Prologue:

Note: Hello everyone! I'm back with a new story. Jilliam forever! I hope you will like it. There is infidelity in this story so if you don't like it, please don't read. Otherwise, enjoy!

Disclaimer: The series and the characters do not belong to me! Murdoch Mysteries is the property of its creators.

William did not want to come to this charity ball for the Toronto hospital. All of Station 4 was invited, although some officers had to stay to supervise their area. Chief Inspector Brackenreid had urged his best detective to go there with him. After all, if the hospital had requested their presence, it was thanks to William, he said. He had saved so many people thanks to the resolution of his investigations, that the head of the hospital had requested their presence. It might seem strange, even sordid, but thanks to Station 4, the hospital had been able to take care of seriously injured people in time. People who have been found after kidnappings, or during thwarted armed robbery attempts.

But now he was there. In the ridiculously luxurious ballroom. Who needed such a luxurious room for charity? The detective wondered. Might as well sell this place directly. The hospital would have more than enough to buy another hospital.

In addition, a multitude of personalities were present. Of course, very influential doctors with their wives and friends. All dressed in clothes so luxurious and so shiny that the room seemed to transform into the interior of a giant diamond.

William was dressed in one of his only suits that could be described as "high end". He had bought it many years ago in a fancy store in Toronto. He had just received his first pay as a detective and had decided to buy this costume in case great opportunities presented themselves to him. When he entered the shop, the salesman had assessed him from head to toe. He knew he did not look like a rich man, but the reaction still came as a shock to the young detective. He thought maybe that was when he lost the desire to go out and meet people. He had gotten a little - a lot - lost in the work and he had become very lonely in the end.

And now he was wearing his fancy suit for maybe the fifth time in his life, and he was surrounded by women all trying to get his attention. He honestly had not expected this. He saw his colleagues laughing at him in a corner of the living room.

William had only had one woman in his life. They had been engaged, but she seemed to decide that he just was not good enough for her. He had suffered from it. It was a long time ago. Longer than his still-new suit, but he never fully recovered. He had never told anyone about it. He knew that his colleagues, who over time had become his friends, as well as his superior, simply thought that he was not interested in women or in love. But he was mostly afraid of being hurt again. At the same time, no woman had ever been more successful in catching his attention.

But now he found himself trapped in the middle of this horde of women. They were all married, without exception. And he saw their husbands looking at him with evil eyes from afar. He did not want to come. He did not want to argue with these women. He would have liked to engage in a meaningful discussion with the scientists and doctors invited to this evening.

"Murdoch!"

William looked to his right and was relieved to see his superior, Chief Inspector Brackenreid, wave to him asking him to come to him. The young man slowly extricated himself from the women circling him with a fake apologetic look on his face. He quickly walked over to his inspector then noticed that he seemed to be in the middle of a discussion with a tall man with blonde hair pulled over red. He moved forward when he felt himself losing his balance. His shoulder had just hit something hard, and he heard a gasp.

He quickly turned around to see the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She had golden blonde hair styled in an elaborate bun. Locks were flying in front of her face with magnificent light gray-green eyes.

"I beg your pardon, madam." William politely apologized, not taking his eyes off her.

"It's all right, sir, it's nothing."

The young woman looked into the detective's eyes for a few moments before lowering her gaze hesitantly on her fiery red dress. William did the same and noticed a stain on the woman's clothing with the bewitching gaze.

"Oh no…I'm sorry." William felt guilty.

Indeed, a small stain of dark red wine was now apparent on the woman's thin right hip. He noticed that she was holding a glass of wine – most likely previously full – in her hand.

"It's nothing..." breathed the young woman without looking up.

And William noticed from her expression that it was not really nothing and that she now looked annoyed. He looked at her, not knowing what to say.

"Do you want… do you want me to bring you some water?" asked the detective awkwardly, full of shame.

"No, no, it will be fine. I'm just going to go to the bathroom." said the young woman a little dryly before slipping away without another word.

William remained frozen on the spot for a good minute, his eyes fixed on the door through which the young woman had passed to join the corridor which led to the toilets. He felt so stupid. Of course, he had not pushed into her on purpose. And, after all, there were two of them, she too had run into him.

William sighed. He mostly felt stupid. He had found this sublime woman and he had felt something he could not describe when he met her gaze. Something he had never felt, not even with the only woman he had been with. So, meeting this woman by shoving her and spilling wine on her made William want to punch himself. Why was he unable to stop thinking and analyzing? Why did he have to think of anything else when he walked? Why did he always have to do several things at once?

He knew he was very smart. That he had a far above average intelligence – without self-centeredness. Sometimes, his brain would walk on its own and he would run behind. However, he knew that his way of being sometimes scared people away. He had friends, but they were all at work. They had to be around him every day so, over time, they had started to appreciate him. That was one of the reasons he did not want to leave Station 4. He felt at home there. He did what he loved, and he met fascinating people every day.

Note: This is just the beginning. I hope that pleases you!