#01 Cinderella

FIVE YEARS AGO

"Is that your house?" Gia pointed to the building in front of her, mouth agape.

She knew Lonan was one of the sons of the Lindgren family, a European conglomerate with wealth so immense it had more than ten zeros. But seeing it first hand made Gia's knees suddenly weak. 

The Lonan she knew, the one who was always relaxed and down-to-earth, showed no signs of belonging to a place that looked more like a castle.

If Lonan hadn't said it was his home, Gia would have guessed that the magnificent building was the Swedish king's palace or maybe the prime minister’s residence. The vast yard was bustling with rows of luxury cars belonging to the other party guests.

"Come on..."

Lonan got out of the car ahead of her, then opened her door, extending his hand sweetly in front of Gia.

"Are you sure I should go in? Lonan, I feel like I don’t belong here." Gia, in a panic, checked the dress she was wearing. The gown was stunning; she almost cried when she saw it earlier that day.

The dress was red, with silver accents at the hem. Small pearl embellishments adorned its edges. It was the most expensive dress Gia had ever worn. Lonan had arranged it all, including the shoes, the bag, and the necklace and earrings that now graced her pale neck and ears.

"You look stunning tonight, Gia. I’m sure my brother will be impressed." Lonan opened the car door wider.

Finally, Gia stepped out on shaky legs. The silver party shoes sparkled under the garden lights. Lonan had teasingly called them "glass slippers" earlier that day. Slowly, Gia began to feel like she was stepping into her own Cinderella story.

With a wide smile, Lonan took Gia’s hand, tucking her arm into his. As they walked toward the party, he began explaining in detail everything Gia saw. 

The interior of the building looked like a palace, with an entryway filled with luxurious items, crystal chandeliers, and clearly expensive carpets. Gia was briefly dazzled by the scene; her eyes weren’t accustomed to seeing all this extravagance in one place.

Soft music played from inside the room where the party was in full swing. The expansive space was decorated with opulence she had only seen in movies. As she entered, Gia felt even more nervous.

Every guest wore outfits as grand as her own dress. Every man was in a suit or tuxedo, perfectly pressed without a wrinkle. 

They all wanted to impress the birthday host, who was currently descending the stairs. Lonan led her to the foot of the staircase, where the center of the night’s excitement, Raven Lindgren, awaited.

Raven was Lonan's older brother and the head of every branch of the Lindgren empire, both the family and the business. Lonan’s parents had passed away, leaving Raven responsible for the business and life in this luxurious mansion.

Gia studied him carefully, and she immediately understood why he was named Raven. With perfectly black hair, dark eyebrows, and eyes, the name—meaning black crow—suited him. 

Though his skin was a bit pale, his dark features were far more prominent. The black tuxedo he wore tonight further emphasized the aura of darkness surrounding his tall figure.

She also understood why so many girls in Europe were infatuated with him. Raven wasn’t a celebrity, but he frequently appeared in headlines—not for his business accomplishments, but because of his rumored flings with beautiful actresses and singers. 

While there had been no official confirmation of these rumors, Raven had a reputation as a ladies’ man, largely thanks to his strikingly handsome face.

At a glance, he resembled Lonan, but his aura was entirely different. Where Lonan radiated warmth with his cheerfulness and charm, Raven seemed cold and distant.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Lonan called out, extending a hand and hugging Raven. For a moment, Gia saw a faint smile break Raven's stoic expression.

"I didn’t know you were coming back today." Raven’s voice was also unlike Lonan’s—deep and a bit raspy. For some reason, Gia felt a chill when she heard it.

"I wanted to surprise you with my presence as a birthday gift."

"You're gifting me a piece of yourself? How cheap." Raven smirked, humoring Lonan’s joke.

"Not just that. I’m here to introduce you to Gia." Lonan stepped aside, revealing Gia, who had been almost hidden behind him.

"This is Gia Harken. The girl I told you about."

Before extending his hand, Raven looked Gia up and down, assessing her. After a thirty-second pause, he finally held out his hand.

"Raven," he said.

"Gih... Gia Harken." Gia wanted to curse her tongue for suddenly feeling so stiff. Unintentionally, she was mesmerized by Raven’s presence.

After a brief handshake, Raven quickly turned his attention back to Lonan, seemingly unimpressed by Gia. He continued to ask Lonan about college and other matters. Though slightly annoyed, Lonan answered all of Raven’s questions.

Once he was done interrogating his younger brother, Raven circled the party area, greeting every guest.

"Come on! I’ll get you a drink." Celebrating his freedom from his brother’s grasp, Lonan guided Gia to a table filled with party refreshments, breaking Gia’s gaze from Raven’s retreating figure.

"Champagne and fruit." Lonan handed her a glass filled with a golden liquid. He also playfully fed her a few green grapes.

A few eyes narrowed with envy at the sight. Though Lonan wasn’t the Lindgren heir, he still attracted attention as part of the illustrious Lindgren fortune. If he hadn’t brought Gia, he would surely have been swarmed by the other girls at the party.

"I should stop drinking." Gia placed her champagne glass, still two-thirds full, back on the table.

The drink was delicious and undoubtedly expensive, so she was a bit reluctant to leave it. But her head was starting to feel light. Her tolerance for alcohol was extremely low; she could get tipsy from even half a glass of the cheapest beer.

"Oh, I forgot. Would you like some juice?" Lonan offered.

Gia shook her head. "Let’s just chat."

Her mind was busy processing the reality that her boyfriend was far from an ordinary person. It dampened her appetite.

Lonan had never hidden his identity, so Gia had known who he was since they first met at the hospital. But the scale of the Lindgren fortune was beyond anything she had imagined. She felt a mixture of excitement and fear, realizing the vast gap between their worlds.

She was just an ordinary girl who had only managed to afford plain toast for breakfast that morning and was trying to save money. Her college tuition consumed nearly her entire nurse’s salary, not to mention her family’s less-than-ideal circumstances.

The difference in lifestyle between Lonan and Gia couldn’t just be described as earth and sky; it was more like the ocean’s deepest trench and the seventh heaven.

"Excuse me for a moment. Raven just wants to continue his lecture," Lonan grumbled with a wry smile, seeing his brother wave at him.

Gia nodded. "Of course."

Lonan gave Gia a quick peck on the cheek, then walked with his brother toward a room in the left corner of the party hall.

Gia kept her gaze fixed on Lonan’s retreating figure as he disappeared with Raven into the white-doored room. She then rubbed her head, which still felt a bit dizzy from the champagne—but her headache wasn’t only due to the drink.

She was still grappling with Lonan’s status. Behind all his wealth, Lonan was warm and charming, with the added bonus of a handsome face. Attentive, gentle—nearly perfect. Gia loved him for all those things. She reminded herself not to let her surroundings blind her or to 

shy away.

"Are you alone?"

A sudden voice startled Gia. A young man with a suspicious smile held out a glass of champagne to her.

"Oh... Sorry. I’ve had enough to drink. And I’m not alone. My boyfriend is over there." Gia pointed to the room where Lonan had disappeared.

"Oh, I see. But there’s no harm in getting to know each other, right? I’m Caius Gustaf." He held out his hand after placing his glass on the table.

Not wanting to be rude, Gia extended her hand. "Gia Harken."

But Caius didn’t just shake her hand. With a teasing smile, he lifted it and kissed the back of her hand flirtatiously. Gia gasped and quickly withdrew her hand.