Chapter 001

"You must hear this, Ava." My mother's voice cut through the clamor of my thoughts as I stood still in the foyer of the family house. I hadn't expected to be back here, much less in this way, after all. But when my mother called, seeming more nervous than usual, I had to return.

She was standing by the fireplace when I saw her, and she appeared to have aged ten years in just a few short weeks. My heart constricted as I experienced a brief moment of regret. The last time I saw her, we got into a fight. But as soon as I stepped into the familiar yet strange space, it was as if everything had disappeared, to be replaced by something deeper that I could not quite place.

"What's the matter, Mom?" I stepped forward to ask. Her hands were shaking when she gave me a letter that was sealed with the Gray family crest, a wax symbol I was all too familiar with.

My breath caught as my chest constricted. For a brief minute, I couldn't tell if the dizziness was brought on by the shock or the emotions that were rushing through me. The room around me started to spin. However, I was able to stabilize myself. "This is from Rogan, right?"

Mom's eyes were wide and desperate as she nodded. "Your father and I have arranged things, Ava."

I blinked. "What sort of arrangements?"

Her mouth opened, but my father came in before she could say anything. The strain in the air was equal to the weight of his presence. His grim visage seemed as usual, but there was a grief behind his eyes that I had never seen in him before.

With a formal tone, he stated, "Rogan has asked for your hand in marriage, Ava."

My whole world trembled. Getting hitched? Rogan Gray? The man who was everything to me once? The one who left me without another glance and crushed my heart? My breath froze in my throat as I gripped the letter tighter, the paper crinkling beneath my fingertips.

"No. I shook my head and said, "No, this can't be true." "Some mistake must exist."

Mom came forward with a quiet, almost contrite voice. We were left with no other option, Ava. You are aware of how crucial our family's reputation is in this community, and his father—Rogan's father—has threatened us. The influence, the business, everything.

"None of that matters to me!" I shot back, raising my voice. "I didn't consent to this at all. Rogan didn't either. He... he abandoned me.

My father answered sharply, "Because it was never meant to be, darling." It's time to act in our collective best interests immediately. There are already plans in place for your marriage to Rogan.

Each syllable of the sentence wrapped around my throat like venom. My chest was constricted and suffocating as I felt the walls closing in on me. I never wanted to see Rogan again, much less get married to him.

But I wasn't the focus of this, was I? The vows made long before I had any influence over the situation, the Gray family's dominance and their power were all at stake here. Unbeknownst to me until now, a deal was made behind closed doors.

The words echoed in my mind as I attempted to take it all in. However, why now? How come he would want this? Why me?

Mom's eyes grew regretful. "There's more, Ava. He is acting on behalf of Sarah.

I felt a surge of resentment at the thought of my twin sister. The ideal one is Sarah. The person who was always the center of attention. Years ago, Rogan had picked that person over me. After all this time, he still clung to the image of the person whose memories plagued him.

"Sarah?" I said it again, my voice breaking. However, she departed. Mom, she decided to go.

I couldn't force myself to soften even when I saw her flinch. Like a boiling kettle, the rage threatened to overflow from within me. I had always felt like the shadow that lurked behind Sarah's brightness, the invisible one. And now, it appeared, I remained only the backup alternative, the second choice.

With an uncompromising tone, my father remarked, "Ava, you don't understand." This was a demand made by Rogan's father. And you don't comprehend how much is at risk.

With the letter shaking in my hands, I took a step back. I needed to take a breath because my head was spinning. I turned aside and muttered, "I need some time."

Mom called after me and said, "Please, Ava." I didn't stop, though.

I couldn't handle the burden of the decision that wasn't mine anymore, and I couldn't stay in that house any longer. I left the house and headed toward the little path that went to the woodland, my body moving automatically. Once a haven of peace, the woods now appeared to be a maze, with every shadow serving as a reminder of the life I had attempted to flee.

However, something changed inside of me as I ventured more into the forest, the scent of pine and earth filling my nostrils. My steps faltered as a familiar, almost electric, thrill went down my spine.

It isn't possible.

My breath seized in my throat and I halted. There was a rustle from the trees, and before I could respond, a figure appeared, obstructing the way.

Rogan Gray.

He was abrupt and overwhelming, like a storm. His features were illuminated by the moonlight, and I was briefly taken aback by how much he had changed. His eyes had gone from being kind and kind to being harsh, frigid, and filled with something deeper and more reserved. His broad shoulders were tense and his jaw was fixed, as though the entire world was pressing down on him.

"You," I muttered, letting all of my uncertainty and disobedience spill out in that one word. "Why are you in this place?"

His mouth tensed, and I briefly believed he was going to turn to leave. However, he didn't. He simply stood there, staring at me with unblinking eyes.

His voice was low as he replied, "I thought you should hear it from me." "I didn't want you to believe that I had it easy."

My heart was pounding as I gazed at him. Simple? Do you wish to wed me? following everything that has transpired?

I caught a glimpse of something—regret?—in his eyes as they flickered, but it was swiftly obscured by the impenetrable barrier he had erected around himself. His voice was hardly audible above a whisper as he asked, "You think I wanted this?"

Then everything around me changed once more, like though the earth had started to shake. Suddenly, the untamed spirit of the night and the aroma of the forest came alive, almost ravening. As Rogan moved in closer, I could feel the oppressive tension between us.

Suddenly, I heard a sound coming from behind me.

A branch snapped, and then there was a snarl. It was a low, menacing sound that made my spine tingle.

Rogan's demeanor changed to one of caution as his eyes flitted to the trees. "We're not by ourselves."

The temperature dropped. And I understood that whatever had led Rogan here, whatever was bringing us back together, was just the start. In the shadows was something more sinister, something much more deadly.

And Rogan wasn't the only thing I had to be concerned about.