Lina didn't sleep that night.
No matter how many times she closed her eyes, Noah's face appeared in her mind—calm, honest, conflicted. And behind him, the echo of that title kept ringing in her ears.
Young Master.
She rolled onto her side, staring at the cracked ceiling of her tiny apartment.
Rich people didn't belong in places like this.
Neither did their secrets.
Yet somehow, Noah—Nathaniel—had sat across from her in a café like he was just another struggling man trying to survive.
And she had believed him.
Her phone buzzed on the bedside table.
Lina frowned. It was nearly six in the morning.
She reached for it, her heart jumping when she saw the notification.
BREAKING NEWS
She almost ignored it—until she noticed the company name beneath the headline.
Blackwood International
Her fingers trembled as she tapped the screen.
BLACKWOOD HEIR TO ANNOUNCE ENGAGEMENT TODAY
After two years away from the public eye, Nathaniel Blackwood, sole heir of Blackwood International, has reportedly agreed to an engagement arranged by the Blackwood family. Sources claim the announcement will be made at today's board meeting…
The room spun.
Lina sat up so fast the blanket slid to the floor.
Engagement?
Her chest tightened painfully.
The article continued, words blurring as she read.
The future bride is rumored to be Evelyn Moore, daughter of Moore Holdings' chairman—marking one of the most powerful alliances in recent years…
Lina dropped the phone.
It landed face-down on the bed with a dull thud.
So this was the world he belonged to.
Engagement announcements. Corporate alliances. Power marriages.
And she had been sitting across from him, worrying about rent.
A bitter laugh escaped her lips.
"Of course," she whispered. "Of course."
Her phone buzzed again.
This time, it was a call.
Noah
Her heart skipped—and then sank.
She stared at the screen, her finger hovering over the answer button.
He hadn't lied, she told herself.
Not entirely.
But did that matter?
The phone stopped ringing.
A message appeared almost immediately.
Noah:
Please don't believe the news. I need to see you.
Her jaw clenched.
Need.
That word felt unfair.
She typed back before she could stop herself.
Lina:
Congratulations.
The typing bubble appeared.
Disappeared.
Appeared again.
Then nothing.
She turned the phone off.
Across the city, the atmosphere inside Blackwood International's top-floor boardroom was suffocating.
Nathaniel stood at the head of the long glass table, his expression cold, unreadable. Around him sat men and women who controlled billions with a single signature.
At the far end of the room sat his father.
Chairman Blackwood.
"You embarrassed this family," the chairman said calmly.
Nathaniel's gaze didn't waver. "I stepped away. I didn't leak secrets or damage the company."
"You disappeared," his father replied. "For a woman."
Nathaniel's fingers curled slightly. "For my life."
A murmur spread around the table.
The chairman raised a hand, silencing them.
"This farce ends today," he said. "The engagement will be announced."
"No," Nathaniel replied.
The word was quiet.
But final.
A few board members exchanged uneasy glances.
Chairman Blackwood's eyes hardened. "You forget your position."
"I haven't," Nathaniel said. "That's why I won't marry Evelyn."
The chairman leaned forward slowly. "You will."
Silence crashed down like thunder.
"You owe this family," his father continued. "You owe this company. And you owe me."
Nathaniel's jaw tightened. "I owe you honesty. And the truth is—I won't sacrifice my future for a business deal."
A woman seated beside the chairman spoke smoothly. "This isn't about feelings, Nathaniel. It's about stability."
"I found stability," he replied.
The chairman laughed coldly. "With a poor girl who doesn't even know who you are?"
Nathaniel's eyes flashed dangerously.
"Do not talk about her."
"Why?" the chairman challenged. "Because she made you feel human?"
A beat.
"That was never her role."
Nathaniel slammed his palm against the table.
The room froze.
"She is not a role," he said sharply. "She's a person."
The chairman studied his son for a long moment.
Then he smiled.
A slow, calculating smile.
"The announcement will proceed," he said. "If you attend, we will protect her."
Nathaniel's blood ran cold.
"And if I don't?" he asked.
The chairman's smile faded.
"Then the media will find her," he said calmly. "Her job. Her past. Her weaknesses."
Nathaniel's chest tightened.
"You wouldn't," he said quietly.
"I already have," his father replied.
Nathaniel's hands trembled.
This was no longer a negotiation.
It was a threat.
Lina arrived at work late.
Her mind was elsewhere, her body moving on autopilot as she walked into the office. The moment she stepped inside, she felt it.
The whispers.
The stares.
Her coworker Maya rushed over, eyes wide.
"Lina," she hissed. "What's going on?"
"What do you mean?"
Maya shoved her phone into Lina's hand.
The screen displayed a photo.
A blurry image taken outside the café.
Lina.
And Noah.
Together.
The headline beneath it read:
MYSTERY WOMAN SEEN WITH BLACKWOOD HEIR BEFORE ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT
Lina's stomach dropped.
"I didn't talk to anyone," she whispered.
"I know," Maya said urgently. "But people are asking questions. Management is asking questions."
Lina felt dizzy.
Her phone buzzed again.
Unknown number.
She hesitated—then answered.
"Ms. Lina Hart," a calm female voice said. "This is the Blackwood Family Office. We'd like to speak with you."
Lina's breath caught.
"About what?"
"About your involvement with Mr. Blackwood," the woman replied smoothly. "And how best to… resolve it."
Resolve it.
Lina's fingers tightened around the phone.
"I'm not involved with him," she said.
There was a pause.
Then the woman chuckled softly.
"Miss Hart," she said. "Please don't insult our intelligence."
The call ended.
Lina stood frozen.
This was too much.
She turned and ran.
Nathaniel found her standing at the bus stop an hour later.
Rain had started to fall, soaking the pavement and her thin jacket. She stared straight ahead, her expression hollow.
"Lina," he said softly.
She didn't turn.
"I didn't agree to it," he said. "I swear."
She laughed quietly. "Do you hear yourself?"
He stepped closer. "I'm trying to protect you."
"From what?" she snapped, finally facing him. "Your world?"
"Yes," he admitted.
Her eyes filled with tears.
"I didn't ask for this," she said. "I didn't ask to be dragged into billionaire wars and engagement announcements."
"I know," he said hoarsely. "And I'm sorry."
She shook her head. "Sorry doesn't make headlines disappear."
He reached for her hand.
She pulled back.
"If you stay near me," she said quietly, "they'll destroy my life."
His chest tightened.
"If I leave," he replied, "they already will."
They stood there, rain falling between them like a barrier.
"I need you to trust me," Nathaniel said.
She looked at him, pain written all over her face.
"I trusted you once," she whispered. "And look where that got me."
A black car pulled up across the street.
The same one from before.
The window rolled down.
A familiar voice called out calmly.
"Nathaniel."
The chairman.
Nathaniel turned slowly.
His father's gaze shifted to Lina.
And lingered.
Lina's blood ran cold.
The chairman smiled.
"So," he said. "You must be the girl."
[End of Chapter 3]