She had taken countless jobs over the years, but nothing felt as unnerving as standing before the grand iron gates of the Frederic Estate on the edge of the city.

The air held a strange stillness, as if even the wind understood this was not a place for hesitation or mistakes. She tightened her grip on her bag, reminding herself she needed this job more than she needed comfort. Rent and bills had left her with no space for fear. Still, her heartbeat sounded too loud as the gates slid open, welcoming her into a world she had never imagined entering.

The front doors opened before she could knock, and the moment she stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted - colder, sharper, too quiet. Then she saw him.

Vittorio Frederic.

stood in the foyer like a man built from power and precision, tall and impeccably dressed in a dark suit that made the marble floors look even paler. His expression was unreadable, a perfect mask of control that revealed nothing except the fact that he was already judging her. His gaze moved over her in a slow, assessing sweep before he said, calm and cutting, "You're early."

She steadied her breath. "I thought it would be better to arrive ahead of time."

"Punctuality is good," he replied, already turning. "But it won't prepare you for what you're walking into."

He led her through the mansion, each step echoing across quiet halls lined with art and untouched furniture. Everything was beautiful, but hollow, like a perfect display without warmth. She followed him into a wide study filled with soft sunlight from tall windows. Toys lay scattered across the floor-dolls, crayons, half-finished puzzles - yet the room felt heavy with sadness.

Vittorio stopped by a small table and picked up a sketchbook, his fingers brushing its wom cover. "Lill spends most of her time drawing now," he said, his voice softer but strained. "It's how she expresses anything these days." He opened a page filled with chaotic, emotional lines, the drawings both beautiful and heartbreaking. "She hasn't spoken in three months. Not since the accident."

Her breath faltered at the quiet pain beneath his words. "I'm really sorry. That must be incredibly hard for both of you."

His eyes snapped back to hers not angry, but guarded, "I didn't hire you to pity us." He set the sketchbook down carefully, like something fragile. "I hired you because Lili needs someone who won't give up on her. She needs patience. Stability." A pause. "She needs something I'm failing to give"

The honesty in his voice surprised her. The billionaire whose face filled business headlines suddenly looked like a man carrying far too many silent battles. The stillness between them felt heavier now intimate, full of unsaid things.

He stepped closer, slow and deliberate, stopping just a breath away. She felt the heat of him despite the cold contral he tried to maintain. His voice dropped to a low murmur. "If you step into Lili's life, you can't walk out when it becomes difficult. She's already lost too much."

Her heartbeat stumbled. "I understand," she whispered. "And if I can help her? If I reach her?"

Vittorio's jaw tightened, his eyes flickering with something raw fear, hope, or both. He nodded slowly, his gaze softening in a way she didn't expect. "Then you won't just be her tutor," he said quietly. "You'll become the one person she trusts. The one person she lets back in."

Her breath caught, a mix of nerves and something far more dangerous warming beneath her ribs.

And as Vittorio held her gaze, steady and unblinking, she couldn't tell what frightened her more - the weight of the responsibility....

or the feeling that she was already slipping into a story she wasn't sure she could escape.