The first time Nash Everett laid eyes on me, I was nothing but a country girl scrubbing floors in my stepmother’s house. He stood there in his expensive suit, looking at me like I was a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve. I hated him for that. I hated how he watched me, how he spoke to me like I owed him something.
“If you mess with him, no one in this world can save you,” my stepmother hissed one afternoon when she caught me staring back at him. I laughed in her face. “Otherwise, why didn’t she hit you instead? ”
She didn’t have an answer for that.
She never did. She just sneered, her eyes full of poison, and said, “Violet, you should stay in the countryside. No way. ”
But I wasn’t staying in the countryside.
Not after my mother died. Not after my father brought that woman and her daughter Sherry into our home and let them take over everything my grandfather had left to my mother. The house, the company—all of it. They acted like I didn’t exist, like I was just a servant in my own home.
“All right,” my father said one day, his voice tired and hollow. He was never the same after my mother passed. “It’s just that the company is short on cash now. Just stay here for a few days.
I will write you a check later. ”
A check. That was his way of buying my silence. But I didn’t want his money.
I wanted my mother’s legacy. I wanted the life she had built for me, the one they had stolen. “You will stay in the maid’s room,” my stepmother ordered, her lips curling with satisfaction. “I still need to work,” I said, keeping my chin up.
She laughed. “Is that not enough? It’s more than enough. ”
Then came Nash.
He cornered me in the hallway one evening, his dark eyes unreadable. “Why should I marry you? ” he asked, but his voice was cold and dismissive. I wanted to laugh.
“Because I don’t even know you. ”
“You’re my first woman,” he said, and I nearly choked on my own disbelief. “No, you have to,” he said, not waiting for my answer. The audacity of him.
“I will never marry you,” I told him, my voice steady even though my hands were shaking. He leaned in closer, his breath brushing against my ear. “As long as you marry me, all my money is yours. ”
I stepped back and looked him straight in the eye.
“But I’ll only use the money I earn with my own hands. ”
A flicker of something crossed his face. Respect, maybe. But it was gone just as quickly.
“I feel the same way. ”
I didn’t understand what he meant, but I didn’t care. He was just another man trying to control me, just like my father and my stepmother. “Both our families are running businesses,” I said, my voice dropping.
“Our companies may be small, but we’re still business people. ”
“No need for that,” he said, waving his hand dismissively. I clenched my fists. “Write carefully,” I said.
I warned him. I should have known better. The next morning, I stepped outside and froze. A row of brand new cars sat in the driveway, gleaming in the morning light.
The neighbors were gathering, whispering, pointing. “Whose cars are these? ” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. They were beautiful, untouched, straight out of a showroom.
“They are brand new dolls,” Sherry said from behind me, her voice dripping with envy. “Do you think I can ever afford it? ”
“See you tomorrow then,” Nash said, appearing beside me like a shadow. I wanted to tell him to stop, to leave me alone, but the words wouldn’t come.
“Let’s get inside,” he said, placing his hand on the small of my back. I pulled away. “Just marry me instead. No.
”
He laughed, and I realized then that Nash Everett was not a man who took no for an answer. The wedding was announced before I could even protest. It was all because of Mr. Nash, they said.
Everyone in the village was buzzing. “Mason, you two should get married now,” one of the elders said, nodding approvingly at us. But then a woman stepped forward, her voice cutting through the noise. “Miss Lawson is marrying someone else.
”
I turned, and there stood Kaden. My Kaden. The man I loved. The man who was supposed to save me from all of this.
Nash’s face went still. “Is this enough for you? ” he asked, his voice low and dangerous. “No problem,” Kaden said, stepping toward me with a triumphant smile.
I looked at Nash, and for the first time, I saw something like pain in his eyes. “Why didn’t you tell them? ” he asked quietly. “Boss, what should we do with them?
” one of his men asked. But Nash didn’t answer. He just stood there, watching me, and I couldn’t read what was going through his mind. Kaden took my hands, his smile bright and confident.
He was everything Nash wasn’t. Warm, familiar, safe. Nash was cold, calculating, dangerous. Kaden was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
But Nash wouldn’t let me go. He had power and money, and he used them like weapons. “No matter what you do, just find her,” I heard him say to his men late one night. “No hospital,” he added, and I didn’t understand what that meant.
When I finally asked him, he looked at me with those dark eyes and said, “Once you recover, you can stay with Violet for a long time. Yeah, it would be awful if you left her all alone. ”
I felt the blood drain from my face. He wasn’t talking about me.
He was talking about Kaden. He was planning to keep Kaden in a hospital, hidden away, so he would never be free to be with me. My stepmother and Sherry came to me, their faces pale with fear. “Violet, we were wrong before,” my stepmother said, her voice trembling.
“If we upset that tyrant, all of us will be wiped out. ”
“Just tell me the truth,” I said, my hands shaking. “You must be decent,” Sherry begged. But she had never been decent to me.
Neither of them had. I left them behind and walked through the village, ignoring the whispers. The village chief smiled and nodded at me. “Come on, let’s check it out,” he said, leading me to the small plaza.
Every household had a new air conditioner. Every single one. “Chief, these air conditioners must cost a fortune,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. “He’s clearly a saint,” the chief said, and I knew he was talking about Nash.
The very man I had pushed away. “These two were slandering Mr. Nash. ”
I felt the weight of their words settle on my chest.
Everyone in the village adored Nash. They sang his praises, while I stood there, drowning in my own resentment. But I couldn’t forgive him. Not for the way he had tried to buy me, not for the way he had trapped me in this life I never wanted.
“I only do legit stuff,” Nash told me one day, his voice sharp and defensive. “I never smile,” he added, and I almost laughed at the absurdity of it. I turned to leave, but he reached for my arm. “I must make her calm down first,” I heard him mutter under his breath.
“Nash, we aren’t right for each other,” I said, pulling away. His hand tightened. “Then Sherry will see us,” he said. “After all, no one has ever loved you,” I spat.
The words were cruel, and I knew it, but I couldn’t take them back. His face didn’t change. He just stared at me with those dead eyes. “That’s all.
Just hit me instead. ”
“Believe it or not, I will kill him first,” he said, and the coldness in his voice made my blood run cold. I ran. I ran all the way to Kaden’s house and threw myself into his arms, sobbing.
“Hayden, I have been suspecting you for a while,” I whispered. “What are you talking about, Violet? ” Kaden asked, confused. “It’s only because she thought I was the one who killed the wolf and saved her,” I said, the words spilling out of me.
“But it was someone else. Someone who was there that night. ”
“Just stay put,” Kaden said, stroking my hair. “That wolf was after me,” I sobbed.
“No one in this world loves me at all. ”
“Dude, if no one loves you in this world, I will love you,” Kaden said, and it was the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to me. But even as he held me, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Nash was watching. That he would never let me go.
Days passed. I tried to push Nash out of my mind, but he was everywhere. I saw him in every shadow, felt him in every silence. One night, I was walking home alone when I heard footsteps behind me.
“Are you still waiting for your boyfriend? ” a familiar voice drawled. I spun around. Nash stood a few feet away, his hands in his pockets, his face unreadable.
“What do you want? ” I asked, my voice cold. “If he’s your boyfriend, then where will you two live? ” he asked, his tone flat.
“I’ll get grandma treated first,” I said, my voice shaking. “Then I’ll find that guy. ”
His lips curved into a smile I didn’t trust. “Because your grandma is in my hands.
”
I felt the world tilt. “What exactly do you want? ”
“Marry me,” he said. “No, I won’t.
”
“Call me something else,” he said, stepping closer. “Then you’ll never see your grandma again,” he threatened, and I knew he meant it. “I’m telling you, no matter what, I will never marry you. I’m in love with someone else.
”
“Yes or no? ” he demanded, his eyes burning into mine. I opened my mouth to say no, but the words died in my throat. I could see my grandmother’s face, her fragile body lying in that hospital bed, her life depending on the surgery Nash was funding.
The surgery my stepmother and her daughter had promised to pay for but never did. The surgery Kaden was desperately trying to raise money for, unaware that he was fighting a losing battle against a man like Nash. “Who are these people? ” I heard Nash ask, and I looked up to see Sherry and her mother approaching, their faces twisted with anger.
“You’re still awake, Mr. Nash? ” my stepmother said, her tone mocking. “No, I’m not.
Who is it then? ” he replied, his voice icy. Sherry stepped forward, her hands on her hips. “I don’t want to hear any of that.
Boss, what should we do now? ”
But Nash’s attention was fixed on me. “You only married him because he threatened you with your grandma,” Sherry spat, laughing. “Because he cares about you, Violet.
”
I flinched. “I don’t need you to take care of other family members or do any housework,” Nash said, and for a moment, his voice was almost kind. “She’s still waiting for Kaden to bring her $500,000 for her grandmother’s surgery,” Sherry sneered. “He’s still putting on an act,” she added.
I turned to her mother. “I was about to ask you the same thing. Um, I’ll tell you why. Because you’re in on this with her.
”
“You’ve already lost Terry, your big backer, and you’re still counting on that $500,000 to save your grandma,” her mother snapped. I had had enough. I went to the dress store that afternoon, intending to buy something for my grandmother, but Sherry and her mother followed me, their voices loud and cruel. “How did you add this bumpkin in?
” Sherry laughed. The shop owner clapped her hands. “[laughter and snorts] This is the most expensive gown in our store. Pay up before it’s too late.
”
“May I ask who your wife is? ” I asked Nash, who had appeared out of nowhere. “Check if the balance is enough to cover the cost of this gal,” Nash ordered, sliding his black card across the counter. The shop owner’s eyes widened as she swiped the card.
I watched the numbers climb on the screen: 1, 10, 100,000, 10,000, 100,000, 1,000,000, 10,000,000, 100,000,000, 1 billion, 10 billion, 100 billion. “Is that enough to cover it? ” Nash asked, his voice casual. “More than enough,” the shop owner stammered.
Nash turned to his men. “Nash, what should we do with these four? ” one of them asked. “Lock them up,” Nash said coldly.
His men grabbed Sherry and her mother, dragging them away. Sherry screamed, but Nash didn’t even blink. He turned to me, and for a moment, I saw something soft in his eyes. Then it was gone.
“You’re welcome,” he said, his voice flat. I stared at him, my heart pounding. I didn’t want to thank him. I didn’t want to owe him anything.
But he had just bought a dress that cost more than my grandmother’s surgery, and he had done it in front of the very people who had been tormenting me. “Actually, he doesn’t seem that scary after all,” I whispered to myself later, standing in front of the mirror in my room, wearing the expensive gown he had bought for me. “Any better? ” Nash asked, appearing in the doorway.
“Your grandmother’s surgery was a complete success,” he said, his voice softening. Then, without waiting for me to respond, he added, “Oh no. ”
I looked up to see Sherry standing at the entrance of the estate, her face livid. “What are you doing here?
” I asked. “Nash, all of these are gifts for you,” I heard someone say behind me. I turned to see a woman in a designer dress holding a box. “Then I’ll dance by myself,” Nash said, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.
I felt his hand on my waist, and I pushed him away. “If I were going to do that, I’d say goodbye to him face to face. You stop bothering me or I’ll tell Terry what you’re trying to do. ”
“What should we do?
” his men whispered among themselves. “I’m coming after you right now,” Nash said, his voice low and dangerous. “Boss must have gone after Violet,” one of his men said. “Both,” Nash ordered.
“Drive into the owl. ”
I didn’t understand what he meant until I saw Kaden running toward me, his face pale and desperate. Nash stepped between us, his eyes cold. “Terry, stay back.
”
“Violet, you have two choices,” Nash said. “First, both of you die together. ”
Kaden staggered, his face twisted with despair. “Why should I do what he says?
I want us both to live. ”
Nash’s gaze dropped to me. “Terry, you never looked at me as anything at all. ”
“Enough talk.
No dinner for you,” Nash said, and I could swear his voice cracked. “Are you all right? ” I asked, stepping toward him. He turned away.
“Do you have any idea how jealous I am of him? ” he asked, his voice breaking. “Terry, stay with me,” I whispered, reaching for him. “No, I will do it.
When you do, I’ll tell you the truth,” he said. I tried to make sense of his words, but they were slipping away. Someone was touching my arm, and I looked up to see Sherry dragging me toward the altar. “Seriously, both are your sons,” she said.
I couldn’t think. The room was buzzing with whispers, laughter, tears. “I’ve always done exactly that. And that’s the only reason he’s still alive,” Nash said.
“You I’ve let him off before, but he shouldn’t have dragged my wife into this. ”
“It’s my first time, too,” I whispered, and I saw the surprise in his eyes. “No, I don’t,” I said, shaking my head. “All right, then.
I’ll tell you at our wedding,” Nash said, his voice flat. “That’s Terry’s mom, always favoring her other son,” someone murmured. “I almost forgot to tell you,” Nash said, and I looked up at him. “Attendant, you may serve the tea now.
”
The attendant stepped forward, and Nash added, “If any of them disrespects you, teach them a lesson. ”
I watched in silence as a teacup shattered on the floor. “Terry, do you have any idea what you’re doing? ” I asked, my voice strained.
“You two look perfect together,” a man said, clapping Nash on the back. “Nash has put into this wedding. ”
I looked away. “Now he can’t perform,” someone said, but Nash didn’t react.
“Since Felix can’t perform, what are we supposed to do now? ” a woman asked. “Is she going to perform? ” another voice asked.
I stepped forward, my hands shaking. “So, I arranged for someone to take him to the hospital and I had to step in to perform instead. We’re not ashamed of it at all. ”
“Anelia, tell them,” Nash said, his voice steady.
I looked at him, and for the first time, I saw something in his eyes I couldn’t name. “I also know plenty of other folks. ”
“If nobody in this world loves you, then let me be the one who does,” Sherry whispered as she placed a flower in my hair. The gesture felt hollow, but I took it.
The wedding continued, and I stood beside Nash, my hand in his, my heart cold. I did not have to love him. I only had to survive him. As the final words were spoken and the guests applauded, Nash leaned in close and whispered in my ear.
“May all your wishes come true. May your careers flourish and your happiness last forever. ”
But I saw the truth in his eyes. He was not a man who wished me happiness.
He was a man who had trapped me, and he intended to keep me. I smiled, but my smile was just as fake as his. The story didn’t end with a happily ever after. It ended with a cage made of gold, and a love that never stood a chance.
I would spend the rest of my life searching for a key that didn’t exist.
