However, That same night, the mansion came alive with the sound of the front doors opening. Mr. and Mrs. Harper finally returned from the office, their presence filling the grand hall with an air of power and elegance. Williams, ever attentive, hurried forward to greet them. While a servant carefully took Clarisa's coat from her shoulders, folding it with precision.
"What would you like for dinner tonight, sir? Madam?" he asked politely.
"Steak and vegetables," Harper replied saying without hesitation, loosening his tie.
"And for dessert," Clarisa added, her voice smooth but tired, "red velvet cake."
"As you wish," Williams bowed and moved toward the kitchen staff.
Dinner was quiet but elegant, the Harper's eating with the grace of people who had trained their lives to perfection. Yet midway through, Harper's thoughts shifted. He turned slightly toward the butler.
"What about Azalea?" he asked.
Williams straightened immediately. "The young miss is upstairs in her room, sir. She had Chinese noodles for dinner earlier."
Nolan gave a small nod and dismissed him with a wave.
When the plates were cleared and dessert finished, Clarisa excused herself for a quick shower, retreating toward their master bedroom. Nolan however, after he lingered in his seat, tapping a finger against his glass for a while, he then decided to go and check up on his daughter.
He stood up from his seat, moving silently up the stairs and down the hall until he reached Azalea's room. For all his strictness, for all his reputation as a man carved from steel, moments like this reminded him that she was his only daughter, his weakness as much as his pride.
He opened the door quietly, almost reverently.
Azalea was already fast asleep by the time he reached her room, her face softened in dreams. The blanket had slipped halfway down, exposing her shoulder. Harper's expression softened. He walked to her bedside, gently adjusting the blanket back over her, tucking her in as though she were still the five year old girl who used to run into his office demanding piggyback rides.
Leaning down, he kissed her forehead, whispering so softly it was almost a prayer.
"I love you."
As he was about to leave Azalea's room, her phone buzzed. At first, he wanted to ignore it he didn't want to invade her privacy but a sudden urge made him curious to see who was texting his daughter so late at night.
He then picked up her phone,The message on the screen read "why ain't you answering, Are you scared? The text came from an unknown number, he then went forward to scrolling up Nolan was so surprised of the threatening texts he saw on his daughters phone, Worry began to carve deep lines into his face as he stared at the words. For the first time in years, Nolan Harper untouchable billionaire, ruthless king of his empire felt something he had not allowed himself to feel in decades, FEAR. He glanced back at his daughter one more time sleeping peacefully. His daughter. His weakness. The one part of his empire he couldn't rebuild if it was destroyed.
He then turned off the phone and Kept it besides her pillow. Although he was still worried, but after he left her room his face went back to the normal cold expression he carried everywhere he goes.
Before he got to the room, the phone in his hand rang he checked it and it was Emily, His working assistant, he pressed the button yes, and put the phone to his ear.
Mr. Harper, it's Emily."
He glanced at the clock. Almost midnight. "This better be important."
"It is, sir," Emily said, her voice crisp but edged with urgency. "I've just received word from Los Angeles. A major distributor is offering an exclusive contract for rum, wine, and tequila. They want only Harper's Estates. It could lock out your competitors completely."
Nolan's brows lifted. "At this hour?"
"They insisted on getting your attention immediately. The terms are unusually generous."
Unusually generous. Nolan's instincts sharpened. Deals like that never came without strings. Still, the idea of tightening his grip on Los Angeles thrilled him. His company already dominated, but absolute control? That was legacy. That was immortality.
"Send me the full details," he ordered. "And find out who's behind this offer. No one gets to my table without a face."
"Yes, sir. Right away."
He hung up, eyes narrowing at the city below. Opportunities always came dressed as gifts. But Harper Nolan had built his empire knowing that gifts usually hid daggers.
The next morning, sunlight poured through the mansion's windows, glinting off marble floors and chandeliers. The Benett estate buzzed with activity,
As soon as my alarm rang, I got out of bed and went straight to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, and took a warm bath. When I stepped out, wrapped in a white robe with a thick towel around my hair, I sat in front of the mirror where my glosses and other girly things were neatly arranged.
I plugged in the hand dryer and began drying my hair. After blow-drying, I carefully combed it into a ponytail and laid my edges perfectly.
When I was done, I took off my robe and quickly slipped into my neatly ironed uniform.
A few minutes later, there was a knock on my door. "Who is it?" I called out. A familiar voice answered, "It's me." I immediately recognized it, it was Mr. Williams, my butler.
"Good morning, Miss Azalea," Williams greeted softly. "Your parents would like to have breakfast with you before they leave for work."
"Okay, I'll be there in five minutes," I replied.
Once I finished dressing for school, I headed to the dining room. As I walked down the grand staircase, I smoothed my skirt and let my fingers glide along the polished railing. Morning light poured through the tall windows, filling the hall with a golden glow.
As soon as I got to the dining room, both my mum and dad were already seated at the long dining table my mother with her usual grace, sipping tea and scrolling through her tablet, and at the head of the table was my dad with the morning paper opened before him. To anyone else, to me they looked like the perfect picture of power and elegance.
Good morning sweetheart" my mum said, her voice warm and sweet.
My dad then glanced up briefly, offering a small nod to me. "Morning, Azalea." He said.
I slid into my seat, catching the faint tension etched into my Dad's face. His newspaper might have been open, but I somehow noticed his untouched coffee, the way his jaw flexed as though something else weighed heavily on his mind I thought.
After some time breakfast was served, meanwhile my mum reached for the toast with her usual elegance, meanwhile I picked at the strawberries on my plate. My dad sat at the head of the table, cutting into his meal carefully, though his mind was still on the call. Every so often, his gaze flicked to his phone, as though he expected it to buzz again.
After a while, I finally broke the silence. "Dad?"
My dad turned, his eyes softening slightly at the sound of my voice. "Yes, princess?"
For a second I hesitated. Should I say it? Should I ask about the shadows under his eyes? About the texts I've been receiving ? About the way my room hadn't felt like my own anytime I fall asleep?
But the weight of his stare pinned me in place. In the end, I only said, "You'll be home tonight, right?"
He's fork paused midway. For a second, something unreadable flashed in his eyes then it was gone. "Of course," he said firmly. "Always."
For some reason I didn't believe him. Not entirely. And when I looked at my mother, I knew she didn't either.
Although the perfect breakfast continued in perfect silence, three people bound together by love, wealth, and a secret no one dared to speak aloud.
As soon as I finished breakfast, I noticed Mr. Joseph, my driver, already waiting outside by the car, the engine quietly humming. He gave a polite nod through the window, his usual sign that it was time to go.
Just as I was about to leave, my dad's voice stopped me. "Azalea," he said firmly, setting down his coffee cup. "From today onward, Ethan your new bodyguard will be following you everywhere you go."
I blinked in surprise, my hand still resting on the back of the chair. "A bodyguard? Seriously, Dad?"
He gave me that look that meant there was no room for argument. "It's for your safety," he said calmly.
I sighed, glancing toward the doorway where a tall figure stood quietly Ethan. His sharp eyes met mine for a brief second, unreadable but somehow reassuring. I didn't know whether to be annoyed or curious. Either way, it seemed my life was about to get a lot more complicated.