Chapter 1: Golden Chains

Elias Hawthorne stood at the window of his penthouse overlooking Central Park, the buster ling city below a mere backdrop to the heavy thought swirling in his mind. As the sole heir to Hawthorne Enterprises, a global conglomerate founded by his grandfather, Elias had one primary duty: to marry Elizabeth Montogomery, his childhood best friend and daughter of his father closest confidant. Their union was an agreement forged between two powerful families, an alliance that would strengthen their hold over the elite society of New York. He should have felt ecstatic about his impending engagement to Elizabeth, the perfect match according to his parents. They had been groomed for this moment since they were children, their fates intertwined like the ivy climbing the walls of their elite social circles.