The rain fell in quiet sheets as Nora Lilith stood before the iron gates of the Kai estate, suitcase in hand, clothes damp, and nerves frayed. The sprawling mansion ahead looked more like a prison than a home — tall, brooding, and cloaked in shadows even under the dull morning sky.
She didn't belong here.
But this was her last chance.
Nora clutched the letter in her coat pocket — the one sealed with a wax insignia she didn't recognize. "Report to the Kai Estate. You've been selected."
Selected? No. Purchased, more like it.
The gates groaned open, almost like they resented letting her in. The silence that followed was suffocating. Not a single bird, not a gust of wind — just the sound of her own heartbeat thudding in her ears.
She stepped inside.
Every part of her body screamed to turn back.
But she didn't.
Not when the cost of leaving was worse than staying.
Inside the estate, the world felt colder. Impeccable marble floors stretched under her feet. High ceilings and crystal chandeliers loomed above her like ancient eyes. Portraits lined the hallway — faceless figures dressed in black, staring into nothing.
A man stood waiting. Dark suit, no smile.
"Name," he asked, already bored.
"Nora. Nora Lilith."
His eyes flickered briefly, then returned to their flat stare. "You'll be serving in the lower wing. Cleaning, assisting, staying out of sight. Do not speak unless spoken to. Do not touch anything you are not told to. And above all—"
He paused. A shadow moved above them.
"—never go near the west tower. That belongs to him."
"Who's… him?" she asked.
The man's eyes narrowed. "Zayan Kai."
Even the name felt dangerous in her mouth.
He turned and walked. "Follow."
But something made her stop mid-step.
A sound — like boots on polished wood above her — slow, deliberate, heavy.
She looked up.
And there he was.
Zayan Kai.
The Devil.
He stood on the balcony overlooking the foyer. Black shirt, sleeves rolled to his forearms, collar open just enough to make the air feel tighter. He leaned on the railing, eyes locked on her like a predator discovering a new weakness.
Eyes that didn't just see her — they unraveled her.
Nora froze. Her chest squeezed with something she didn't understand — fear? Curiosity? Recognition?
And then… he smirked.
Just slightly. Like a man who had already decided she belonged to him.
The butler yanked her forward. "Don't look at him," he hissed.
But it was too late.
Zayan Kai had seen her.
And he didn't look away.