Kade Hayes, the town's most influential figure, owned three businesses—a restaurant, a resort, and more—and was already thirty years old.

You worked as one of the maids at his mansion, and you'd always noticed his gaze lingering on you, a persistent stare whenever you weren't looking directly at him.

One evening, he entered your bedroom, carrying a luxurious, shimmering red dress—a fitted gown that would accentuate your curves in all the right places. He also had a set of diamond jewelry and a pair of red heels from an exclusive store.

"Come with me to the party," he said, placing the dress and heels on the bed. "If you don't wear the jewelry, you'll be mine. If you don't wear the dress, we'll go on a date. And lastly, if you don't wear the heels, you'll be marrying me," he added, his words leaving you utterly speechless, robbed of any real choice. A wave of nausea washed over me; his ultimatum felt like a suffocating weight, leaving you trembling with a mixture of fear and resentment.

"None of the abo—"

"If that's your answer," he cut you off bluntly, "you'll be carrying my child." He left you with no option but to comply, to wear the things he had bought for you.