Alaina stood in the cavernous living room for a long time before she moved. Finally, she picked up her single, worn suitcase and walked up the floating staircase to the second floor.

She pushed open the first door on the left.

The room was a study in minimalist luxury. Black, white, and grey. It was as cold and severe as Alaric Wynn himself. But every texture, every fixture, was of the highest quality.

A door led to a walk-in closet.

Inside, racks were already filled with the latest season's womenswear. Dresses, blouses, trousers, all in her exact size, the tags still attached.

She didn't touch them.

She took her own simple cotton pajamas from her suitcase and went into the en-suite bathroom.

The hot water sluiced over her skin, but it couldn't wash away the feeling of the day. In the steam-fogged mirror, she saw a faint red mark on her neck where Alaric’s fingers had gripped her jaw.

A flush of humiliation burned in her chest.

She didn't sleep.

The next morning, she came downstairs dressed in her own old jeans and a sweater. She needed to do something, anything, to feel less like a ghost in this house.

A housekeeper was in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. The woman saw her and straightened up.

"Mrs. Wynn. What can I get for you?"

The title still felt foreign, ill-fitting. "Just black coffee, please," Alaina said, feeling awkward.

She was nursing the cup, trying to figure out how to start her "work," when the front door's keypad beeped in a rapid, impatient sequence. The door was thrown open.

A girl with a high blonde ponytail, dressed in a private school uniform, stormed in like a miniature hurricane.

"Alaric! You didn't even wait for me last night!" she yelled.

She stopped dead in the middle of the living room when she saw Alaina. Her blue eyes, so like Alaric’s but full of life, widened with curiosity.

Alaina looked back at her. The uniform, the casual entitlement, the sheer energy—this had to be Addie Wynn, Alaric's ward.

Addie's gaze swept over Alaina, from her worn clothes to the coffee cup in her hands. Then, a slow smile of realization spread across her face, revealing perfect white teeth.

"Oh," she said, her tone full of dawning comprehension. "You're the 'solution'."

The word was blunt, but there was no malice in it. Only genuine curiosity.

Alaina didn't know how to respond. Was that how Alaric had described her?

Addie didn't wait for an answer. She plopped down on the sofa next to Alaina, leaning in conspiratorially. "Don't mind him. Alaric doesn't have a nice word in his vocabulary. I'm Addie."

She stuck out her hand.

Alaina shook it. "Alaina Carney."

"Nope," Addie said, wagging a finger. A mischievous glint appeared in her eye. "It's Alaina Wynn now."

Addie's directness was disarming. It cut through the thick layer of tension that had enveloped Alaina for the past twenty-four hours.

Just then, Alaric emerged from his study. He'd changed into running gear.

"Addie, what are you shouting about this early?"

Addie leaped to her feet, her voice full of mock drama. "You've been hiding a wife! You got a new bride and completely forgot about your poor, neglected ward!"

Alaric ignored her theatrics. His gaze landed on Alaina. "Eat breakfast." It was an order, but his tone was a fraction less harsh than the night before.

During breakfast, Addie was a small sun, radiating questions and chatter. She wanted to know what Alaina did, what she liked, what she was passionate about.

When she learned Alaina was an architect, her eyes lit up.

"An architect! That's so cool! Do you have your own studio?"

A shadow passed over Alaina's face. She shook her head. "Not at the moment." Her career had been one of the many casualties of her family's debt.

Addie saw the flicker of sadness. Her eyes darted around, and then she pulled out her phone, her thumbs flying across the screen.

A few moments later, she turned the phone to Alaina. It showed the listing for a gallery in SoHo.

"What about this place? I heard the owner went bankrupt and it's up for sale."

Alaina's heart gave a sudden, painful lurch. She knew this gallery. It was a classic pre-war building, beautifully proportioned. She had walked past it a hundred times, dreaming of what she could do with the space.

"It's… perfect," she whispered.

"Then it's yours!" Addie declared grandly. She immediately dialed a number. "It's me, Addie Wynn. Buy the 'Morningstar Gallery' in SoHo. Yes, with my trust fund. Transfer it immediately to… Alaina Wynn."

Alaina stared, speechless. She tried to protest, but Addie had already hung up, giving her a cheerful "OK" sign.

Alaric sat at the head of the table, sipping his coffee. He hadn't intervened, just watched Alaina's shocked expression with his deep, unreadable eyes.

Less than thirty minutes later, Alaric’s assistant delivered a file. Addie snatched it and shoved it into Alaina's hands.

"Ta-da! Welcome present! You're the owner now!"

Alaina stared at the property deed, the official paper feeling impossibly heavy. It was like a dream. She was being forced to adapt to a world built on wealth and power, where everything came so easily, yet carried an immense, unspoken weight.

She stood up, her voice tight.

"Addie, this is too much. I can't accept it."

Addie waved a dismissive hand. "It's nothing, just part of my allowance. If you don't take it, you're not my friend!" She was half-pouting, half-joking.

Alaina's gaze shifted to Alaric, a silent appeal for him to intervene. It was his adopted daughter's money, after all.

He placed his coffee cup down, dabbing his lips with a linen napkin. His voice was level.

"It's her money. She can do what she wants with it. You're part of the Wynn family now. Accepting a gift shouldn't be a burden."

His words were a wall. They blocked every path of refusal. She had no choice but to accept.

Addie, delighted, moved closer. Her eyes, however, suddenly fixed on Alaina's neck.

"Whoa, Alaina, what's that on your neck?"

Alaina's hand flew up instinctively, covering the faint red mark left from Alaric’s grip the night before.

A slow, sly grin spread across Addie's face. "Looks like my dad isn't so 'cold-blooded' after all," she said, drawing out the words. "You two had a pretty wild night, huh? Did he break the bed?"

Heat flooded Alaina's face. She was mortified, angry, and completely at a loss for words, her independent, strong facade crumbling under the sheer embarrassment.

Alaric's expression remained perfectly stoic, but the tips of his ears turned a faint shade of red. He was a man of action, completely unequipped to handle his adopted daughter's blatant teasing about his sex life. He shot a warning look at Addie. "Finish your breakfast and get to school."

Addie stuck her tongue out but had achieved her goal. She turned back to Alaina, noticing how stiff and uncomfortable the new bride looked. A new idea sparked in her bright blue eyes.

If Alaric actually went out of his way to marry this woman, he obviously liked her, Addie reasoned inwardly. I might as well play the good guy and push them together. If I make him happy, maybe he'll double my allowance!

Though Alaina couldn't hear her thoughts, Addie's overly eager, expectant grin made her intentions painfully obvious.

"Since you accepted my gift," Addie said, leaning in, "maybe you should get a gift for my dad? You know... to celebrate your new marriage?"

She was clearly trying to play matchmaker.

"That won't be necessary," Alaina said immediately, her tone stiff, trying to regain her composure. She deliberately emphasized the names. "Mr. Wynn and I have a contract. It's important to maintain a professional relationship."

At her words, Alaric's gaze seemed to grow even colder, masking a flicker of hidden disappointment. He said nothing.

Addie sighed, sensing she'd pushed too far. She finished her toast, grabbed her backpack, and gave Alaina a parting shot. "The gallery's yours, so make it great! Call me if you need anything!"

Once Addie was gone, the dining room fell silent again, the air thick with awkward distance.

To break the silence, and to escape, Alaina stood up. "Mr. Wynn, I'd like to go see the gallery. Since it's my asset now."

He looked at her for a long moment, then nodded. "Do you need a driver?"

"No, I'll drive myself." She needed a pocket of space that was entirely her own.

From the set of keys the assistant had given her, she chose the one for the most understated vehicle, an Audi SUV.

The drive to SoHo was a welcome buffer. The dense New York traffic gave her time to think, to let her racing heart slow down.

She parked across the street from the gallery. It was a beautiful red-brick building, worn by time but still proud. Neglect had left it looking defeated.

Alaina got out of the car and stood before it. The key felt solid in her hand as she unlocked the heavy front door.

Sunlight streamed through the dusty windows, creating golden shafts in the air. The space was vast but empty, with peeling paint and scored wooden floors.

She walked across the creaking floorboards, her mind already alive with plans, with layouts and light studies. This place was her sanctuary. A refuge from the gilded cage of Alaric Wynn's penthouse.

She took a deep breath, the scent of dust and old wood filling her lungs. It smelled like a beginning.

She pulled out her phone, ready to call a small, reliable construction team she'd worked with before. She would get this place running. It was the only thing in this whole damn deal that felt real, that felt like hers.

As she scrolled through her contacts, a voice she never wanted to hear again sliced through the quiet.

"Alaina? Fancy seeing you here."

The voice was smooth, laced with false surprise.