Lucas sat alone in his office, the rain pounded against the windows, but it was nothing compared to the storm brewing in his chest.
Lucas stared blankly at the contract lying open on his desk, its words searing into his memory. He remembered the day he signed it.
He was desperate, furious, and utterly trapped. Isabella’s father, Robert Langston, had backed him into a corner when Emily died, presenting fabricated evidence that painted Lucas as unfit to care for Lily.
Lily. His daughter, his world. She had already lost her mother. He couldn’t let her lose everything else.
Langston’s threat had been clear: marry Isabella, and Lily would be left alone. Refuse, and Lily would be dragged into years of court battles, with her safety hanging in the balance.
He hadn’t had a choice. The day h
