Episode 1 – The Unexpected Proposal

The rain had been falling since sunset, covering the city in a blanket of mist and silence.

Streetlights reflected off the wet roads, making everything look cold and lonely. Inside a small but cozy house on the edge of the city, Aurora Blake stood near the living room window, absentmindedly tracing raindrops with her finger.

She loved rainy evenings.

They usually brought her peace. She would curl up with a novel, make herself a cup of hot tea, and lose herself in stories where every problem eventually found a happy ending.

But tonight felt different.

An uneasy feeling settled deep in her heart, as if the storm outside was warning her that something was about to change.

Aurora glanced at the old clock hanging on the wall.

It was almost ten o'clock.

Her father, William Blake, was never this late.

She picked up her phone for the fifth time that hour, but there were no new messages.

"Maybe he's working overtime," she whispered to herself, trying to stay calm.

Just then, the front door slowly opened.

Aurora immediately rushed toward it.

"Dad!"

William Blake stepped inside, soaked from the rain. His clothes were wrinkled, and his face looked pale and exhausted. He wasn't the cheerful father Aurora had seen that morning.

Something was terribly wrong.

Without saying a word, he removed his wet coat and sat heavily on the sofa.

"Dad... what happened?" Aurora asked softly.

He didn't answer.

Instead, he stared at the floor as if he couldn't bear to look at his own daughter.

Aurora knelt beside him.

"You've never looked at me like this before. Please tell me."

William took a deep breath, but the words refused to come.

Finally, after what felt like forever, he spoke.

"I made the biggest mistake of my life."

Aurora's heart skipped a beat.

"What do you mean?"

"I borrowed money."

She frowned.

"From the bank?"

He slowly shook his head.

"No."

"Then... from whom?"

His hands trembled as he whispered the name.

"Lucien Voss."

Aurora felt the blood drain from her face.

Everyone in the city knew that name.

Lucien Voss wasn't just a wealthy businessman.

He was the man people spoke about in hushed voices.

The leader of the powerful Voss Syndicate.

Some called him the king of the underworld.

Others called him the devil in a tailored suit.

Stories about him filled the newspapers, but no one knew which ones were true. Some claimed he was ruthless.

Others believed he protected innocent people while destroying those who betrayed him.

No matter what the truth was, one thing was certain.

No one dared to cross Lucien Voss.

Aurora slowly sat beside her father.

"How much do you owe?"

William closed his eyes.

"Enough to lose everything."

Tears filled Aurora's eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to fix it before you found out."

"What happened?"

William's voice broke.

"I invested everything in a business with someone I trusted."

"He disappeared."

"I lost every rupee."

"I kept borrowing money, hoping I could recover."

"But I only made everything worse."

Aurora reached for his hand.

"We'll figure something out."

William looked at her sadly.

"I don't think we can."

Before Aurora could answer, three loud knocks echoed through the house.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Both of them froze.

William's face turned completely white.

"They're here."

Aurora slowly walked toward the door.

As she opened it, three men dressed in black suits stood outside.Their expressions were calm, almost emotionless.

The tallest man stepped forward.

"Miss Aurora Blake?"

"Yes."

"I have a message from Mr. Lucien Voss."

He handed her a black envelope with a silver seal.

Without another word, the three men stood silently, waiting.

Aurora's fingers trembled as she opened the envelope.

Inside was a single sheet of thick white paper.

There were only a few lines written on it.

Your father's debt will be erased.

In return, you will marry Lucien Voss.

You have three days to decide.

Aurora read the words again.

Then again.

Her heart pounded so loudly she could barely hear the rain outside.

"This... this has to be some kind of joke."

The man finally spoke.

"Mr. Voss does not joke."

Aurora looked toward her father.

He couldn't even lift his head.

She felt anger, fear, confusion, and heartbreak all at once.

"Why would someone like Lucien Voss want to marry me?"

The man remained expressionless.

"Our boss believes the answer will become clear in time."

He turned toward the door.

"Three days, Miss Blake."

The men disappeared into the rain as quietly as they had arrived.

Aurora closed the door with shaking hands.

The house felt colder than before.

She looked down at the proposal once more.

It wasn't a request.

It wasn't even a negotiation.

It was a choice between her family's survival... and the life she had always dreamed of.

Aurora slowly folded the letter and held it tightly against her chest.

Outside, thunder roared across the sky.

For the first time in her life, she realized that some storms didn't pass.

Some storms changed everything.

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