Chapter three

CHAPTER THREE

ADJUSTING TO THE ROLE.

Lyra sat cross-legged on the plush rug in her room, Jane’s binder spread open in front of her.

Pages and pages of neatly typed notes mocked her with their precision, each one detailing another facet of Ryker Blackwoods’ life.

His favorite foods, the charities he donated to, his business associates, his habits, his schedule—it was all here.

The overwhelming weight of it pressed down on her chest like a lead blanket.

She flipped to a random page, her eyes scanning the words without truly absorbing them.

“Ryker prefers espresso over coffee. Double shots only. No cream, no sugar. Served at precisely 175 degrees.”

Lyra groaned, pressing her fingers to her temples. “What kind of person knows the exact temperature of their coffee?” she muttered.

The staff downstairs didn’t make things easier. While polite, their watchful gazes followed her everywhere, as if waiting for her to slip up.

She was hyperaware of her every move, from the way she held a fork to the way she walked down the grand staircase. It was like living in a glass house, and someone was always watching.

“This isn’t what I signed up for. I thought I’d be coasting for a few months, but this… this feels like I’m living on borrowed time.”

To make matters worse, she wasn’t even confident in her ability to keep up the charade.

Her hands cramped as she practiced mimicking Jane’s handwriting over and over, the loops of the “J” and the sharp slant of her “r” refusing to look quite right.

A blank piece of paper was covered in failed attempts, the penmanship a glaring reminder of how ill-prepared she was.

“Come on, Lyra,” she whispered to herself, gripping the pen tightly. “It’s just a signature. People forget these things all the time.”

She tried again, tracing Jane’s flowing script from memory. It was closer this time, but still not perfect. Her nerves jittered. What if Ryker asked her to sign something in front of him?

As the day wore on, Lyra found herself returning to Jane’s binder, skimming through names of business associates she’d never met and charities she couldn’t care less about.

“Does he even care about this stuff? Or is it just Jane over-preparing, as usual? The man is halfway around the world. He doesn’t care what I eat or which of his books I pretend to read.”

“But what if he does? What if he notices something’s off the moment he steps through that door?”

When Lyra finally closed the binder, her head was pounding. She stared at the thick stack of papers, a sense of dread settling over her. She was way over her head.

Lyra was on her way to the library when she heard muffled voices coming from the kitchen. She froze, instinctively stepping back into the shadow of the hallway.

The voices belonged to two staff members—a maid and one of the groundskeepers.

“I still can’t believe it,” the maid whispered, her tone tinged with nervous excitement.

The groundskeeper scoffed. “Does anything Ryker Blackwoods does surprise you? The man’s unpredictable as hell.”

Lyra’s stomach clenched. “Ryker?”

“What’s he even cutting his trip short for?” the maid asked. “Thought he wasn’t due back until spring.”

“Who knows? Maybe some business deal. You know how he is—doesn’t trust anyone to handle things without him. If he’s coming back, you’d better believe he’s got a reason.”

The maid sighed. “Mrs. Hargrave’s already got the staff in a frenzy. You’d think the Queen of England was visiting.”

The groundskeeper chuckled. “I just hope Mrs. Blackwoods is ready. She hasn’t even met the man yet.”

Lyra felt her breath hitch. She slipped away before they could spot her, her mind racing as she hurried back to her room.

When she reached the safety of her bedroom, she shut the door behind her, leaning against it as panic gripped her chest.

“This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening.”

She pressed her hands to her temples, trying to steady her breathing. Ryker wasn’t supposed to be back for months.

That was the plan. She’d have time to settle in, to memorize Jane’s notes, to figure out how to play the role she’d been handed.

But now…

“No, no, no. This wasn’t the plan. I needed more time. How am I supposed to fool a man I’ve never met?”

Lyra’s heart raced as a hundred worst-case scenarios played out in her mind. What if he recognized immediately that she wasn’t Jane? What if he demanded answers? What if he threw her out before she even had a chance to explain?

She paced the room, her thoughts spiraling. She wasn’t ready for this. Not even close.

It was nearly midnight when Lyra finally stopped pacing. She stood by the window, staring out at the dark expanse of the estate.

The moon cast a faint glow over the gardens, the silvery light making the scene feel almost surreal.

For the first time since signing that damn marriage certificate, Lyra allowed herself to feel the full weight of her decision. She’d chosen this path. No one had forced her into it.

“I wanted this. I said yes to the money, to the chance to escape my old life. I knew what I was getting into—or at least, I thought I did.”

She sank onto the edge of the bed, her hands gripping the silky fabric of the comforter.

She thought about her cramped apartment, the overdue rent notices piling up on her counter, and the endless cycle of stress that had driven her to make this deal in the first place.

Running away wasn’t an option. Not now.

If Ryker Blackwoods was coming back, then she’d face him. She didn’t have a choice.

“I’ve gotten myself into this mess, and I’ll have to see it through. No matter who Ryker Blackwoods turns out to be.”

Lyra lay back on the bed, staring up at the ornate ceiling. Her chest still felt tight, but her resolve had hardened. Whatever was coming her way, she’d face it.

She closed her eyes, willing herself to sleep. Tomorrow was a new day—a day closer to meeting the man whose name she now bore.

“I’d come this far. I couldn’t back out now.”