Chapter 1
I was just a fake heiress, thrown out of the Sawyer family.
When I was broke and wandering the streets, Nathan Peterson, my old nemesis, tracked me down.
He said he could help me, but only if I agreed to become his kept woman.
I'd been stressing about where my next meal was coming from after getting kicked out of the Sawyer family.
But when he said that, my eyes lit up. He was basically a walking gold mine in my eyes.
I agreed in less than a heartbeat.
"You said it yourself. If you ever try to kick me out, I'm not leaving," I teased.
I grabbed his arm and clung to it.
God knew how much I'd always wanted to be a lazy freeloader, just mooching off someone else.
It was the perfect timing, as if God handed me exactly what I needed, right when I needed it.
I grinned from ear to ear.
*****
The day I got kicked out of the Sawyer Manor, I was squatting on the curb, tilting my head back and gazing up at the sky, contemplating life.
The sun was so bright that it was almost blinding.
At twenty-two, I was finally experiencing what it meant to be broke and homeless.
Back when I was still living with the Sawyer family, before anyone found out I was a fake heiress, I never lacked for anything, food, clothes, or spending money.
I got at least 30 thousand dollars in allowance every month, plus extra cash for holidays and special occasions.
I could buy whatever clothes or bags I wanted, and there was always a driver waiting to take me wherever I needed to go.
But just like that, it was like I'd been thrown back to the dark ages, flat broke and totally on my own.
I was squatting on the curb, lost in thought, when suddenly the sunlight above me was blocked out.
I looked up and saw a man standing in front of me, backlit by the sun.
He was all suited up, looking polished and smug, with that half-smirk on his lips that never quite reached his eyes.
It was Nathan Peterson, my old nemesis.
Honestly, he probably didn't even realize I saw him as my nemesis.
After all, no one in Averille's high society would dare call themselves a rival to the Peterson family's crown prince.
"Well," Nathan said, looking down at me with that lazy, teasing drawl. "Isn't this Miss Sawyer herself? What are you doing out here?"
I rolled my eyes. "Got kicked out. Can't you tell?"
"Yeah, I noticed," he replied, unfazed. "Figured I'd swing by and see if there was anything worth picking up."
I looked up at him. The sunlight behind him outlined his whole figure in gold.
He stood there, backlit, his face hard to see, but his shadow stretched out and covered me from head to toe.
I thought of what he said.
My brain clicked, and I finally got what he meant.
"You want to keep me as your lover?" I blurted out.
Nathan raised an eyebrow, like he hadn't expected me to be so upfront.
He crouched down, got to my level, face to face, so close that I could see the curve of his lashes.
"Not keeping you," he corrected me. "Just helping you out."
"Help me out?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow.
I couldn't believe the famously bossy Mr. Peterson was offering to help someone.
That was a shocker.
"Yeah," he nodded, his smirk deepening just a bit.
I stared at his face for a good three seconds.
Nathan was the kind of guy who just naturally drew people in.
His eyes were deep-set, his nose was straight and high-bridged, and when his thin lips curled up, there was a hint of that bad boy charm.
But with that perfectly tailored suit, he also gave off this untouchable, almost saintly vibe.
That mix of contradictions just worked on him. People couldn't help but keep looking.
But that wasn't the point.
There came the real question.
"So, you're saying you'll cover all my meals and give me a place to stay?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course," he replied.
"And will I get an allowance?" I asked.
"Of course," he replied.
"No need to work?" I pressed.
"Nope," he said.
"So I can sleep till whenever I want?" I asked.
"Whenever you like," he replied.
My eyes lit up.
It was the hungry look of a wolf that hadn't eaten in three days, finally seeing a big, meaty bone.
I grabbed his arm and held on tight, afraid he'd run off if I let go.
"You said it. If you ever try to kick me out, I'm not going anywhere!" I said, acting all shameless.
Nathan's body tilted from my grip, and he glanced down at my fingers clutching his arm.
He looked up at my shining eyes, his brow furrowing a bit, like he was thinking something over.
But he didn't pull his arm away.
That same day, I officially moved into Nathan's villa.
The Peterson family was seriously loaded.
The villa sat on the most expensive hillside in Averille, and it was even bigger than the Sawyer Manor where I used to live.
The floor-to-ceiling windows looked out over the whole mountain range, waking up to misty clouds in the morning, and at night, the city lights twinkled below.
The very first day I moved in, I claimed the guest room right next to the master suite as my own.
The walk-in closet was packed. Nathan had someone bring over every new release for the season, from pajamas to evening gowns, slippers to high heels.
The bathroom was pure luxury. The bathtub was so big that I could swim in it, and the shower gel was some fancy, niche brand from Flureland. After a shower, I smelled like fresh gardenias.
The bed was soft. It was so soft that I just wanted to sink in and never get up.
Lying in bed, gazing up at the crystal chandelier above me, I couldn't help but let out a sigh of pure contentment.
"This is the life," I told myself.