Stella's POV:
Even though it had only been a day, this tranquil life weighed on me. It felt sinful to live jauntily while my world was in chaos.
Here I was, ensnared in a man's gilded cage, while my mother died in sorrow, my father's fate uncertain, and our home occupied by outsiders.
To break free, to escape without harm, I had to implore James for help.
After finishing the dishes, I approached the study. The faint smell of smoke signaled his presence.
His silhouette was perched on the chair I had previously been seated, one hand holding a cigarette, the other occupied with a phone call.
Out of respect, I hesitated at the doorway, listening to his smooth, foreign accent resonating through the room.
His baritone voice was soothing to my ears.
Unconsciously, I found myself creeping
