Heiress Evelyn Laurent has everything-beauty, wealth, and the world at her feet. But when her father's empire teeters on the brink of collapse, she's forced into an arranged engagement with Sebastian Wycliffe, a brooding heir to one of England's oldest and most secretive dynasties. At first, the arrangement seems like a simple transaction-her charm for his wealth-but Evelyn quickly realizes Sebastian's family is hiding more than their fortune. Cold, calculated, and obsessively drawn to her, Sebastian introduces Evelyn to a world of dark secrets, where love and power intertwine dangerously. As Evelyn becomes entangled in Sebastian's shadowy world, she's forced to confront the price of her gilded life. Will she escape the darkness-or inherit it?
Chapter 1 Prologue
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The Wycliffe Estate loomed ahead like a relic of a bygone era, its ivy-draped turrets piercing the fog-drenched sky. Evelyn Laurent's heels clicked against the cobblestone driveway as she stepped out of the sleek black car, her chin tilted high, her silk scarf fluttering in the cold wind.
She refused to shiver. She refused to look back at her father, whose sharp commands had brought her here. Instead, she focused on the towering figure waiting on the stone steps.
Sebastian Wycliffe.
His tailored suit couldn't soften the severity of his presence. With his dark hair neatly combed back and his gray eyes fixed on her, he was as unyielding as the estate behind him.
"Miss Laurent," he said, his voice low and deliberate, as if tasting each syllable. He descended the steps with measured grace, offering his hand.
Evelyn hesitated. She had shaken countless hands before-politicians, celebrities, men who thought their charm could match her own. But something about Sebastian's calm, unreadable demeanor made her pause.
When she finally placed her hand in his, his grip was firm, his fingers cool against her skin. "Welcome to Wycliffe," he murmured.
She smiled, the perfect picture of poise, masking the unease clawing at her chest. "Thank you. It's... impressive."
Sebastian's lips quirked into the faintest shadow of a smile. "It will be your home soon. I trust you'll come to love it."
Evelyn didn't reply. She couldn't. Because as the heavy doors of the estate creaked open, a chill swept over her that had nothing to do with the autumn wind.
Deep down, she knew.
This wasn't just an engagement.
It was the beginning of something darker.
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