in my ears. An arranged marriage. To a billionaire. "The s

om, casting long shadows across the worn carpet. I hadn't bothered to clea

I was happily married, planning for a future with the man I loved. Now, I was a widow,

ught a glimpse of myself in the mirror hanging crookedly on the wall. Dark circles u

rtains, my heart racing. It was just my neighbor, but the fear lingered. How l

do, Tom?" I whispered, thinking of my late husband. But Tom wasn't h

tling me. Six o'clock. I had to make a decision.

ad sent me about Lachlan Reid. Billionaire. Developer. Philanthropist. Cold

hen, opening the fridge out of habit. Empty, save for a half-empty bottle of ketch

r hanging on the wall. Red circles marked the days

uld refuse this arrangement, watch as everything I had left was taken away. End up

stranger. Live a life of luxury

at cost t

n our wedding day. We looked so happy, so full of hope for the future. "I'm s

dialed my mother-in-law's number. It rang o

oice was crisp, businesslike. As if she was

, my voice surprisingly steady. "I'

"Good," she said finally. "I'll make the arrange

. I let the phone fall from my hand, sink

in my new life. How does one pack for an arranged marriage to a billionaire? I settled for a few

cing with possibilities and fears. What if Lachlan was cruel? What if this was

e street below was quiet, the neighborhood asleep. Would I ever see t

t of my supplies-and tried to prepare myself mentally for what was to come. In just a few hours

yes. As I applied a touch of makeup, I hardly recognized the woman staring back at m

up outside my house. My heart leapt into m

ristmas mornings with Tom, the lazy Sundays, the dreams we had shared. "Goo

d me for what might be the last time. The driver, a stern-faced man in

ement in my peripheral vision. A figure, standing in the shadows across the street, watch

rds my new life. As my old neighborhood faded from view, I couldn't shake the feeling tha

e? As the car sped towards my meeting with Lachlan Reid, I c