Chapter 1

„I'm back Mom", Lucia called out as she stepped through the door. She dropped her bag on the floor and kicked off her shoes before grabbing her phone and making her way to the living room.

"I'm home", she said again poking her head into the room. Her mother was sitting in an armchair, reading a book.

"Ah, welcome home", her mother didn't look up, "Dinner will be done soon, so you can go and wash your hands already."

"Okay", Lucia sighed. She already turned around but remembered something suddenly.

"Oh there was something…", she began forming a sentence but a bang at the front door interrupted her. Ten seconds later her father showed up.

"I'm back from work dear", he greeted everyone happily and gave Lucia's mother a kiss.

"How was your work today?", she smiled at him.

"Nothing special. Dropping stocks, clients complaining about the prices and clients complaining about why I can't make a revolution in the real estate market."

"Well you're doing your best and if they don't see that, it's their problem", her mother stated and closed her book.

Lucia sat down at the table and it didn't take long for her parents to join as the dinner started. Two maids brought something in which looked like a soup.

"So how were classes today?" Lucia's dad asked as every evening.

"Okay I guess, nothing new."

"I see. Have you already decided on a topic for your graduation project?"

"Not yet."

Her dad furrowed his brows. "You don't have much time left, do you? If you don't start soon, you will get in trouble later." He said worried.

"I know Dad, don't worry." Lucia rolled her eyes and poked around in her food.

"Oh, today Monique told me that her son made it to Sophia University!", her mom suddenly changed the topic.

"Really?", her dad exclaimed surprised. "It will become lonely without this boy now."

"But I bet he will become a splendid doctor now. Since he enrolled in the Medical Department:"

Lucia stopped listening to her parents' conversation and sunk into her own thoughts. So Sky really made it to this university. That means she wouldn't be able to see him for a while. She just hoped to become a doctor was something he really wanted to do. Unlike herself.

She always loved to draw and her dream was to become an artist. To create worlds, no one imagined before and how it to the rest of the world. To tell stories in pictures and inspire other people to follow their own path.

But nstead of becoming an artist, it was decided that she would take over the company of her father one day.

"Oh yeah Lucia", her mother said snapping Lucia out of her thought and back to the dining table."

"Yes?"

"We have…something to discuss with you", she said hesitantly.

"What is it?", Lucia looked confused back and forth between her parents.

"We think….it's time for you to get engaged."

Lucia dropped her spoon. Engaged? Like…marry another person? While her parents waited for an answer she needed a couple of seconds to process this statement in her head.

"Engaged?"

"Yes."

"But…why?"

"Why? Isn't it normal? Other children from families like us often are already engaged when they are still in school. We are kind of late in this matter," Lucia's father shrugged his shoulders as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"But why so suddenly? You never said anything about that kind of stuff before."

"Maybe it suddenly for you, but your mother and I already discussed it now for a while", her father answered.

Her mother looked at her with a worried expression in her eyes. "We hoped you would find a suitable candidate by yourself, but since you only dated those…"punks"…we felt that we should take action."

"And that gives you the right to take my freedom and decide over my life?", Lucia looked at her parents in shock. Tears started forming in her eyes.

"We only want the best for you", her father leaned closer to emphasize the importance of his words. "Marrying someone from a higher family will give you a secure life. And by joining companies we can be stronger in the market and make different profits."

"So it's about the money in the end again. You don't' care about me at all", Lucia looked at him bitterly.

"Honey…", her mother tried to calm her down.

"Luckily a friend of mine, a CEO of a company has a son who is around your age and we decided everything already. We will meet them this Sunday for formalities and you will see your fiancée then." Her father leaned back.

"But…"

"No buts, you will do what I say to you. The discussion is over. You will marry the son of this CEO."

Lucia bit on her lip and tried to hold back her tears. Then she jumped up from her chair and ran upstairs.

In her room, she threw herself on her bed and started crying. Why did that happen now? How could this happen? Her parents were always strict and demanding but she never thought that they would go this far as to arrange a marriage.

Lucia never had much freedom. When she was five or six, her father had a breakthrough with his company and her family became rich very quickly. Her mother used a part of that money to make her own jewelry brand and after that their fortune didn't stop to rise. It may seem like a dream to most of the people but for Lucia a new and hard life began. She was sent to the best schools in town or the country, where she always was set under pressure to focus on taking over her father's company one day and for that to only get good grades.

She was made to learn different instruments, to take ballet and horseback riding classes. She had a private tutor who taught her all of the fine manners and how a lady should behave.

Her parents would take her out to different events, where she had to look noble, someone who didn't come from a middle-class family. She had to be the perfect daughter, to never show weakness and always be elegant and dignified.

And because she never had much freedom she took it wherever she could. She got to know different people by chance who introduced her to a life of a rather rebellious teenager. She would sneak out at night and go to some clubs or just drinking with them, enjoying a couple of hours without responsibilities.

But now…her parents even took her freedom of finding love. She always dreamed of finding her true love and a happy life with this one person. Her mother was right, she never had luck with any guy she met in her life, but that never stopped her from hoping that her prince would come someday.

And now she would have to marry someone whom she may never love.

Sobbing she pressed a pillow against her chest and cried herself into sleep.

"Lucia, are you done? We have to go out now, or else we will be late!", Lucia's mother called for her daughter downstairs.

Lucia stood In front of the mirror and looked at her reflection. She wore a dark blue and black dress her mother chose for her, matching heels and a simple necklace. Her dark brown hair reached almost her waist; her bangs were neat and tidy. She sighed and turned around. Today would mark the end of her last remains of a restricted but kind of peaceful life.

She grabbed her purse and went out to meet the man she would now have to spend the rest of her life with.

"It's nice to see again Marvin. And of course you too Ms. Malon", Lucia's father greeted the other married couple happily."

"I'm glad that we could arrange that Dave." The other returned his handshake.

"And you must be Logan", Lucia's father patted a tall guy with dark brown hair on his back.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Sir", said tall guy responded.

"I'm sure we got a good match", Logan's father said proudly and looked at Lucia. "So you are my soon-daughter-in-law."

Lucia bowed her head a bit and answered politely "It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope I can fulfill my new role."

Logan's father laughed and waved his hand shaking the formalities off. "There is no need to be that formal. We are not a high noble family after all." He turned to his wife and Lucia's parents.

Lucia turned her head to Logan and took a step in his direction. "It's nice to meet you Logan", she smiled.

A short "Yes" was the only answer she got though. Unsure what she should think about it Lucia looked up to him. He didn't show any emotions in his face. Only his dark eyes were sharp and cold. As if all life and warmth disappeared from them.

"Um…so I hope we can get along well", she laughed quietly, starting another attempt to see if her first impression was just mistaken.

But Logan turned away, only repeating a "Yeah" with a low voice.

Before Lucia could say anything Logan's father announced that everyone should follow him to the salon for tea and sweets.

After an hour of talking and discussing family matters the adults decided to leave Lucia and Logan alone, to"get to know each other better". So now both of them took a walk in the garden of the residence.

"Wow, what a beautiful garden", Lucia exclaimed when she saw the spacious grounds, full of trees and flowers planted in a systematic pattern.

"It's only our winter residence. Our summer residence is much bigger", Logan said with his cold voice. When he talked with his or Lucia's parents, his voice sounded much warmer though.

"Oh…I see. But it's still beautiful. I like environments like that. Like sitting in nature, doing a picnic." She walked around a fountain, admiring the sculptures of a goddess-like sculpture. "Do you also like nature or do you prefer being in a city?"

Suddenly she felt a tight grip around her wrist. When she turned around, Logan's face was just centimeters away from hers.

"Now listen", he hissed, "I don't know what my parents thought when they agreed to that engagement. Maybe it was just pity for your family. But you should know that a New Money like you is not worth it to marry someone from a family like mine, who is in the high society for many generations now. Low scum like you should stick to the likes of you and first get a status."

Lucia stared at him with wide eyes, unable to bring out a word.

"Maybe my parents agree to this marriage and I can't oppose them. But I want you to know that I will never respect neither this choice nor you and your family. We may be engaged or married on paper but don't think I would develop some real feelings for you."

He let go of her hand and turned his back to her. "So don't you dare to say or do something which could put me and my family in a bad light." With that, he walked back inside the mansion.

Lucia without being able to move watched him as he left. She couldn't quite grasp this situation. Did he really threaten her just now? Did he really reject her as a human? He didn't even try to get to know her. Was she just a nuisance, not even worth to befriend?

She could already see the rest of her life in front of her eyes. She would inherit the company of her father, doing a job she disliked for the rest of her life while coming home to a husband who hated her and saw her as nothing more than a pest his parents forced on him. And still, she would have to pretend that everything was alright.

She didn't want that. She didn't want to spend her life like that. She wanted happiness, love, and freedom. She had hoped since the evening her parents told her about the engagement that her future partner would be kind and even if this was forced, they would fall in love eventually. But now even that last hoped shattered.

Lucia could feel the strength leave her body, her legs became weak and crying she broke down in front of the fountain. What did she do to deserve that? Why couldn't she just live a normal life and do what she really desired? Why couldn't she find a person who loved her the way she was, didn't betray her or forced something on her? Why was all of her freedom taken away so cruelly?

"How did my life turn this way?", she sobbed.

"Lucia?" a soft feminine voice said her name.

Lucia raised her head and looked around her but she couldn't see anybody. Was she imagining something?

"Lucia." There was this voice again.

"Who are you? Where are you?", Lucia sat up slowly, slightly scared of the unknown source of the voice.

"I am sorry", the voice said.

"Sorry? For what? Who are you?", Lucia raised her voice, almost panicking already.

"I messed up your destiny."

Destiny?

"You don't belong into this world. But I couldn't just erase you from here either. But seeing you like this, I am deeply sorry, that I haven't taken action sooner."

"What are you talking about?!"

"I am giving you a new start. I am giving you what you wanted your whole life. I hope you can take this as an apology."

"What?"

"This is the world you really belong in. So live your life like you want this time."

Suddenly Lucia was engulfed in a white light. But strangely it didn't blind her, it rather felt soothing and before she realized it, she sunk into a deep slumber.