Chapter 2 Dangerous Proposition

The next morning, the scent of burnt toast and bitter coffee floated through the mansion as Amelia moved through her routine with practiced silence. Her mother had had a rough night, coughing endlessly, and Amelia hadn't slept a wink. Still, she forced herself to smile as she delivered Amanda's breakfast upstairs.

Amanda lounged in her plush bed, scrolling through her phone, not acknowledging Amelia's presence until the tray was set down. Then she said, "Mother wants to see you. Now."

Amelia stiffened. Nothing good ever came from Mrs. Cactus wanting to talk.

She made her way to the sitting room, where Mrs. Cactus stood by the window, dressed in silk, a glass of wine already in hand despite the early hour.

"You're loyal," she said without turning. "And quiet. That's a rare combination."

Amelia said nothing. She didn't know what this was about, but it made her stomach knot.

Mrs. Cactus turned, her eyes sharp. "I need you to do something for me. Something... delicate."

Amelia's heart sank. "What is it?"

Amanda strolled in just then, grinning like the cat who got the cream. "It's simple. You're going to save my future."

They laid it out then, piece by piece. Amanda's father's tech empire was collapsing. The only salvation was marrying Prince Daniel, heir to a vast royal fortune. But the Prince came with one condition-he would only marry a virgin. Amanda, very much not one, needed Amelia to pretend to be her, just for one night. Just long enough to convince the Prince.

Amelia stared at them, stunned. "You want me to sleep with him?"

"Don't be dramatic," Amanda said. "You're doing it for your mother. You want her alive, don't you?"

Mrs. Cactus stepped closer, her smile turning into a threat. "We've already arranged everything. Say no, and the police find stolen royal gold in your quarters. Your mother goes to jail for theft. Or worse."

Amelia's breath caught. "You wouldn't."

Amanda shrugged. "Try us."

Tears pricked Amelia's eyes. Her heart screamed no, but her mother's fragile face haunted her thoughts.

"I'll do it," she whispered.

The Cactus women smirked triumphantly.

That night, they dressed Amelia in luxury and prepped her for the trap. But Amanda, paranoid that the Prince might recognize something was off, added one more devilish twist-she laced his drink with a heavy sleeping dose.

"He'll be too dazed to know who's with him," Amanda said cruelly. "All we need is the blood. Just enough to prove the deed."

Amelia's stomach turned, but she said nothing.

Under the haze of dim candlelight and silk curtains, Amelia was led to the royal suite. The Prince greeted her kindly but soon grew sluggish, eyes drooping as he sipped the wine Amanda had prepared. Within minutes, he was barely conscious. The plan unfolded like a nightmare. He wouldn't remember a thing.

Amanda appeared shortly after the staged act, pretending she had just returned from the bathroom, slipping under the covers beside the Prince.

Amelia, heartbroken and disgusted, slipped out of the room. But Mrs. Cactus wasn't finished with her.

Days passed. The threats escalated. Someone tried to push her down the stairs. Poisoned food appeared on her tray. They framed her for stealing the Prince's royal gold-only for the scheme to unravel mysteriously every time. The knife missed. The poison spilled. The guard forgot.

It was as if fate was protecting Amelia.

Still, she didn't dare speak a word. Not to her mother. Not to anyone. She kept her head down, moving through the mansion like a ghost, waiting for the next blow, unsure when or how she might escape.

But deep within her, something was shifting. A spark of rebellion. A fire waiting for air.

Because Amelia Summers had been pushed into the shadows.

And even the quietest shadow can learn to fight back.