Chapter 1 THE LIFE I DON'T TALK ABOUT.

Isabella Hart used to believe that losing everything happened loudly.

She thought it would come with police sirens, reporters at the gate, neighbors whispering as they peered through their curtains. She imagined chaos, public shame and a dramatic end.

Instead, it happened quietly.

One day, her house was warm and full of light. The next, the gates were locked, the furniture sold off piece by piece, and her father sat in silence at the dining table, staring at nothing.

That was how Isabella learnt the cruelest truth of all...

Some disasters don't announce themselves, they just erase you.

Now, two years later, she stood in front of a mirror that didn't belong to her, adjusting the sleeves of a blouse she had ironed three times to hide how worn it was.

"Just smile," she whispered to her reflection. "You'll be fine."

She wasn't sure who she was trying to convince.

The small apartment smelled faintly of detergent and old books. It was nothing like the home she grew up in; no marble floors, no sweeping staircases, no sunlight pouring in through tall windows. But it was clean, quiet, and affordable.

Affordable mattered now.

Isabella grabbed her bag, checked her phone, and sighed. No new messages. No missed calls. That was normal these days.

Her father barely spoke anymore.

She locked the door behind her and stepped into the morning air, pulling her coat tighter around herself. The city moved fast, indifferent to her thoughts, her losses, her carefully hidden fears.

She moved with it.

By the time she arrived at the address sent to her the night before, her nerves were already tight.

The building was... unexpected.

Tall. Tasteful. Quietly expensive.

Isabella paused at the gate, rereading the message.

Private tutoring needed. One child. Evenings only.

Nothing about the place suggested "simple tutoring job." Everything about it whispered money; the kind that didn't need to announce itself.

She swallowed.

"This is fine," she murmured. "Just another job."

But as she rang the bell, something shifted in her chest. A strange awareness. As though she had stepped onto a path she wouldn't be able to leave easily.

The door opened.

And for a second, Isabella forgot how to breathe.

The man standing before her was tall, well over six feet, with dark hair that looked effortlessly styled and eyes that were calm in a way that felt unsettling. He wore a simple black shirt and slacks, yet nothing about him felt ordinary.

He didn't look surprised to see her.

Instead, he looked... curious.

"You must be Isabella," he said.

His voice was smooth, deep, unhurried.

She nodded quickly. "Yes. I'm."

"The tutor," he finished, stepping aside. "Please, come in."

The house was just as understated as the exterior. Minimalist. Clean. No clutter. No warmth either.

It felt controlled.

"Thank you," Isabella said, stepping inside.

Nathaniel watched her carefully, though she didn't notice. He had a habit of observing before speaking, listening before reacting.

"You're early," he said.

"I prefer that," she replied. "It gives a good impression."

Something about that made his lips curve slightly.

"Follow me."

They walked down a quiet hallway. Isabella's footsteps echoed softly against the polished floor.

"So," Nathaniel said casually, "how long have you been tutoring?"

"Two years," she replied. "Mostly literature and history."

"Impressive."

She almost laughed. People rarely said that anymore.

They entered a study where a young boy sat hunched over a desk, his expression bored beyond words.

"Elliot," Nathaniel said, "this is Isabella."

The boy glanced up, unimpressed.

"Another one?" he muttered.

Isabella smiled gently. "Hopefully the last."

Something flickered across Nathaniel's face, amusement, maybe approval.

"I'll leave you to it," he said. "I'll be nearby."

As the door closed, Isabella released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

She turned to Elliot. "Alright. Let's make a deal. I won't bore you to death if you don't pretend to fall asleep."

He studied her for a moment, then shrugged. "Okay."

The lesson went smoother than she expected.

Elliot was smart, too smart for his own good, and clearly lonely. Isabella recognized that look. She'd worn it herself once.

When the session ended, Nathaniel returned.

"How was it?" he asked his son.

Elliot packed his books quietly. "She's... not annoying."

That earned Isabella a laugh.

"I'll take that as success," she said.

Nathaniel looked at her differently now.

"Walk with me," he said.

They moved toward the kitchen. The silence between them wasn't awkward, just heavy with unspoken things.

"You handled him well," Nathaniel said. "Most don't."

"I had good teachers," she replied, then hesitated. "Once."

He caught the pause.

"Do you enjoy tutoring?" he asked.

Isabella considered lying. She didn't.

"It's not what I planned," she said softly. "But it's honest work. And right now... that's enough."

Nathaniel studied her for a long moment.

"Honesty is rare," he said. "Especially when life doesn't go as planned."

Their eyes met.

For a split second, something passed between them; recognition, maybe or understanding.

Isabella looked away first.

"If the schedule works for you," she said, professional again, "I'd like to continue."

"It works," Nathaniel replied immediately. "I'll have my assistant finalize things."

Assistant.

Of course.

As Isabella gathered her things, she felt a strange pull in her chest. This job felt different. This man felt different.

But she didn't know why.

At the door, Nathaniel spoke again.

"Isabella."

She turned.

"You're welcome here," he said. "As long as you want to be."

She nodded, unaware of how much those words would come to mean.

As she walked away from the house, Isabella had no idea that the man she'd just met was tied to the worst night of her life.

And Nathaniel Blackwood watched her leave, knowing exactly who she was.