Chapter 1 ~About William Lancaster
Chapter One
About William Lancaster
The first time William Lancaster saw Lily Hans, she was standing behind her uncle as though she were not a woman at all, but an offering laid upon the altar of a debt.
Rain lashed against the towering windows of the Lancaster estate, turning the world beyond the glass into a blurred painting of darkness and silver. The storm had swallowed the city beneath heavy clouds, while distant lightning briefly illuminated the sprawling grounds surrounding the mansion.
Inside William’s study, however, everything remained unnervingly still.
William Lancaster sat behind an imposing mahogany desk, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit. One hand rested against the arm of his chair while the other remained beside the folder containing Richard Hans’s debt. His presence alone was enough to make the room feel smaller. Cold eyes.
A controlled expression.
A face carved with the kind of severity that made grown men reconsider their lies before speaking them.
Across the desk stood Richard Hans.
A debtor.
A coward.
And, if William’s patience ran out, potentially a dead man.
“I can’t pay you, Mr. Lancaster.”
William didn’t look up.
“You didn’t come here to tell me something I already know.”
Richard swallowed.
″I did″
William lifted his eyes.
“Then why are you standing in my study without the money?”
Richard’s mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
William slowly closed the folder.
The soft click sounded like a verdict.
“I dislike repeating myself, Richard. It leaves me wondering whether I’m dealing with stupidity or arrogance.”
“Neither, sir.”
“Then you’re a liar.”
Richard’s face paled.
William leaned back.
“You borrowed my money knowing exactly what failure would cost you. You ignored every deadline. Every warning. Every courtesy I extended.”
His voice remained frighteningly calm.
“And now you’ve walked into my home expecting another extension.”
Richard’s fingers tightened around his coat.
“I didn’t mean any disrespect.”
“No?”
William’s gaze sharpened.
“Then tell me where my money is.”
Silence.
Richard had no answer.
William’s eyes narrowed.
“Exactly.”
A crack of lightning illuminated the room.
Richard shifted uneasily.
Then his gaze moved toward the young woman standing several feet behind him.
William followed it.
That was when he truly noticed her.
She was small.
Quiet.
Almost swallowed by the grandeur surrounding her.
Her modest, faded dress looked painfully out of place against the polished marble, dark wood, and expensive furnishings of the Lancaster estate. Long dark hair fell around her shoulders, partially hiding a delicate face that remained lowered.
She hadn’t spoken.
Hadn’t moved.
Had barely seemed to breathe.
William studied her for several seconds.
“Who is she?”
Richard glanced back.
“My niece.”
William’s expression hardened.
“You brought your niece to a debt negotiation?”
Richard hesitated.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Richard took a breath.
“She can settle the debt.”
William’s eyes returned to the girl.
“Explain.”
Richard stepped closer to the desk.
“Her name is Lily Hans. She’s twenty years old. Her parents died when she was eight. She has no inheritance, no influential relatives, and no money.”
William said nothing.
Richard continued.
“She has lived in an orphanage for twelve years.”
“And?”
Richard’s eyes flickered toward Lily.
“She is deaf.”
William looked at her again.
“Completely?”
“Yes.”
Lily kept her head lowered.
Richard continued, “She communicates through sign language. She doesn’t interfere. She doesn’t ask questions. She won’t hear anything she shouldn’t.”
William’s expression became unreadable.
“You’re offering me your niece.”
Richard swallowed.
“I’m offering you a solution.”
William gave a humorless smile.
“No. You’re selling her.”
Richard remained silent.
The silence itself was an admission.
William’s jaw tightened.
“You borrowed money from me. You spent it. You ignored every warning I gave you. And now you’ve decided a woman’s life is acceptable currency for your mistakes.”
“I have no other choice.”
“You always have a choice.”
Richard looked down.
William’s voice became colder.
“You simply chose the one that costs you the least.”
Richard said nothing.
William leaned back.
“What exactly are you proposing?”
Richard answered without hesitation.
“She can become your wife.”
The word settled heavily between them.
Wife.
William’s expression didn’t change.
His grandfather’s final condition immediately came to mind.
Edmund Lancaster had left behind an empire vast enough to make powerful men jealous. But along with that fortune came one absurd condition. William had to marry. Not merely marry.
He had to genuinely fall in love with his wife before he could claim his grandfather’s inheritance.
Love.
William despised the word.
He had once watched his parents love each other with enough devotion to make a child believe such things lasted forever. Then he had watched that love decay. Affection became resentment. Resentment became bitterness.
Eventually, two people who had once promised each other eternity became strangers beneath the same roof.
William had learned his lesson.
Love was not salvation.
It was vulnerability wearing a beautiful disguise.
He would never willingly give another person the power to destroy him.
Yet he needed a wife.
Someone quiet.
Someone obedient.
Someone who wouldn’t interfere with his business or demand pieces of his life he had no intention of giving.
His gaze returned to Lily.
Small.
Silent.
Apparently harmless.
Perhaps she was exactly what he needed.
“How much is the debt?”
Richard named the amount.
William considered it briefly.
Then his gaze returned to Richard.
“She becomes my wife, and the debt disappears.”
“Yes.”
“No further claims.”
“Of course.”
“No money.”
Richard nodded quickly.
“Of course.”
“No visits. No demands. No interference.”
“Of course, Mr. Lancaster.”
William’s eyes narrowed.
“And if she refuses?”
Richard’s answer came instantly.
“She won’t.”
William stared at him.
“That wasn’t my question.”
Richard hesitated.
“She knows she has nowhere else to go.”
Something cold passed through William’s eyes.
He disliked the man standing before him.
But Richard’s ugliness wasn’t William’s concern.
He reached for the papers.
“Fine.”
Richard’s eyes widened.
“You accept?”
“I’ll take her.”
Relief washed over Richard’s face.
“Thank you, Mr. Lancaster.”
William signed the agreement.
“Don’t thank me.”
Richard fell silent.
“You’re not receiving mercy.”
William placed the pen down.
“You’re receiving exactly what your cowardice bought you.”
Richard lowered his head.
“Yes, sir.”
“The debt is settled.”
Richard nodded.
“I understand.”
William closed the folder.
“We’re finished.”
Richard turned toward the door.
He didn’t look at Lily.
Not once.
He didn’t say goodbye.
Didn’t offer her comfort.
Didn’t even acknowledge the woman he had just traded away.
He simply began walking.
Lily watched him.
Her heart tightened.
He was leaving.
Her uncle was actually leaving her here.
She had spent the entire journey wondering why Richard had suddenly come to the orphanage after years of barely visiting. Some foolish part of her had hoped he had finally come to take her home.
Instead, he had brought her here.
Sold her.
And now he was walking away.
Panic rose inside her.
She hurried forward.
Richard reached for the door.
Lily caught the back of his coat.
He stopped.
Slowly, he looked over his shoulder.
Lily’s eyes were already filled with tears.
Her fingers moved.
Uncle...
Richard stared at her.
She signed again.
Please don’t leave me.
His expression hardened.
He shook his coat free from her grasp.
Lily stumbled backward.
Richard adjusted his sleeve as though her touch had inconvenienced him.
Lily stared at him.
Her trembling hands rose again.
Where are you going?
Richard understood her perfectly.
“Home.”
He knew she couldn’t hear him, so he repeated the answer in sign language.
Home.
Lily’s face crumpled.
She pointed toward herself.
What about me?
Richard’s expression became irritated.
You’re staying here.
Her eyes widened.
She shook her head.
No.
Richard’s hands moved sharply.
You don’t get to choose.
Lily’s lips trembled.
She signed desperately.
I’m scared.
Richard’s face remained cold.
You’ll get used to it.
Lily stared at him, waiting for some hint of affection.
There was none.
She tried once more.
Please don’t leave me.
Richard sighed.
Then he stepped closer.
You should be grateful.
Lily’s brows drew together.
Richard gestured toward the enormous mansion.
You’re getting a wealthy husband. A beautiful home. Servants. Clothes. Food.
Lily shook her head.
I don’t want those things.
Richard’s jaw tightened.
Then what do you want?
Her hands stopped.
Tears blurred her vision.
Slowly, she signed.
Family.
Richard stared at her.
Lily’s shoulders trembled.
I thought you came to take me home.
For a moment, something almost resembling guilt crossed Richard’s face.
It disappeared quickly.
He signed coldly.
You’re twenty years old. Stop behaving like a child.
Lily flinched.
Richard turned toward the door.
Then stopped.
He looked back at her.
His expression contained no affection.
No remorse.
Only impatience.
He raised his hands one final time.
Be obedient.
Lily stared at him.
Richard continued.
Do whatever Mr. Lancaster tells you. Don’t cause trouble. Don’t embarrass me.
Her eyes filled again.
Then came the final cruelty.
And don’t come looking for me.
Lily went completely still.
Richard opened the door.
Before leaving, he looked at her once more.
You owe me obedience after everything I’ve done for you.
Then he walked out.
The door closed.
Lily remained frozen.
She stared at the place where he had disappeared.
He was gone.
Just like that.
No embrace.
No apology.
No backward glance.
She had been abandoned twice.
First by death.
Then by choice.
A tear slipped down her cheek.
She wiped it away.
Another followed.
She wiped that one away too.
She had spent twelve years learning how to make herself small.
How to stay quiet.
How to never become an inconvenience.
Yet none of those lessons had prepared her for being sold by the man who was supposed to protect her.
Behind her, William watched silently.
He had seen men beg for their lives.
He had watched enemies plead for mercy.
He had witnessed betrayal, fear, greed, and desperation in countless forms.
But Lily’s silence was different.
She wasn’t begging him.
She wasn’t fighting him.
She was simply staring at the closed door.
William rose from his chair.
Lily turned at the movement.
Their eyes met.
To be continued...
