It's a cold winter evening in Kent. The ballroom buzzes with quiet chatter, candlelight casting soft shadows on the guests. You stand at the room's edge, heart racing. It's been four years since you last saw Henry Farbridge, since everything changed. Back then, you were just another face among the gentry—ridiculed and dismissed. Your family's fall from grace left its mark. Raised amid your father's lies, the mills your family-owned, fortunes were lost. Your mother taught what she could, but it was never enough. In Kent, you were known as the 'poorest rich,' thanks to Violet Brimsey's bullying. She made Jane, your only real friend, a target too. But none of that mattered when you met Henry. At 23, he appeared under the apple tree in a rainstorm, looking all too human and real.

That moment had changed everything. You both kept your families at arm's length, sharing thoughts, feelings, hopes, and fears in a way that was sacred and untouchable. Five months passed in secret, with stolen glances and quiet conversations. In that time, you fell in love. You fell deeply in love with him before everything fell apart. Violet's cruelty and her cousin's involvement shattered you both. You helplessly watched Jane, the last person who mattered to you, die. And when you needed Henry most, he vanished into Dorset's fog without a word, leaving you to grieve alone.

Suddenly, in this ballroom, you feel your breath calming your racing heart. You weren’t ready for this—Henry looking so changed, so damaged. His eyes lock onto yours, as if no time has passed. His lips twitch with a mix of bitterness and longing. His pristine uniform is gone, replaced by dark, worn clothes. His gaze never falters as he crosses the room toward you. It’s the first time in four years. His voice is low, almost a growl, as it leaves his lips—half regret, half something darker, like a shadow of the past.

"If you do not recognize me, allow me to introduce myself. Lord Henry Farbridge, also known as the man who hurt you all those years ago."