Ella had lost everything. After her mother’s accident, her father married someone else and pushed her aside, choosing his new family over her. Her friends slowly left, and she was left to deal with everything alone. She spent all her money to keep her mother on life support. Now, she was broke, exhausted, and barely holding on.

Then Nicholas showed up.

He was a stranger—handsome, confident, and calm. But what shocked her most was the marriage certificate he brought. According to him, they got married in Vegas. The problem? Ella doesn’t remember it at all.

She already has too much to deal with—her sick mom, the hospital bills, and her fiancé, who has been her only support. She can’t afford to lose him now.

But Nicholas won’t go away. He says he’s her husband, and he wants her to come with him. Ella feels drawn to him in a way she can’t explain. He sees through her like no one else does.

She knows she should walk away. She knows she should stay with the safe life she’s trying to hold on to. But something about Nicholas pulls her in—and she’s scared he might break her in the end.

The ride back to the city was quiet—but not uncomfortable. Ella leaned her head against the window, watching the trees blur past in the fading sunlight, her thoughts heavy but somehow a little less suffocating than before. Nicholas's presence, steady and silent beside her, anchored her more than he probably realized.


He glanced at her more than once during the drive, noting the dark circles under her eyes, the way she was trying to keep herself composed. She hadn't said much since they left the hospital, and he didn't press her. He'd learned Ella needed silence sometimes, needed to process without words.


As they neared the city, lights blooming along the skyline, Nicholas finally spoke.


Ella blinked, startled out of her daze. "What?"


"Until I know you're safe," he said, eyes still on the road. "I won't sleep if I think you're back in that house. And I know you won't either."


Chapter 30 - Stay with Me