The city streets glimmered with the early morning sun, but Daisy Ross barely noticed. She was too busy feeling trapped in a life she had never chosen, in a world that insisted she play a role she hated. The penthouse no longer felt like a home. It was a gilded cage.
The elevator ride down to the lobby felt longer than it was. Daisy adjusted the strap of her bag, trying to calm the jittering nerves that had settled in her stomach overnight. She hated being nervous. She hated that Kaiden Brown could make her feel this way. But, truthfully, she didn't even know if it was fear or something else entirely.
The lobby was quiet, polished, and professional. Every detail screamed Kaiden Brown: cold, calculated, immaculate. A woman at the reception looked up as Daisy stepped out of the elevator.
"Ms. Ross," she said politely. "Mr. Brown's car is ready."
Daisy nodded, her voice catching slightly. "Thank you."
She climbed into the sleek black sedan waiting outside. The driver was silent, the hum of the city and the smooth engine the only sounds accompanying her thoughts.
She tried to prepare herself for what the day would hold. Board meetings, appearances, and the constant presence of Kaiden—the man who had destroyed her family and now claimed her as part of his empire.
When she arrived at the main office, Kaiden was already there, waiting. His office towered over the city like a fortress, glass walls reflecting the early morning light. Daisy had never felt smaller, though she tried to hold her head high.
"Good morning," Kaiden said, already standing beside his desk. His black suit fit perfectly, the cuffs immaculate, tie in place. Everything about him was sharp, intimidating, unapproachable.
"Good morning," Daisy said, her tone clipped. She refused to let him see any uncertainty in her voice.
"Today," he said, gesturing toward the conference table, "you will attend your first board meeting."
Daisy froze. Board meeting? She hadn't expected that. She had imagined sitting quietly, learning the ropes, observing—but not being thrown directly into the storm.
"You expect me to participate?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Kaiden's gaze didn't waver. "You are a legal member of this family now. That means appearances matter. You will attend, speak when necessary, and maintain composure. Do not embarrass me. Or yourself."
Daisy's hands trembled slightly, though she clenched them to her sides. "I'm not prepared—"
"You're prepared enough," he interrupted smoothly. "Preparation is a luxury. Results are mandatory."
She gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to argue. Kaiden Brown's version of "encouragement" always came wrapped in commands and implied threats. She hated it, yet a small, irrational part of her felt a strange thrill at his certainty, his dominance.
The boardroom was intimidating, even for Daisy. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of the city, and the polished mahogany table stretched nearly thirty feet across the room. Executives glanced at her as she entered, some nodding politely, some whispering. The whispers made her blood boil. She was an outsider. Always would be, at least in their eyes.
Kaiden took his seat at the head of the table, and she took the chair across from him. Her posture was straight, shoulders back, chin high. She would not let them see her fear.
"Let's begin," Kaiden said, flipping through papers with precise, controlled movements. His eyes occasionally flicked to hers, sharp, assessing.
The meeting was brutal. Numbers, acquisitions, strategies, mergers—everything that had once been her father's domain now belonged to Kaiden Brown. Daisy felt an unfamiliar mix of resentment and awe as he spoke. He commanded the room with effortless authority, each word measured, each glance calculated.
Daisy found herself wanting to speak, to challenge him, but she remembered the contract. One misstep, one misworded sentence, and she could lose her credibility entirely. So she bit her tongue, observed, and waited.
Hours passed. Daisy's stomach growled, but she ignored it. She had no time for weakness—not today. Not in front of him. Not in front of the board.
After the meeting, Kaiden didn't leave her alone. He walked her to the company cafeteria, the way he moved beside her a constant reminder of the contract, the baby, and her limited options.
"You did well," he said casually, as if praising her in front of the staff would be no big deal.
Daisy's eyebrows shot up. "Well? I didn't speak."
"Observation is part of participation," he said smoothly. "And you noticed things I expected. You may not realize it, but you did more than sit quietly. That counts."
Her chest tightened. She hated that his words affected her. Hated that she wanted to believe him. "Thanks," she muttered, bitter and reluctant.
Kaiden smirked faintly, the corner of his lips twitching upward. "You're learning, Daisy. Faster than I expected."
Daisy flushed but quickly hid it. She didn't want him to see any sign of weakness.
Evening came, and the two returned to the penthouse. Daisy's body was exhausted from the day—emotionally and physically. The presence of Kaiden, constant and commanding, made her feel as though she was walking on a knife's edge at all times.
"I'll be in the office late tonight," Kaiden said as he removed his suit jacket, placing it neatly over the back of a chair. "You may use the library if you wish. Quiet and privacy guaranteed."
Daisy wanted to protest—she wasn't going to stay away from him voluntarily—but she didn't. Instead, she nodded curtly. "Fine."
Kaiden didn't look at her as he walked away, but Daisy could feel his gaze on her even when his back was turned.
Hours later, she finally allowed herself to breathe. Sitting in the library, Daisy ran her fingers over the contract again. The ink no longer felt like mere words. It was a chain, a tether to Kaiden Brown and everything he represented.
Her hand rested on her stomach, and a surge of protectiveness washed over her. This child… this life… was hers to guard. And Kaiden was not going to take it lightly.
A knock on the door startled her. She looked up to see Kaiden leaning against the frame, hands in his pockets, eyes unreadable.
"You're still awake," he said simply.
"I'm working," she replied, voice steadier than she felt.
He walked in without waiting for permission, closing the door behind him. The air between them thickened. Daisy felt her pulse spike. She hated him. Hated how he made her heart race. Hated how he dominated every room, every moment, every thought.
"You're working hard," he said, voice soft but firm. "I like that about you."
Daisy's jaw tightened. She refused to let him see the effect he had. "I do what I have to."
Kaiden took a step closer, and she felt the heat of him. Not anger, not malice, but control. Every inch of space he claimed was a reminder: she was under his roof, under his contract, and under his watch.
"I need you to understand something," he said. "This isn't just about appearances. This is about survival. Yours. The baby's. And… mine."
Daisy froze. "Yours?"
"Yes," he said, gaze intense. "You think you're the only one trapped here? Think again. We're bound, Daisy. Not by love, not yet… but by circumstance. By necessity. And by what's growing inside you."
Her breath caught. The baby. The contract. Him. Everything collided in her mind, a storm she couldn't escape.
"You make it sound so simple," she said bitterly. "As if I can just accept it, live with it, and move on."
Kaiden tilted his head slightly. "Simple isn't part of this world. Survival is. Endurance. Obedience… when it matters."
She wanted to argue, to run, to scream. But the truth pressed on her chest like a weight she could not lift. She would not survive without him knowing what she was capable of. She would not let him dominate her completely.
Not yet.
Night fell over the city, lights glittering like a million distant stars. Daisy lay awake, listening to the soft hum of Kaiden's floor, the quiet strength of the man who had ruined her family and yet now ruled her life entirely.
A single thought ran through her mind over and over: she would survive this year. She would endure. And one day, Kaiden Brown would realize that Daisy Ross was not a woman to be tamed.
She didn't yet know how. But she would find a way.
Because she had to.
Because she carried more than just a contract. She carried a future.
And that future belonged to her.