“Lily, I’m sorry. This isn’t how I wanted things to be. My family believes that appearances must be maintained, no matter the cost.”
His words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of unspoken pain. In that moment, I saw not just an heir trapped by family expectations, but a man yearning for a semblance of normalcy in a life dictated by tradition. The grandeur of the villa, the lavish wedding—it was all a facade to protect the Whitmore reputation and keep their secrets buried.
Sitting across from Michael, I realized how both of us were trapped in roles we hadn’t chosen. I was the poor girl thrust into a world of wealth and deceit, while Michael was the heir bound by duty and family pressures. Yet, in our shared predicament, there was an unspoken understanding—a bond that neither of us had anticipated.
