing that could bridge the distance between us. I was pregnant. But Julian didn't come home with flowers for our anniversary. He tossed a thick manila envelope onto the marble coffee table with a heavy thud. Fiona, the woman he'd truly loved for years, was back in New York, and he told me our "business deal" was officially over. "Sign it," He said, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. He looked at me with the cold detachment of a man selling a piece of unwanted furniture. When I hesitated, he told me to add a zero to the alimony if the money wasn't enough. I realized in that moment that if he knew about the baby, he wouldn't love me; he would simply take my child and give it to Fiona to raise. I shoved the pregnancy test into my pocket, signed the papers with a shaking hand, and lied through my teeth. When my morning sickness hit, I slumped to the floor to hide the truth. "It's just cramps," I gasped, watching him recoil as if I were contagious. To make him stay away, I invented a man named Jack-a fake boyfriend who supposedly gave me the kindness Julian never could. Suddenly, the man who wanted me gone became a monster of possessiveness. He threatened to "bury" a man who didn't exist while leaving me humiliated at his family's dinner to rush to Fiona's side. I was so broken that I even ate a cake I was deathly allergic to, then had to refuse life-saving steroids at the hospital because they would harm the fetus. Julian thinks he's stalling the divorce for two months to protect the family's reputation for his father's Jubilee. He thinks he's keeping his "property" on a short leash until the press dies down. He has no idea I'm using those sixty days to build a fortress for my child. By the time he realizes the truth, I'll be gone, and the Sterling heir will be far beyond his reach.

The Mute Heiress's Fake Marriage Pact

The Mute Heiress's Fake Marriage Pact

Alma
5.0

I was finally brought back to the billionaire Vance estate after years in the grimy foster system, but the luxury Lincoln felt more like a funeral procession. My biological family didn't welcome me with open arms; they looked at me like a stain on a silk shirt. They thought I was a "defective" mute with cognitive delays, a spare part to be traded away. Within hours of my arrival, my father decided to sell me to Julian Thorne, a bitter, paralyzed heir, just to secure a corporate merger. My sister Tiffany treated me like trash, whispering for me to "go back to the gutter" before pouring red wine over my dress in front of Manhattan's elite. When a drunk cousin tried to lay hands on me at the engagement gala, my grandmother didn't protect me-she raised her silver-topped cane to strike my face for "embarrassing the family." They called me a sacrificial lamb, laughing as they signed the prenuptial agreement that stripped me of my freedom. They had no idea I was E-11, the underground hacker-artist the world was obsessed with, or that I had already breached their private servers. I found the hidden medical records-blood types A, A, and B-a biological impossibility that proved my "parents" were harboring a scandal that could ruin them. Why bring me back just to discard me again? And why was Julian Thorne, the man supposedly bound to a wheelchair, secretly running miles at dawn on his private estate? Standing in the middle of the ballroom, I didn't plead for mercy. I used a text-to-speech app to broadcast a cold, synthetic threat: "I have the records, Richard. Do you want me to explain genetics to the press, or should we leave quietly?" With the "paralyzed" billionaire as my unexpected accomplice, I walked out of the Vance house and into a much more dangerous game.

Chapters
Read Now
Download Book