Jenny Rodriguez held the broom like it was a concert microphone, spinning around the living room of the mansion while singing at the top of her lungs a song she was making up on the spot.

“Oh, this dust is going to fly, going to fly with my little broom. I’ll sweep and dance…”

She twirled, did a hip move that nearly knocked her over, caught herself while laughing out loud, and kept going. “I’m the queen of clean with lots of style and grace.” The broom became her dance partner. Jenny dipped it backward like she was in a dramatic tango, pulled it back up, spun around, and tripped on her own foot, landing on the marble floor with a soft thud.

“Oh, dear Lord,” she laughed, talking to herself. “Zero points for the gymnast.”

She jumped back up, fixed her crooked uniform, and restarted the show. This time, she used the broom like a guitar, making silly faces while pretending to play an imaginary solo. “Living on a prayer, cleaning this floor…” She mimicked a rocker’s moves, shaking an invisible head of long hair, even though her brown curls were tied up in a messy bun.

What Jenny didn’t know was that William Harrison had been standing in the office doorway for the last three minutes, completely frozen.

At forty‑two, William was known nationwide as the Iceman. Owner of a chain of luxury hotels, he led meetings with a stone face, closed million‑dollar deals without blinking, and never—ever—showed emotion. Twelve years. It had been exactly twelve years since the last time he smiled. People whispered in the company hallways. Some said he was born that way: cold and calculating. Others made up rumors about some terrible trauma. The truth was simpler and sadder—William had just forgotten how to smile.

But at that moment, watching this silly housekeeper dancing with a broom, singing off key and tripping over her own feet, William felt something strange happen. The corners of his mouth twitched. His chest moved in an odd way, like something trapped inside was trying to come out.

Jenny was now attempting the moonwalk across the room—or at least trying. She slid backward, her arms moving like a clumsy robot, then stepped on the wet mop she’d left on the floor.

“Ah!”

The broom flew across the room and Jenny slipped in a spectacular way, stumbling through a series of awkward steps that looked more like fast‑forwarded Irish dancing.

That’s when it happened: William Harrison laughed. Not a quiet smile. Not a little chuckle. A full, genuine laugh from deep in his chest that echoed through the entire mansion.

Jenny froze in the middle of the room. The broom was three yards away, the mop wrapped around her ankle, and her wide eyes were locked on the sternest, scariest man she’d ever met in her life.

“Mr. Harrison!” she shouted, quickly untangling herself from the mop. “I—I didn’t know you were there. I was just— I mean, music helps with cleaning. Scientifically proven.”

She was clearly making it up, talking way too fast, waving her hands around, knocking a small vase off the side table. She caught it midair purely by instinct, but in the process banged her elbow against the wall.

“Ouch. It’s fine. All under control.”

Jenny placed the vase back on the table, but she was so nervous that she set it right on the edge. It started wobbling dangerously. William took two steps forward and caught it before it could fall, still with that unfamiliar smile on his face. A smile that didn’t seem to fit quite right, like his face had forgotten how to do it.

“How long have you worked here?” he asked. His voice sounded different—less harsh than usual.

“Three weeks, sir,” Jenny replied, standing up straight like she was in the army. “And I swear I don’t usually dance while I work. Well, not a lot. I mean, maybe a little, but only when it helps with productivity.”

She realized she was rambling and bit her lip.

William looked at her more closely. Jenny was probably in her early thirties, maybe younger. She had that kind of chaotic energy that made other people feel tired just by watching her. Her brown eyes were too expressive, always wide open, as if the world was a constant surprise. Her uniform was wrinkled, and a strand of hair had slipped out of her bun, falling across her face. She was the complete opposite of everything in his life.

“You sing terribly,” William said—still wearing that awkward smile.

“I know,” Jenny replied cheerfully. “My mom always said I sounded like a sick cat, but I love singing anyway. Life’s too short to worry about being in tune, you know?”

She talked with her hands, almost knocking over the vase again.

William should have been annoyed. He should have been calling the agency to send her away. Staff were supposed to be discreet, efficient, invisible. But he couldn’t stop looking at her.

“Is dinner ready?” he asked, trying to go back to normal.

“Yes, sir. I made roast chicken with vegetables,” Jenny said proudly. Then her expression changed. “I mean, I tried to make it. The chicken turned out a little more golden than I planned. Actually, it’s kind of black on one side, but the top looks perfect, and the vegetables are… well, some are crispy and others are very soft. Variety is good, right?”

William realized he was almost smiling again. This was ridiculous. He didn’t smile. Not in twelve years.

“I’ll have dinner in the office,” he said quickly, forcing himself back to a neutral expression. “Bring it on a tray.”

“Yes, sir. Right away, sir.”

Jenny made an exaggerated bow that nearly threw her off balance again, then ran toward the kitchen. William stood in the room, staring at the broom that had fallen to the floor, listening to Jenny hum in the kitchen while clearly banging pots louder than necessary. He reached up and touched his mouth. The muscles there ached a little, like they’d been forced to make a move they hadn’t made in far too long. Twelve years without smiling—and just three minutes of watching a clumsy maid dance with a broom had broken that record.

William went back to his office, but he couldn’t focus on the financial reports in front of him. He kept hearing Jenny’s off‑key voice singing something about golden potatoes in a magic oven. For the first time in twelve years, William Harrison found himself eagerly waiting for someone to walk into his office. And when Jenny showed up ten minutes later, carrying a dangerously wobbly tray with half‑burnt chicken and a chaotic mix of vegetable textures, William realized something even more unsettling: he wasn’t just smiling on the inside. He was starting to feel curious—intrigued—by the new maid.

The next morning, Jenny arrived at the mansion humming a song about flying pancakes. She was carrying her huge bag, which seemed to hold half her house, tripped on the entrance rug, and managed to recover with a move that looked like an accidental breakdance.

“Good morning, beautiful house,” she announced to the walls, as she did every day. “Today is going to be a wonderful day for cleaning.”

William was in the dining room pretending to read the paper—but actually waiting for her to arrive. That was already strange. He never had breakfast at home. He always went straight to the office.

“Good morning, Mr. Harrison.”

Jenny came into the room like a whirlwind of energy. “I’m making a special breakfast today. Pancakes shaped like hearts or stars or—well, probably weird blobs, but they’ll taste amazing.”

“Black coffee is fine,” William replied, trying to sound indifferent.

“Black coffee? That’s it?” Jenny put her hands on her hips. “You need to eat properly. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. My grandma always said that—and she lived to be ninety‑three. Of course, she also ate bacon every day, so maybe not the best example.”

She kept talking to herself as she headed to the kitchen, and William caught himself smiling again. This was getting ridiculous. He was a serious businessman. He couldn’t just be grinning like a teenager.

Fifteen minutes later, Jenny came back with a tray. The pancakes really looked like strange blobs. There was orange juice spilled on the saucer, and the coffee cup had a napkin stuck to the side.

“All set! Five‑star breakfast!” she announced proudly, placing everything on the table. “Oops—wait.” She pulled the napkin off the cup, spilling a bit of coffee in the process. “Now it’s ready.”

William looked at the organized mess in front of him and felt something warm in his chest.

“Have you always been like this?” he asked suddenly.

“Like what?” Jenny tilted her head, genuinely curious.

“So cheerful.”

Jenny gave him that big grin of hers. “Oh yeah. My mom used to say I was born laughing. The doctor got confused because babies usually cry, but I came out giggling. I probably made that up, but I like to believe it’s true.”

She pulled out a chair and sat down, completely forgetting that staff usually didn’t sit at the table with their bosses. William should have corrected her, but he didn’t.

“And you? Have you always been this serious?” Jenny asked, grabbing a misshapen pancake with her hand.

That’s when something happened. The dining room door burst open and a woman walked in like she owned the place. Tall, blonde, wearing a flawless white suit and carrying an expensive leather briefcase. She had the kind of carefully polished beauty that only comes from hours at the salon every week.

“William, darling—we need to talk about the contract,” she said, dropping the briefcase right on the table—right on top of Jenny’s pancakes.

Jenny jumped up so fast she knocked the chair over with a loud thud. “I’m sorry! I didn’t know there was a guest. I’ll just—I—” She tried to grab the chair, banged her knee on the table, winced in pain—but kept smiling. “Excuse me.”

She ran out of the room, leaving a trail of pancake crumbs behind.

The woman glanced at the door with a look of disgust. “You hired another clumsy maid. I thought you learned your lesson after the one who broke the Ming vase.”

“What do you want, Victoria?” William asked, and his voice slipped back into its usual cold tone.

Victoria pulled out a chair, wiped it off with a handkerchief before sitting, and opened her briefcase. “I came to remind you of our deal. Six months living together, wedding at the end. You get the contract with my father. I get access to your hotel empire. Perfect arrangement.”

William’s stomach turned. He had forgotten. How had he forgotten? Three months ago, during a business meeting filled with wine he hadn’t even touched, Victoria and her father—the owner of the largest construction company in the country—had proposed it: a marriage of convenience. He had been so focused on the business merger that he agreed without really thinking.

“Victoria, about that—”

“No, ‘about that,’ William. The contract is signed. I’m moving in next week.” She smiled, but it was a cold smile. “It’ll be fun. I’ll take the master bedroom. You can sleep wherever. Nothing needs to happen between us except the paperwork.”

Meanwhile, Jenny was hiding behind the kitchen door—listening accidentally at first, then not so accidentally. She had come back to grab the tray she’d forgotten and ended up hearing the whole conversation. Marriage. A deal. That man who smiled yesterday was marrying that ice queen.

Jenny felt a strange ache in her chest. It didn’t make sense. She barely knew William Harrison. He was just her boss. A cold boss who had laughed yesterday when he saw her dancing with a broom—but still just a boss. So why did she feel like crying?

“Everything all right, Mr. Harrison?” A man’s voice interrupted Jenny’s thoughts. She turned around and saw an older man with gray hair and a neatly pressed suit—probably the butler or William’s personal assistant.

“Hi—sorry, I was just getting the tray,” Jenny said, pointing toward the dining room where the tray still sat.

The man gave a gentle smile. “I’m Thomas. I’ve worked with Mr. Harrison for twenty years. And you must be the new maid who made him laugh yesterday.”

Jenny’s eyes widened. “How do you know that?”

“When you’ve been around this house for two decades, you notice the little changes. And Mr. Harrison laughing? That’s a change the size of an earthquake.” Thomas lowered his voice. “Don’t worry about Miss Victoria. Paper marriages rarely last.”

“But it’s sad—getting married without love,” Jenny whispered back.

“Very sad. Mr. Harrison deserves someone who makes him smile for real.” Thomas gave her a knowing wink and walked off.

Jenny stood there, heart racing. She was being ridiculous. Completely ridiculous. But when she went back into the dining room to grab the tray and saw William staring out the window with that sad look while Victoria chatted on the phone about wedding arrangements, Jenny made a decision: she was going to make that man smile again. Every single day if she had to. Because no one who smiled like that—like they had just rediscovered something precious and lost—deserved to marry someone who treated them like a business deal.

Jenny grabbed the tray, balanced it on her hip in a way that almost toppled everything, and left the room humming a tune she just made up about heart‑shaped pancakes.

Victoria looked at her with disdain. “You really need to train your staff better, William.”

But William wasn’t listening to Victoria. He was hearing Jenny’s off‑key singing about pancakes—and for the second time in twelve years, a stubborn little smile was trying to sneak onto his face.

The next morning, Jenny showed up with a mission. She’d spent the whole night thinking about how to cheer up that sad old mansion. If William was going to marry that cold woman, then at least she could make sure he had a few happy moments before it happened.

She came into the kitchen carrying a mysterious box and nearly ran into Thomas, who was having his coffee.

“Good morning, Thomas. I brought reinforcements,” Jenny announced, setting the box on the table with so much excitement that she almost knocked over his cup.

“Reinforcements for what?” Thomas asked, curious.

“For Operation ‘Smile More.’”

Jenny opened the box, revealing silly costumes, clown noses, colorful wigs, and a book of jokes. “If this place is going to be the backdrop for a loveless wedding, then we might as well have a few laughs first.”

Thomas nearly choked on his coffee. “Miss Jenny, do you actually plan to wear this stuff?”

“Of course. Today I’m cleaning the library dressed as a pirate,” she said, grabbing a pirate hat with a pink feather. “Because regular cleaning is boring—but themed cleaning is an adventure.”

“Miss Victoria is arriving this afternoon to see the house,” Thomas warned, trying not to laugh.

“Perfect. I’ll make everything spotless. I mean—relatively spotless. As spotless as I can manage.” Jenny put the pirate hat on her head. “Where’s Mr. Harrison?”

“In his office, like always.”

Jenny grabbed a tray, placed coffee and toast on it, balanced it all a little unevenly, and marched toward the office. She knocked on the door with her foot since her hands were full.

“Come in,” William’s tired voice replied.

Jenny walked in, and William looked up from his papers. His face changed the moment he saw a maid dressed as a pirate holding a tray.

“Good morning, Captain Harrison. I brought you some sea coffee,” Jenny said in a silly pirate voice. “Arrr.”

William blinked three times like he was seeing a mirage. “Why are you dressed like a pirate?”

“Because it’s Thursday. Thursdays are pirate days.” Jenny placed the tray on his desk, only spilling two drops of coffee. “Actually, I just made that up now, but we could turn it into a tradition.”

She noticed William looking at the pink feather on her hat, and the corners of his mouth twitched, trying not to smile.

“You’re crazy,” he said, but his voice sounded softer than usual.

“I prefer the term ‘creatively enthusiastic.’” Jenny adjusted the hat, which was slipping. “And technically, I should have a parrot on my shoulder, but I thought that would be too much.”

“Parrots are loud.”

“Louder than your singing?” William asked, and this time he let the smile show.

“Hey—my singing is art.” Jenny pretended to be offended. “Unappreciated art, but still art.”

She started to leave the office, but tripped over her own foot. The feather from the hat smacked her in the face. She let out a funny little yelp, spun around trying to see the feather like it was a surprise attack, and ended up spinning three times before landing on the floor.

William stood up quickly. “Are you okay?”

Jenny looked up, the pink feather now covering half her face. “Totally. That was just a demonstration of how not to do twirls.”

She took the hand William offered to help her up. His hand was warm and steady, and Jenny felt that strange little flutter in her chest again. She let go too quickly and stumbled again—but this time she caught herself on the door.

“I’ll—I’ll go clean the library now. The books need me.”

She ran off, leaving William standing there with a silly smile on his face.

Three hours later, Jenny was in the library singing a made‑up pirate song while dusting the books. She used the feather duster like a sword, making dramatic moves. “Fifteen men on a chest—yo ho ho and a bottle of dish soap,” she improvised. “Dustin’ books all day long—yo ho ho and the dust be gone.”

“What is going on in here?”

Jenny turned so fast she hit herself in the face with the duster. Victoria was standing in the doorway looking at her like she was a bug.

“Hi—welcome. I’m Jenny, the housekeeper.” Jenny politely took off the pirate hat, but the pink feather whipped through the air and nearly knocked over a vase. “I was just doing some themed cleaning.”

“Themed cleaning?” Victoria repeated—every word dripping with disdain.

“Yes. It makes everything more fun. Last week was space‑themed. I wore alien antennae and—” Jenny realized Victoria wasn’t amused at all. “You know what? I’ll just go ahead and be quiet now.”

Victoria walked through the library, inspecting everything with a critical eye.

“William, where do you find these people?”

William had appeared behind her, and Jenny saw something in his face that made her chest tighten. He looked defeated.

“Jenny is very efficient,” William said, though his voice had gone cold again.

“Efficient?” Victoria picked up the pirate hat Jenny had left on an armchair. “Is this a house or a circus?”

Jenny bit her tongue. She wanted so badly to answer—to say that at least in a circus, people smiled. But she needed the job. She had bills to pay, dreams to chase.

“I’ll finish in another room,” Jenny said softly, gathering her cleaning supplies. As she passed by William, she whispered just for him to hear: “Pirates never give up, Captain.”

She saw his eyes blink in surprise—but she kept walking.

The rest of the day was tense. Victoria barked orders, rearranged furniture, complained about everything. Jenny could hear her from the kitchen while preparing dinner, and every comment Victoria made about the house stung like a personal insult.

“This mansion needs a full makeover,” Victoria said. “Everything here is outdated and lifeless.”

Jenny kneaded the bread dough with more strength than needed.

“Lifeless?” That house had history, memories, personality. It just needed someone who could see it.

Thomas walked into the kitchen and found Jenny punching the dough like a punching bag. “Careful, Miss Jenny. Keep that up and the bread will come out hard as a rock.”

“Sorry,” Jenny sighed. “It’s just that she’s so…”

“Unpleasant,” Thomas offered.

“I was going to say ‘cold,’ but ‘unpleasant’ works, too.”

Jenny started shaping the dough more gently. “How does Mr. Harrison put up with her?”

“He doesn’t. He just endures it. There’s a difference.” Thomas grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl. “You know, in twenty years working here, I’ve never seen Mr. Harrison so eager to have breakfast at home—or drop by the library in the middle of the afternoon for no reason.”

Jenny felt her cheeks warm. “He was just checking on the work.”

“Sure—and I’m the king of England.” Thomas took a bite of the apple. “Just keep doing what you’re doing, Miss Jenny. This place needs your light.”

When Jenny served dinner, Victoria complained about everything. The meat was too seasoned, the vegetables too raw, the sauce too thick. But Jenny noticed that William ate everything—and even went for seconds.

After dinner, while washing dishes, Jenny looked out the kitchen window and saw William on the porch alone, staring at the garden. He looked so lonely that Jenny had the sudden urge to run out and tell him a silly joke just to see him smile. But Victoria came out onto the porch, too, talking on the phone about wedding flowers—and the moment passed.

Jenny finished the dishes humming softly. Tomorrow was a new day, and she still had more costumes in her box. Maybe a ballerina tutu—or bunny ears. She smiled to herself. Operation “More Smiles” had just begun.

The next morning, Jenny woke up with a brilliant idea. If Victoria wanted to turn that house into a lifeless museum, she was going to prove that fun and efficiency could go hand in hand. She arrived at the mansion wearing a regular apron—but under her arm, she carried a curly red wig and a big red clown nose. Plan B was in motion.

Thomas found her in the kitchen making pancakes. “Good morning, Miss Jenny. No costume today?”

“Strategy, Thomas. Strategy.” Jenny flipped a pancake with such flair that it flew too high and stuck to the ceiling. “Oops. That was intentional. Ceiling décor.”

Thomas looked at the pancake dripping from the ceiling and sighed. “Of course it was.”

Jenny managed to make a decent batch of pancakes and was setting them on a tray when she heard voices coming from the dining room. Victoria was already awake—and judging by the tone, not in a good mood.

“William, we need to talk about the staff. That clown maid needs to be fired.”

Jenny froze behind the door, tray in hand.

“Jenny does a good job.” William’s voice sounded tired.

“She’s a disgrace. Yesterday she was dressed like a pirate. A pirate, William. What if we have important guests?”

“Then she won’t wear costumes when we have guests.”

Jenny felt a little warmth in her chest. He was defending her.

“You’re too soft on the staff. Once I move in permanently, I’m going to reorganize this entire house. Starting with the employees.”

Jenny took a deep breath. She wasn’t going to let that woman take her job—or worse, take the joy out of that house. She walked into the room with the tray—a huge smile on her face.

“Good morning! Fresh pancakes. Just a heads‑up, there’s one stuck to the kitchen ceiling, but these here are perfect.”

Victoria looked at her with disgust. “On the ceiling?”

“It was a scientific accident. I’m studying gravity.”

Jenny set the tray on the table. “Anyone want orange juice? I promise it won’t end up on the ceiling.”

William hid a smile behind his coffee cup. Victoria noticed—and her face grew even sourer.

“You may leave now,” Victoria dismissed Jenny with a wave of her hand.

“Of course. I have a lot of work today. I’m cleaning the attic.”

Jenny left the room, but before closing the door, she turned around and gave William a wink. He nearly choked on his coffee.

The attic was a forgotten space at the top of the mansion. Jenny climbed the creaky wooden stairs, carrying cleaning supplies and humming as she went. When she opened the door, she stepped into a world of possibilities: old boxes, furniture covered with white sheets, paintings leaning against the walls. Jenny loved attics. They were like time machines.

She started exploring, carefully opening the boxes. Inside one, she found photo albums. Curious, she began flipping through them. The first pictures showed a much younger William—maybe in his twenties—and he was smiling. Really smiling. Beside him was a beautiful woman with brown hair and a warm smile. Jenny turned more pages. More photos of the couple: trips, dinners, simple moments. In every single one, William looked happy. Then the pictures changed. William began appearing alone, serious, and eventually there were no more photos.

“What are you doing up here?”

Jenny jumped so hard she knocked the whole box over. Photos flew everywhere. William stood in the attic doorway, his expression impossible to read.

“I’m sorry. I was cleaning and found the boxes and I got curious and couldn’t resist and—” Jenny dropped to her knees, scrambling to gather the scattered pictures. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have gone through them.”

William stood there for a moment. Then he walked over, knelt down beside her, and started helping her pick them up.

“Her name was Elizabeth,” he said softly, holding a photo of the couple. “My wife.”

Jenny felt a tightness in her chest. “Your wife?”

“She passed away twelve years ago. Car accident.” William gently ran his finger over the photo in a way Jenny had never seen from him before. “On the day it happened, we’d argued over something silly. I told her I worked too much because she spent too much. She left angry. I never saw her again.”

Jenny didn’t know what to say. Her eyes began to fill with tears.

“That’s why I stopped smiling,” William went on. “It felt wrong to be happy after being so cruel to her in our final hours.”

“Mr. Harrison—” Jenny started, but he cut her off.

“William. Up here, you can call me William.”

Jenny nodded, holding a photo where he and Elizabeth were making funny faces for the camera. “She seemed fun.”

“She was. Always laughing, singing, coming up with crazy ideas.” William looked at her. “She reminds me of you.”

The silence that followed was full of meaning. Jenny felt her face flush.

“But I’m annoying,” she tried to joke. “That’s what people say.”

“You’re refreshing. That’s different.” William carefully placed the photos back in the box. “Elizabeth would have loved you. The two of you together probably would have created complete chaos.”

Jenny smiled through her tears. “That sounds like a pretty big compliment.”

“It is.”

William stood up and offered his hand to help her. “Jenny, about the wedding with Victoria—”

“You don’t have to explain anything,” Jenny said quickly. Maybe too quickly. “It’s your life. Your choices.”

“But it’s not what I want,” he whispered.

They stood there, hands still linked in the middle of that dusty attic—and Jenny felt something shift between them.

“William, where are you?” Victoria’s voice echoed through the house, breaking the moment.

William let go of her hand like it had burned him. “I have to go.”

He walked out quickly, leaving Jenny alone in the attic, her heart racing. She looked around at the boxes full of memories of a lost love and felt a strange mix of sadness and confusion. William had loved someone deeply. He still did. That was clear. And her? What was she feeling?

Jenny shook her head. She couldn’t be falling for her boss. Her engaged boss. Her widowed, engaged boss who hadn’t smiled in twelve years but now smiled at her.

“You are in trouble, Jenny Rodriguez,” she told herself.

She decided to focus on cleaning. She spent the next few hours organizing the attic, singing sad songs that matched her confused mood. When she came down to start lunch, she found Victoria in the kitchen on the phone talking about the wedding dress. Jenny tried to ignore it, but every word felt like a tiny sting.

“Yes, I want something elegant, expensive. It needs to show that this wedding matters. No, it doesn’t have to be romantic. It’s just a well‑executed deal.”

Jenny crushed the tomato she was slicing with more force than necessary.

“Careful, Miss Jenny,” Thomas said, appearing at her side. “You’re about to make tomato juice instead of salad.”

“Sorry. I’m distracted.”

“Distracted thinking about a certain someone?” Thomas gave her a knowing smile.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jenny lied poorly.

“Of course you don’t.” Thomas picked up a kitchen towel. “I’ll just say this—contracts can be broken, especially when the heart figures out what it really wants.” He left the kitchen, leaving Jenny deep in thought.

Was there hope? Did she have any chance against a rich, elegant woman offering the business deal of the century? Jenny looked at her reflection in the window: messy hair, an apron stained with tomato sauce, and a smudge of dust on her face—she had no idea how it got there. She was the complete opposite of Victoria in every way. But she made William smile. And maybe—just maybe—that meant something.

The next day, Jenny showed up determined to keep her distance. Complicated feelings for engaged bosses never led to anything good. She needed the job—and her sanity.

But the universe had other plans.

She was cleaning the living room when she heard an argument coming from the office. The door was slightly open and the voices of William and Victoria echoed down the hallway.

“I’m not changing the wedding date, Victoria. Three months is enough time.”

“Enough, William. I need at least six months to plan everything. The guest list. The venue. The—”

“Three months or we cancel.”

Jenny tried not to listen, but it was impossible. She was practically glued to the hallway wall with the duster in her hand.

“You’re being impossible. This is just a contract. Why are you making it so complicated?” Victoria asked, clearly annoyed.

“Maybe because I realized even contracts involve real lives.”

Jenny bit her lip. Her heart made a strange leap.

“This is about that ridiculous maid, isn’t it?” Victoria’s voice rose. “I saw how you look at her.”

Jenny held her breath.

“This has nothing to do with Jenny,” William replied—but his voice faltered a little when he said her name.

“Of course it does! You’ve changed since she got here. You smile for no reason. Show up wherever she’s working. Defend her whenever I say something.”

Jenny felt her face burn. So it wasn’t just her imagination. Victoria had noticed, too.

“Victoria, I think we should reconsider this arrangement.”

The silence that followed was heavy. Jenny gripped the duster so tightly she nearly snapped the handle.

“Reconsider?” Victoria let out a humorless laugh. “You signed a contract, William. My father is already preparing the company merger. If you back out now, you’ll lose the biggest deal of your life.”

“Maybe some deals aren’t worth the cost.”

Jenny heard footsteps approaching and ran down the hallway, bumping into Thomas, who was carrying a tray of tea. The tea flew, the tray crashed, and Jenny ended up sitting on the floor soaked in cold tea.

“Miss Jenny!” Thomas exclaimed.

The office door opened. William and Victoria came out and found Jenny on the floor soaked, with Thomas trying to help her up.

“My goodness, what a mess.” Victoria rolled her eyes. “Is it always like this?”

“It was an accident,” Jenny said quickly, taking Thomas’s hand. She avoided looking at William. “I’ll clean everything up right away.”

She rushed to the kitchen before anyone could say anything else, her face burning with shame.

While changing her wet apron for a dry one, Jenny noticed her hands were trembling. William had said he wanted to reconsider the wedding—because of her.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Jenny,” she said to herself. “He’s a billionaire. You’re the maid. That only works in movies.”

But her heart wasn’t listening to reason.

The rest of the day passed in a strange fog. Jenny did her tasks on autopilot, trying not to think, not to feel. When it was time to prepare dinner, she burned the rice, cut her finger while chopping onions, and dropped a pitcher of juice on the floor.

“Miss Jenny, are you all right?” Thomas asked, concerned.

“I’m great. Perfect. Never been better,” Jenny answered with a fake smile while mopping up the juice. “Just a clumsy day. More clumsy than usual, I mean.”

Thomas knelt beside her. “Listen, young lady. I’ve seen a lot in this house over twenty years. I saw Mr. William happy. I saw him fall apart. I saw him become a hollow shell. And these past few weeks, I’ve seen him come back to life—because of you.”

Jenny felt her eyes fill with tears. “But he’s going to marry her.”

“Contracts are just paper. What I saw today was a man starting to wonder if he should sell his soul for a deal.” Thomas patted her shoulder. “Don’t give up just yet.”

That night, Jenny was sent home early because Victoria had invited some friends over for dinner and didn’t want the clumsy maid around. Jenny took the bus home with a heavy heart. Her small apartment had never felt so empty. She had lived alone ever since coming to the big city three years ago, chasing a dream of starting her own cleaning business. But life was expensive, money was tight, and the dream kept drifting farther away.

Working at the Harrison estate paid well—well enough for her to finally start saving money. But now, this job was starting to mess with her heart in a dangerous way.

Jenny took a long shower, put on her most comfortable pajamas, and was making some hot chocolate when the phone rang. Unknown number.

“Hello?”

“Jenny. It’s William.”

She almost dropped the mug. “Mr. Harrison—how did you get my number?”

“It’s on your employee file. Sorry to call like this. I just…” He paused. “You left so quickly today. I wanted to check if you were okay.”

Jenny sat on the couch, her heart pounding. “I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You heard the conversation in the office, didn’t you?”

There was no point in lying. “I overheard it by accident. I promise it wasn’t on purpose.”

“Jenny, about what Victoria said—”

“You don’t owe me any explanations,” she cut in. “Really, it’s your life.”

“But I want to explain.” His voice sounded different—softer. “When I made that deal with Victoria, I was empty. I didn’t care about anything besides work. It seemed like a good arrangement. A business merger with no emotional complications.”

Jenny stayed quiet, listening.

“But then you showed up—dancing with a broom, singing off key, falling down the stairs, burning dinners—and suddenly I…” He took a deep breath. “Suddenly I remembered that life is more than contracts and deals.”

“William…” Jenny whispered.

“I can’t ask anything of you. It wouldn’t be fair. You work for me. I’m engaged. It’s all wrong and complicated. But I needed you to know. You made me smile again. After twelve years—you showed me I’m still capable of feeling something.”

Tears were streaming down Jenny’s face. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know yet. But I know I can’t go on like this. I can’t marry someone I don’t love after realizing I’m still capable of…” He stopped.

“Capable of what?”

The silence stretched for several seconds. “Good night, Jenny. Sorry for bothering you.”

He hung up before she could respond.

Jenny sat on the couch holding the phone, the hot chocolate growing cold on the coffee table. Her heart was a mess of conflicting emotions. Was William saying he had feelings for her—or was she misunderstanding everything?

She grabbed a pillow and screamed into it. Something between frustration and confused joy. Life had been so much simpler when she was just a clumsy maid who sang with brooms.

Jenny stayed up all night tossing and turning in bed, imagining a thousand different scenarios. In every one of them, something went wrong: she got fired; Victoria humiliated her in front of everyone; William realized it had all been a moment of weakness. But in one stubborn corner of her heart, there was a small, bright hope. What if it worked out?

The next morning, Jenny could barely get out of bed. She had slept only two hours, and her brain was still trying to process William’s call. She drank three cups of coffee before heading to work—and still felt like she was in a confusing dream.

When she arrived at the mansion, she found unusual activity. Three cars were parked out front and people were carrying boxes inside.

“What’s going on?” Jenny asked Thomas, who was supervising the chaos.

“Miss Victoria is moving in today. She moved the schedule up.” Thomas made a face. “And brought half the décor shops in Seattle with her.”

Jenny’s stomach turned. Victoria moving in meant everything was becoming more real—more permanent.

“Where’s Mr. Harrison?”

“Locked in his office since six this morning. Didn’t want coffee. Didn’t want to talk.” Thomas lowered his voice. “He’s not doing well.”

Jenny bit her lip. She wanted to run to the office—but what would she say? Besides, Victoria was walking down the hallway just then, barking orders at the movers.

“No, no, that couch goes in the living room, not the guest room. Can’t any of you follow simple instructions?”

Victoria huffed in annoyance—then spotted Jenny standing there.

“Oh, you. Since you’re just standing around, go make some tea for my decorators—and don’t burn the water this time.”

Jenny clenched her fists, but forced a smile. “Of course. Tea coming right up.”

She walked to the kitchen, taking deep breaths to keep herself calm. While she was making the tea, she heard Victoria talking on the phone.

“Yes, Daddy. I’m moving in today. William’s hesitant, but a contract is a contract. He won’t back out. What? No. I don’t care if he’s in love with the maid. It’ll pass. Men are predictable.”

Jenny dropped the spoon. So—Victoria knew. And didn’t care.

“When he realizes he threw away the biggest deal of his life over some silly crush, he’ll thank me for being firm. Trust me.”

Jenny finished making the tea with trembling hands. This wasn’t just a silly crush. She was… well, she didn’t know what she was—but it hurt to be reduced like that. She carried the tray into the room where three elegant women were talking about curtain colors with Victoria.

“Finally,” Victoria said, taking a cup without thanking her. “Jenny, after this I want you to clean all the rooms on the second floor. I’m turning one of them into a closet.”

“A closet?” Jenny repeated. “You already have a huge closet in the master bedroom.”

“And now I’ll have two. Is that a problem?”

Jenny took a deep breath. “No problem.”

She left before saying something that could cost her the job.

The day was chaotic. Movers going up and down the stairs, decorators measuring walls, Victoria giving contradictory orders. Jenny would clean one room only to find it messy again minutes later.

By mid‑afternoon, she finally found the courage to go to the office. She knocked gently.

“Come in.”

William was sitting behind the desk—but he wasn’t working. He was just staring into space, a cold cup of coffee in front of him. He had deep circles under his eyes and looked like he’d aged ten years.

“I brought fresh coffee,” Jenny said softly, setting a new cup down on the desk.

“Thank you.”

He looked at her—and Jenny saw so much sadness in his eyes it made her chest tighten.

“Did you get any sleep?” she asked before she could stop herself.

“Not much.” William ran a hand through his hair, leaving it messy. “Jenny—about last night—”

“You don’t have to.”

“Yes, I do.” He stood and walked over to the window. “I shouldn’t have called. It was inappropriate. Confusing. I put you in a difficult position.”

“William—Victoria is moving in today. The wedding is in two months. My lawyer says breaking the contract will cost millions—and the company merger…” He spoke like he was reciting facts without emotion. “It’s the sensible thing to do.”

Jenny felt tears burning in her eyes. “Sensible. Of course.”

“I can’t ask you to understand. But I built this company from nothing. My father left me only debts. It took me twenty years to get here. This merger will change everything—secure the future for hundreds of employees.”

“And your future?” Jenny asked, her voice shaking. “Does what you want not matter?”

William turned to her—and she saw the answer in his eyes before he even spoke. “What I want is impossible.”

They stood there, the distance between them feeling like a deep canyon. Jenny wanted to shout that nothing was impossible—that love was worth more than any business deal—but the words stuck in her throat.

The office door burst open. Victoria walked in without knocking. “William, I need your opinion on the curtains for the— Oh.” She looked from Jenny to William, then gave a cold smile. “Did I interrupt something?”

“Jenny was bringing coffee,” William said quickly.

“How thoughtful.” Victoria stepped closer to William and ran her hand down his arm with familiar possessiveness. “Darling, I really do need your opinion. This is our home now. You should be involved in the decisions.”

Jenny felt sick. “Excuse me. I have work to do.”

She left the office almost running, the tears finally falling. She locked herself in the hallway bathroom and let herself cry quietly, hand over her mouth to muffle the sobs. How had things gotten so complicated so fast? Just a month ago, she was a happy maid singing with brooms. Now she was in love with a man she could never have.

When she managed to pull herself together, she washed her face and went back to work. The rest of the day passed in a haze of pain. Jenny cleaned mechanically, avoided everyone—especially William.

Late in the afternoon, Thomas found her in the laundry room folding towels more forcefully than necessary.

“Miss Jenny, may I speak with you for a moment?”

“Of course, Thomas.” Jenny tried to smile, but couldn’t quite manage it.

“I saw Mr. William this morning—before all this madness started,” Thomas said, sitting down in a chair. “He was writing something—a letter, I think—and he was crying.”

Jenny froze. “Crying?”

“For the first time since Miss Elizabeth’s funeral, I saw tears on his face.” Thomas placed a hand on her shoulder. “That man is broken, miss. Torn between duty and heart—and it’s tearing him apart.”

“But he chose duty,” Jenny said quietly. “For now.”

Thomas stood up. “I’m just saying—sometimes men need a little push to do the right thing… or the wrong thing that’s actually the right thing. You know what I mean?”

Jenny didn’t quite understand—but she nodded anyway.

That night, Jenny was the last to leave. She was putting away the cleaning supplies when she heard arguing coming from the living room. William and Victoria’s voices echoed down the quiet hallway.

“You can’t change everything in this house, Victoria.”

“I can—and I will. This house feels like an old museum. It needs life. Modern style.”

“This house has history. Memories.”

“Memories of who? Your late wife, William? She’s been gone for twelve years. You have to move on.”

The silence that followed was ice‑cold.

“Don’t talk about Elizabeth,” William’s voice was dangerously low.

“Why not? It’s the truth. You’re stuck in the past—and now you’re confusing your feelings for some clumsy maid with some kind of divine sign.”

Jenny leaned against the wall, her heart pounding.

“Leave Jenny out of this.”

“Jenny, Jenny, Jenny—that’s all you think about lately?” Victoria shouted. “Wake up, William. She’s the maid. You’re a billionaire. This isn’t a fairy tale.”

“And what about us? What are we then? A business deal?” William shot back, his voice rising, too.

Jenny ran out before she could hear more. She grabbed her bag and left, tears blurring her vision.

The next morning, Jenny almost called in sick—but giving up wasn’t in her nature. She had been through worse and survived. She arrived at the mansion with puffy eyes from crying all night—but her head held high. She’d made a decision during that sleepless night: she would do her job, save up money, open her own cleaning business, and forget about William Harrison. Simple as that—or at least that’s what she kept telling herself.

Thomas found her in the kitchen making breakfast. “Good morning, Miss Jenny. How are you feeling?”

“Great. Wonderful. Full of energy,” Jenny lied, forcing a big smile as she cracked eggs into a bowl so hard half the shells fell in, too.

“I see.” Thomas quietly started picking out the shells. “Miss Victoria left early for a meeting with the wedding planner.”

“And Mr. William?”

“Well, he’s in a terrible mood.”

“Not my problem,” Jenny said, whisking the eggs like she was in a boxing match.

Just then, William walked into the kitchen. His under‑eye circles looked worse than the day before. He clearly hadn’t slept.

“Good morning,” he said.

“Good morning, Mr. Harrison. Breakfast is ready.”

The formality stung. William noticed it in the way her shoulders tensed.

“Jenny, we need to talk.”

“There’s nothing to talk about. I’ll just make your breakfast.”

She poured the eggs into the frying pan—and the hot oil nearly splashed on her arm.

“Ow.”

William took two steps forward. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine.” Jenny pulled back as he tried to look. “It’s just a splash.”

The silence in the kitchen grew heavy. Thomas looked between the two of them—then quietly stepped out.

“Jenny, please look at me.”

She turned, holding the spatula like it was a weapon. “What do you want me to say, Mr. Harrison? That I understand? That it’s all fine? Because it’s not. But what I feel doesn’t matter anyway. I’m just the maid—and you’re the boss who’s about to marry someone else. So let’s just pretend that phone call never happened.”

William went pale. “You think this is easy for me?”

“I don’t know—and I shouldn’t care.” Jenny felt her eyes fill up again. “But I do care—and that’s the problem. So please—just let me do my job.”

The front door slammed. Victoria was back earlier than expected.

“William—where are you?” Her voice echoed through the house.

William looked at Jenny one last time—then walked out of the kitchen without a word.

Jenny dropped the spatula and leaned on the sink, breathing deep. Crying at work wasn’t an option. She was strong—always had been. She’d been through worse. So why did this hurt so much?

The day dragged on. Jenny cleaned, cooked—did everything on autopilot. Victoria was especially demanding, changing her mind about the decorations every five minutes and making Jenny rearrange the same rooms over and over.

“No, no, no. The vases go on the other table. How can you be so incompetent?” Victoria snapped.

Jenny bit her tongue and moved the vases for the fourth time.

Later in the afternoon, while dusting the library, Jenny heard voices from the garden. She peeked through the window and saw William talking to an older man. The conversation looked serious—probably business. She shouldn’t care. She shouldn’t keep imagining how things could be different—if she were rich, elegant, part of his world. But Jenny was never one to live in fantasy. She was realistic, practical. And the truth was plain: she and William came from completely different worlds.

That evening, while making dinner, Jenny finally let her emotions out—the only way she knew worked: through music. She started quietly singing a sad song her mother used to sing about impossible love and broken hearts. Her voice sounded better than usual—full of real emotion.

“You sing beautifully when you’re sad.”

Jenny turned around, startled. William was standing in the doorway—alone.

“I thought you were in a meeting,” she said, drying her hands on her apron.

“It’s over. Jenny—I can’t take this anymore. This distance between us—it’s killing me.”

“William, don’t—”

“Please let me talk.”

He stepped into the kitchen and closed the door. “I spent the whole night thinking. I read that contract over a thousand times—talked to three different lawyers.”

Jenny’s heart started racing.

“And—and they all said the same thing. If I break the contract now, I won’t just lose the merger. I’ll probably lose half the company in lawsuits. Victoria’s father is ruthless in business.”

The little hope Jenny had vanished. “So that’s it.”

“But then I realized something.” William stepped closer. “Elizabeth taught me that money comes and goes. Companies can be rebuilt. Deals rise and fall. But true love—you only find it if you’re lucky. And when you do, you fight for it.”

Tears rolled down Jenny’s face. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I’m going to break the contract. I’ll face the lawsuits. I’ll rebuild whatever I have to—because I can’t marry Victoria when I’m completely in love with you.”

Jenny covered her mouth, sobbing.

“I am hopelessly, desperately, completely in love with the clumsiest, funniest, most amazing housekeeper I’ve ever met.” William took her hands. “Jenny Rodriguez, you brought me back to life. You showed me there’s still joy in the world—and I’d be the biggest fool on earth to let you go over a piece of paper.”

“But your company—”

“I’ll rebuild it. I’ve done it before. I’ll do it again. But you—you’re one of a kind. Irreplaceable.”

Jenny couldn’t stop crying. “I’m in love with you, too. I tried not to be—but I failed completely.”

William gave her that smile she loved. Gently held her face in his hands—and leaned in.

The kitchen door burst open. Victoria stood in the doorway, her face red with anger, holding her phone.

“I knew it. I knew there was something going on between you two.”

William stepped away from Jenny—but didn’t let go of her hand. “Victoria, we need to talk.”

“Talk? Talk?” Victoria laughed bitterly. “You think you can fool me? I recorded everything—every sweet little word, every declaration.” She waved the phone in the air. “My lawyer’s going to love this. Breach of contract for being involved with a staff member. You’ll pay me double, William Harrison.”

Jenny felt the blood drain from her face. She had ruined everything.

“This has nothing to do with Jenny,” William said firmly. “I was ending the contract anyway.”

“Sure you were,” Victoria snapped. “That’s why you were in here—pouring your heart out to the maid.” She looked at Jenny with disgust. “I hope you’re happy. You just cost your little boyfriend half his fortune.”

She stormed out, already dialing a number on her phone.

Jenny let go of William’s hand. “What have I done? I ruined everything.”

“You didn’t ruin anything. This was going to happen no matter what.” William tried to pull her back—but she stepped away.

“William—she recorded everything. She’s going to sue you for even more money because of me.”

“And I don’t care, Jenny. You’re not getting it.”

“I get it perfectly!” Jenny was almost shouting now—her emotions overflowing. “You’re going to lose everything because of me. And I can’t—I can’t be the reason for that.”

“Jenny—I chose you.”

“I have to go,” she said, untying her apron with shaking hands. “I have to get out of here.”

“No—don’t run away from me now.” William gently held her arms. “I chose you. I choose you. No matter what happens.”

Jenny looked into those eyes—the ones that had learned to smile again—and felt her heart break and heal at the same time.

“Are you sure? Absolutely sure? Because once you do this, there’s no going back.”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” William rested his forehead against hers. “You’re worth every lawsuit, every dollar, every problem that comes with it.”

And there, in the middle of a kitchen that smelled like garlic and spices—with Victoria’s angry voice echoing through the house—William finally kissed Jenny. It was a soft kiss, full of promises and new beginnings. A kiss that said: some loves are worth any cost.

When they pulled apart, Jenny was both laughing and crying. “You’re crazy, William Harrison.”

“Completely crazy about you.”

Two hours later, the mansion looked like a battlefield. Victoria had left—taking all her things in record time—shouting threats about lawsuits and financial ruin. Thomas watched it all with a face that switched between worry and satisfaction.

Jenny sat on the living room couch, still trying to process everything that had just happened. William was pacing back and forth in the office on the phone with his lawyers.

“Yes. I understand the consequences. No, I’m not changing my mind. Prepare the documents to end the contract.”

His voice was firm. Steady.

When he hung up, he returned to the room where Jenny was nervously biting her nails.

“So?” she asked.

“So—we’re going to be sued for approximately fifteen million dollars,” William said it like he was commenting on the weather.

Jenny choked. “Fifteen million, William? That’s… a lot of money.”

“I know.” He sat down next to her and took her hand. “But it’s still worth it.”

“How can you be so calm?” Jenny stood up and started pacing. “Fifteen million. I could clean houses for three hundred years and never make that much. And it’s all because of me.”

“It’s because of my choice,” William corrected her. “Jenny—I have resources. Yes, it’s going to hurt financially, but I won’t go bankrupt. And even if I did—I’d build everything back again. But you—you’re one of a kind.”

Jenny stopped pacing and looked at him. “You really believe that?”

“With every fiber of my being.”

Thomas appeared at the door holding a tray of tea. “Sorry to interrupt the romantic moment, but I thought you might need something calming—and maybe some cookies. Cookies help in a crisis.”

Jenny laughed through her tears. “Thank you, Thomas.”

“You’re welcome, Miss Jenny. By the way—if I may say so, these past twenty years working here have all been worth it just to see this moment.” He smiled warmly. “Mr. William has finally come back to life.”

After Thomas left, William pulled Jenny back down to the couch. “We need to talk about a few practical things.”

“Practical like… me being unemployed?” Jenny tried to joke—but her voice cracked.

“You’re not unemployed. You were never really working for me,” William said, smiling. “But now we need to figure out how to move forward. The press will find out about the broken engagement. Victoria will make sure of it.”

“Great. I’ll be the ‘wedding‑wrecking maid’ in the tabloids.” Jenny buried her face in her hands.

“Or you could be the brave woman who won the heart of a grumpy billionaire.” William gently pulled her hands away from her face. “It depends on how we tell the story.”

“William, I don’t even know if I’m ready for this—to be in public, to deal with attention, to…” She waved her hands vaguely.

“To be my girlfriend?” he finished, smiling.

Jenny felt her face flush. “When you say it like that, it sounds so simple.”

“Because it is simple. I like you. You like me. The rest we figure out together.”

At that moment, Jenny’s phone rang. It was her best friend, Lisa, who worked at a café downtown.

“Excuse me—I need to take this.” Jenny stepped away. “Hi, Lisa.”

“Jenny Rodriguez—why is there a picture of you leaving the Harrison mansion on a gossip site?” Lisa practically shouted.

“What?” Jenny went pale.

“A photo of you crying—running out yesterday. The caption says, ‘Mysterious maid flees after argument at the Harrison mansion.’ There are three thousand comments.”

Jenny looked at William, panicked. “It’s already started.”

He grabbed his laptop and started typing quickly. There it was—a blurry photo of Jenny leaving the mansion, clearly emotional. The comments were a mix of curiosity, gossip, and some very nasty remarks.

“It’ll get worse once Victoria gives her version,” William said.

“Seriously.”

“Lisa—I’ll call you back.” Jenny hung up and sat down heavily. “Maybe we should have thought this through better.”

“No.” William closed the laptop. “We’re not letting gossip decide our lives. Tomorrow, we’ll tell our side of the story.”

“How?”

“We’re going out to dinner. To a public place—where people can see us. We’ll show that we have nothing to hide.”

Jenny’s eyes widened. “You want our first official outing… in the middle of all this chaos?”

“Exactly—because of the chaos. We need to take control of the story.” William held her hands. “Unless you don’t want to. I’ll understand if it feels like too much too soon.”

Jenny thought for a moment. She’d always been someone who jumped headfirst into things—someone who wasn’t afraid to take risks. Why stop now?

“All right. Let’s go to dinner.” She took a deep breath. “But I don’t have anything to wear to a fancy restaurant. My wardrobe is made up of maid uniforms and flannel pajamas with kitten prints.”

William laughed—that genuine laugh Jenny loved to hear. “Then let’s go shopping first.”

“Shopping? William, I can’t let you—”

“Let me what? Spoil my girlfriend?” He raised an eyebrow. “Jenny, you’re going to have to get used to it. I’m a billionaire. Spoiling comes with the package.”

“Technically, you’ll be a little less of a billionaire after paying Victoria fifteen million,” Jenny joked.

“There’s still enough left for some clothes,” William said, pulling her into a hug. “And to make your dreams come true, too.”

“My dreams?”

“Thomas told me. You’ve been thinking about starting a cleaning business—something about turning housework into an art form.”

Jenny pulled back to look at him. “He talks too much.”

“Or maybe he said exactly what I needed to hear,” William smiled. “Think of it as an investment. I help you reach your dream. You help remind me how to smile. Fair trade.”

“You’re impossible,” Jenny said—but she was smiling. “Hopelessly in love with you.”

They spent the rest of the afternoon planning. William canceled all his meetings for the next day. Jenny called Lisa to tell her everything, and Thomas kept showing up with food, tea—or just to share a knowing smile.

By the time Jenny finally got home that night, she was exhausted—but strangely happy. Her life had completely flipped upside down in just a few hours.

The next morning, William showed up at her apartment right at ten—driving a car that probably cost more than the entire building.

“Ready for our adventure?” he asked as she got in.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Jenny replied, nervous.

The first store was intimidating. Elegant salespeople looked Jenny up and down, clearly judging her faded jeans and plain T‑shirt.

“Welcome back, Mr. Harrison.” A manager approached with a professional smile. “How can I help you today?”

“I need a dress for my girlfriend. Something elegant—but comfortable.” William casually placed his hand on Jenny’s waist.

The manager blinked in surprise, looked at Jenny again—this time with renewed interest. “Of course. We have some lovely pieces that would look perfect on her.”

Two hours and twelve dresses later, Jenny was exhausted. “I can’t decide between the emerald green or the red one.”

“Take both,” William said simply.

“William—I can’t—”

“You can—and you will,” he said, already handing over his credit card.

Jenny walked out of the store with four dresses, three pairs of shoes, and a small purse that cost more than three months of her old salary. She felt half guilty, half like a fairy‑tale princess.

“Last stop—beauty salon,” William announced.

“Salon? But—”

“No arguing. You’ll feel more confident tonight.”

He was right. Three hours later—with professionally styled hair and makeup—Jenny barely recognized herself in the mirror. She was still Jenny, but a polished, elegant version. When she got back to the car, William looked at her for a long moment.

“You look beautiful. You always have—but now you’re glowing.”

“I feel like a fraud,” Jenny admitted.

“Then we’re both frauds. I feel like a man pretending to be romantic after twelve years of emotional isolation.” William took her hand. “But we’re in this together.”

That evening, when they walked into the most exclusive restaurant in Seattle, every head turned. Jenny gripped William’s hand tighter, her heart pounding.

“Breathe,” William whispered in her ear. “If you trip—I’ll catch you.”

Jenny let out a nervous laugh. “You know my track record well.”

“And I love every stumble.”

They were seated at a table by the window—right in view. Jenny noticed a few discreet camera flashes from phones. Tomorrow they’d be all over the gossip sites.

“Ready?” William asked, squeezing her hand across the table.

Jenny looked at this man—this man who had learned how to smile again, who had chosen love over business deals, who was looking at her like she was the most precious thing in the world.

“Ready,” she replied. And for the first time in a long time, Jenny truly believed everything might just turn out okay.

Dinner started out calm. William ordered wine. Jenny asked for water—too nervous to risk spilling red wine on a very expensive dress. The waiter brought the menu and she stared at the complicated French names, understanding none of it.

“What do you recommend?” she whispered to William.

“The mushroom risotto is excellent. Or the grilled salmon.”

“I’ll trust you,” Jenny said, quickly closing the menu.

They placed their orders, and Jenny began to relax a bit. They talked about everyday things. William told a story about a disastrous meeting where a client actually fell asleep during the presentation.

Jenny laughed so hard she nearly knocked over her glass of water. “He actually snored?” she asked in disbelief.

“Loudly. Everyone pretended not to notice—but it was awkward.”

William was smiling—that smile she loved. “At least he was comfortable. That must count for something, right?”

At that moment, a woman in her fifties approached the table. She wore expensive clothes and had the kind of posture that said she was used to getting her way.

“William Harrison—what a surprise to see you here,” she said loudly—clearly hoping to be noticed.

“Good evening, Helen.” William stood politely.

“And who is your companion?” Helen looked at Jenny with thinly veiled curiosity.

“This is Jenny Rodriguez, my girlfriend,” William said proudly, placing his hand on Jenny’s shoulder.

“Girlfriend? But I thought you were engaged to James Montgomery’s daughter.” Helen pretended to be surprised—but she was clearly enjoying the gossip.

“Plans changed,” William replied simply.

Helen looked Jenny up and down. “Interesting. Very interesting.” She smiled—but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Well—enjoy your dinner.”

As soon as she walked away, Jenny let out the breath she’d been holding. “She’s going to tell everyone.”

“She’s probably already texting people,” William said, sitting back down. “But it doesn’t matter. Let them talk.”

The food arrived—and it was delicious. Jenny was mid‑bite into her risotto when she noticed a woman across the restaurant taking a photo of her.

“William—that woman—”

“Ignore it. The more we react, the worse it gets.”

Jenny tried to follow his advice—but it was hard. She had never been the center of attention before. In fact, she’d always been the opposite—the kind of person no one really noticed.

“How do you deal with this?” she asked.

“Practice—and reminding myself that strangers’ opinions don’t define who we are.” William reached across the table and took her hand. “But I understand if it’s too much. We can leave.”

“No.” Jenny straightened her shoulders. “I’m not letting nosy people ruin our dinner. Besides, this risotto is way too good to waste.”

William laughed. “That’s my girl.”

They finished dinner chatting, laughing—and ignoring the curious glances. During dessert, Jenny spilled a bit of chocolate sauce on the tablecloth, and instead of being embarrassed, she made a joke about “marking her territory.”

When they left the restaurant, three photographers were waiting at the door.

“Mr. Harrison, is it true you broke off the engagement?”

“Who was the woman with you?”

“Victoria Montgomery says you cheated. Any comment?”

William put his arm around Jenny protectively and walked to the car without saying a word. His driver quickly opened the door and they got in.

Jenny was shaking. “That was intense.”

“I’m sorry. I should have expected they’d be waiting.” William held her hand.

“No need to apologize. I chose this, too.” Jenny took a deep breath. “But tomorrow—I might just stay home in my kitty pajamas.”

William smiled and kissed her forehead. “Tomorrow—you can do whatever you want. But today—you were amazing.”

The next day, just as expected, they were all over the gossip sites. Headlines ranged from BILLIONAIRE DUMPS HEIRESS FOR HOUSEMAID to FORBIDDEN ROMANCE IN THE HARRISON MANSION. Jenny was sitting on her couch scrolling through the comments with Lisa by her side.

“Look at this one. ‘She’s so plain—I don’t get what he sees in her,’” Lisa read out loud, clearly offended. “Plain? You’re extraordinary.”

“And this one—‘Bet she’s just after his money.’”

Jenny made a face. “Forget those. Look at the good ones. ‘So sweet—he actually looks happy.’ And ‘Finally—a billionaire who chose real love.’”

Jenny’s phone rang. It was William. “How are you?” he asked, sounding concerned.

“Surviving the overnight fame. You?”

“My lawyer called. Victoria is moving forward with the lawsuit. She also gave an interview to a magazine saying I was cruel and heartless.”

Jenny felt a wave of guilt. “William—”

“Hey—don’t blame yourself. I made my choices—and I don’t regret a single one.” His voice was steady. “Actually—I want you to come over this afternoon. I have a surprise.”

“Surprise?”

“You’ll like it. Trust me.”

Later that day, when Jenny arrived at the mansion, William took her to an office she had never entered before. Inside, there were blueprints, budgets, and project folders spread out on the desk.

“What is all this?” she asked, curious.

“Your dream,” William smiled. “I spent the morning talking to investors. We’re starting your cleaning business—not as a maid, but as the owner, the CEO, the boss.”

Jenny was speechless. “William—this is… I can’t accept— that you—”

“I’m not giving you anything. I’m investing—because I believe in you and your potential.” He held her hands. “Jenny, you turned chaotic cleaning into an art. Just imagine what you can do with resources and creative freedom.”

Tears rolled down her face. “You really believe in me?”

“More than you know.”

Jenny hugged him tightly—her heart full of gratitude and love. Everything was changing so fast—but for the first time in her life, she felt like she was exactly where she was meant to be—with the man who made her believe that dreams could come true.

Three weeks flew by in a whirlwind of emotions. Jenny split her time between meetings with architects for her new company and trying to ignore the nasty stories Victoria kept planting in the press. That morning, she woke up to a call from Lisa.

“Jenny—did you see the magazine that just came out?”

“I’m still in bed, Lisa. What time is it?”

“Seven in the morning. But this is important—Victoria gave another interview. This time, she said you used witchcraft to seduce William.”

Jenny sat up in bed—now fully awake. “She said what? Witchcraft? Like actual sorcery?”

“She’s saying there’s no other explanation for a billionaire falling in love with a regular maid.”

Jenny burst out laughing. “She’s getting desperate. Witchcraft. The only magic I know is how to turn ingredients into burnt food.”

“But people are believing it. Online comments are split between those who think you’re an evil witch and those who think the whole story is ridiculous.”

“Let me guess—half think I’m a witch and the other half think I’m a gold digger.”

“Basically,” Lisa sighed. “How do you deal with this?”

“By having an amazing boyfriend who reminds me that strangers’ opinions don’t pay my bills,” Jenny said, heading to the kitchen for coffee. “And by focusing on what really matters—like my company that’s opening in two weeks.”

Later, Jenny was at the future office of Sparkle & Shine Cleaning Services, overseeing the furniture being installed when William showed up with two cups of coffee.

“Special delivery for the most beautiful future CEO in Seattle,” he said, handing her a cup.

“You’re spoiling me too much,” Jenny said—but she was smiling.

“Impossible. And by the way—my lawyer set up a meeting with Victoria and her lawyer. We’re going to try to settle this before it goes to court.”

Jenny felt her stomach tighten. “When?”

“Tomorrow afternoon. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

“No—I’ll go. She’s doing all this because of me. I need to face it.”

William kissed her forehead. “You’re braver than you think.”

The next day, Jenny got dressed carefully. She chose a formal outfit— not flashy—pulled her hair into a neat bun, and took several deep breaths before entering the law office. The conference room was intimidating: huge dark‑wood table, leather chairs, panoramic city view. Victoria was already there, dressed in a flawless white suit, her lawyer beside her. When Jenny walked in with William, Victoria looked her up and down with contempt.

“You brought your little witch?” she said with sarcasm.

“Victoria—let’s keep this professional,” William’s lawyer, James Peterson, said firmly.

“Of course. Professional—like breaking a contract over some silly crush.”

Jenny felt William tense beside her, but she gently squeezed his hand. It wasn’t worth reacting.

The meeting started off tense. Victoria’s lawyer demanded twenty million in compensation plus a ten percent stake in William’s company.

“That’s outrageous,” James replied. “The contract clearly states fifteen million in the event of a breakup. There’s no legal basis for more.”

“There’s emotional damage. My client was publicly humiliated. Her reputation harmed. She suffered social embarrassment.”

“Your client gave five slanderous interviews in the past three weeks,” James shot back. “If anyone damaged reputations, it was her.”

The argument went on for an hour. Jenny stayed quiet—just listening. Victoria kept glancing at her with so much anger it felt almost physical.

During a break, when the lawyers stepped out to talk privately, Victoria finally addressed Jenny directly.

“You think you’ve won, don’t you? Got the billionaire. Going to have your little business. Fairy‑tale ending.”

Jenny took a deep breath before answering. “I was never competing with you, Victoria. Not once.”

“Oh, please. Since the very first day you showed up at that mansion with your silly little dances and helpless act.”

“I was working—just doing my job and being myself.”

“Being yourself?” Victoria scoffed. “How convenient that ‘being yourself’ included seducing my fiancé.”

“I didn’t seduce anyone,” Jenny said, feeling the anger rise. “I fell in love. He fell in love. These things happen—even when you don’t plan for them.”

“You ruined everything. That wedding was going to give me everything I needed.”

“But not what you wanted,” Jenny said more softly. “Victoria—did you really want to marry a man who didn’t love you? Spend your life in a hollow marriage?”

“Love is overrated. Power and money are what really matter.”

Jenny looked at the beautiful, wealthy, powerful woman and saw only sadness beneath the anger. “I’m sorry you believe that.”

“I don’t want your pity,” Victoria snapped.

The lawyers returned and the meeting resumed. After another hour of tense negotiations, they reached a settlement: eighteen million to be paid in installments over two years—and no company shares. William agreed without hesitation.

“Deal.”

Victoria signed the papers with anger—her hands shaking slightly. When she finished, she looked straight at William. “You’re going to regret this. Once the excitement wears off and you realize you traded a perfect business partner for a clumsy housekeeper—it’ll be too late.”

“The only thing I regret,” William said calmly, “is not ending this sooner. You deserve someone who truly loves you, Victoria. And so do I.”

They walked out of the law office feeling relieved. It was officially over. The deal was closed. The legal process finished.

“How are you feeling?” William asked once they were in the car.

“Exhausted. But… glad it’s done.” Jenny leaned her head on his shoulder. “Eighteen million is a lot of money.”

“It’s less than what my peace of mind and happiness are worth.” He kissed the top of her head. “And now we can move on—without that weight on our shoulders.”

“I feel sorry for Victoria,” Jenny said softly.

“Sorry?”

“She has everything money can buy. But inside she just seems… empty. So alone.”

William stayed quiet for a moment. “You’re too kind. She treated you terribly.”

“She’s hurting. Hurt people hurt others.” Jenny sat up and looked at him. “But we’re not going to let her pain steal our happiness, right?”

“Right,” William smiled. “Actually, I have an important question to ask.”

Jenny’s heart skipped a beat. “What kind of question?”

“The kind that involves you, me… and maybe starting to look for a house for us to live in.”

Jenny’s eyes widened. “Live together? You want to live with me?”

“I want to wake up every morning hearing you sing off key in the shower. I want to trip over your shoes all over the place. I want to burn dinners with you and laugh at the mess we make.” William held her face in his hands. “I want to build a life with you, Jenny Rodriguez.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Even knowing I’ll turn any house into a beautifully organized mess?”

“Especially because of that.”

Jenny kissed him right there in the backseat of the car—while the driver politely pretended not to notice. And in that moment, she felt like every piece of her life had finally found its place. She had taken that housekeeping job just to earn a paycheck—but she had found so much more. She had found love. Found purpose. Found herself. And the best part was just beginning.

Six months flew by like a dream. Jenny’s company was growing beyond anyone’s expectations. Sparkle & Shine had fifteen employees, contracts with hotels and office buildings all over Seattle, and a waiting list of residential clients.

That morning, Jenny woke up in the new house she and William had bought together. It was smaller than his mansion—but it was perfectly theirs. There was a garden where she insisted on planting flowers—most of which she accidentally overwatered. She walked downstairs and found William already awake—reading the paper and drinking coffee.

“Good morning, love of my life,” Jenny said, stealing a sip of his coffee.

“Good morning, plant‑killer and coffee thief,” he said, pulling her in for a kiss. “Did you sleep well?”

“Like a baby. A big, clumsy baby.”

Jenny started making pancakes. “Today’s an important day—the magazine article comes out.” Two weeks ago, a major business magazine had asked to feature successful women entrepreneurs—and Jenny was one of the ones they picked. The photo shoot had been a mess, with Jenny tripping on the white backdrop and almost knocking over the photographer.

“Are you nervous?” William asked.

“A little. What if I sound silly? What if they included that part where I compared cleaning to abstract art?”

“Then you’ll sound like a silly and brilliant artist,” he smiled. “Jenny—you built a company from scratch in six months. People are going to admire you.”

Jenny’s phone rang. It was Lisa—shouting on the other end.

“Jenny—the article is online. You have to see it.”

Jenny put her on speakerphone and opened the magazine’s website on the tablet. There she was—in a beautiful professional photo—standing alongside five other women entrepreneurs. The headline read: THE NEW FACES OF WOMEN IN BUSINESS.

“Oh my gosh—I look like a serious person,” Jenny said, wide‑eyed.

“You are a serious person,” William corrected, reading over her shoulder. “A serious person who turns cleaning into a premium experience.”

The article was fantastic. It talked about Jenny’s journey—how she had turned her work experience as a housekeeper into business knowledge, and her creative methods for training her team. There was only a brief mention of William: “Rodriguez is also known for her relationship with businessman William Harrison, but she makes it clear she built her company on her own.”

“My empire,” Jenny said, laughing. “They called my little company an empire.”

“‘Little’? Jenny— you’ve got fifteen employees and made two hundred thousand dollars last month.”

“It still feels unreal.” She turned off the tablet and went back to the pancakes that were burning. “Oh no—not again.”

William quickly took the pan off the stove. “At least you’re consistent.”

“Consistently terrible in the kitchen—but a genius in business. Balance.”

Jenny threw the burnt pancakes in the trash. “Let’s eat out.”

Later that day, Jenny was at the Sparkle & Shine office when Thomas showed up. He had retired from the mansion and now worked part‑time as a consultant for her company.

“Miss Jenny—there’s a delivery for you at the front desk.”

“Delivery? I didn’t order anything.”

At the front desk was a huge bouquet of flowers with a card. Jenny opened it and read: “To the woman who turns chaos into magic. Always proud of you. —W.”

She smiled at the flowers like a fool.

“Mr. William is very romantic,” said the receptionist, a young woman named Amy, sighing.

“He really is.” Jenny smelled the flowers. “Okay—enough romance. We’ve got work to do. We need to review the new contracts and train the two employees starting next week.”

The rest of the day flew by. When Jenny finally got home at eight in the evening, she found William in the kitchen cooking dinner.

“You’re cooking?” she asked—surprised.

“Trying. My relationship with the kitchen is almost as bad as yours.” He showed her what looked like risotto. “But YouTube helped me.”

They had dinner laughing over stories from their day. Jenny told him about a client who wanted her to clean using only certified organic products—and to sing classical music because the houseplants liked Bach. William told her about a meeting where a Japanese investor slept for twenty minutes and then woke up saying he approved everything.

After dinner, they went out to the porch with some wine. The Seattle sky was clear and full of stars.

“Jenny—can I ask you something?” William said suddenly—his voice sounding nervous.

“Of course. You can ask me anything.”

He stood up, put his hand in his pocket—and Jenny felt her heart stop when he got down on one knee.

“William—”

“Wait—let me speak before I lose my nerve.” He took a deep breath. “A year ago—I was an empty man. I didn’t smile. Didn’t feel. I was just… existing. Then you came into my life—dancing with a broom, singing off key, being the most genuine and joyful person I’ve ever met.”

Tears were already running down Jenny’s face.

“You taught me that love is worth more than any deal. You showed me that joy lives in the small things. You made me want to wake up every day—just to watch you trip over your own feet and laugh about it.”

William pulled a small box from his pocket and opened it, revealing a beautiful ring. “Jenny Rodriguez—will you marry me and spend the rest of your life being my partner in all disasters and joys?”

Jenny was crying so hard she could barely speak. “Yes. A thousand times—yes.”

William slid the ring onto her finger with trembling hands and stood up to kiss her. It was a tearful, perfect kiss.

“I love you so much,” Jenny whispered between kisses. “So much it’s almost scary.”

“I love you too—more than I could ever say in words.”

They stayed on the porch for a long time—holding each other—looking at the stars—planning their future.

“When do you want to get married?” William asked.

“Soon. I don’t want to wait too long.” Jenny looked at the ring on her finger—still in disbelief. “Something simple— with the people we love. Nothing too extravagant.”

“Simple? You—the woman who turned cleaning into a theatrical performance?”

Jenny laughed. “Okay—simple with a touch of drama. But happy drama. That’s the only kind of drama I’ll accept from now on.”

William kissed her forehead. “Just love, laughter—and the occasional burnt pancake.”

“You knew what you were getting into when you asked me out.”

“And I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Later that night, lying in bed, Jenny couldn’t stop looking at the ring. “It still feels like a dream,” she said softly.

“If it is—don’t wake me up.” William pulled her closer.

And Jenny finally understood what her grandmother always said: when you find the right kind of love—everything fits, even when it doesn’t make sense.

Three months later—on the morning of the wedding—Jenny woke up in the guest room of the house she now shared with William. Tradition was tradition, and Lisa had insisted they spend the night apart.

“Good morning, bride,” Lisa said, walking into the room carrying a tray with coffee and pancakes. “Today’s your fairy‑tale day.”

Jenny sat up in bed—her hair completely messy. “I’m nervous. What if I trip walking down the aisle? What if I drop the bouquet? What if—”

“What if you just enjoy the happiest day of your life?” Lisa interrupted. “Jenny—you’ve dealt with lawsuits, nasty gossip, and built a company from scratch. You can handle a wedding.”

“You’re right.” Jenny took a deep breath. “I can do this.”

Two hours later— with the makeup artist and hairdresser finally satisfied—Jenny looked at her reflection in the mirror. The dress was simple but elegant—white with delicate floral embroidery. No big skirt or long train. It was perfect for her.

“You look beautiful,” Lisa said—tears in her eyes. “William’s going to faint when he sees you.”

“I hope not. Someone has to stay conscious to say the vows.”

Jenny tried to joke—but her voice trembled.

The wedding would take place in the garden of their home. Small, intimate—just forty guests. Close friends, a few of Jenny’s staff, some of William’s colleagues—and, of course, Thomas—who was more emotional than everyone else combined.

When the time came, Jenny walked down the stairs, holding the bouquet tightly. Her father wasn’t there—but Lisa by her side more than made up for it. Her best friend would walk her down the aisle.

The music began to play. Jenny took a deep breath—and stepped toward the garden. William was there—handsome in a light‑gray suit—and when he saw her, his whole face changed. He smiled—that smile she had helped bring back—and his eyes sparkled with unshed tears.

Jenny began to walk—and of course she stumbled on the second step. Lisa caught her quickly, and she let out a nervous laugh. The guests chuckled, too—warmly.

“Consistent—all the way to the altar,” William murmured when she finally reached him—making her laugh through her tears.

The officiant, a kind man named David, began the ceremony. “We are gathered here today to celebrate the love between Jenny and William—a love that began unexpectedly, grew through challenges, and strengthened against all odds.”

Jenny looked at William and saw everything they had been through reflected in his eyes: the struggles, the laughter, the tears, the victories.

“William, would you like to say your vows?” David asked.

William took Jenny’s hands—slightly trembling. “Jenny Rodriguez— a year ago, you came into my life like a whirlwind of joy and chaos. You sang with brooms, danced through the house, burned dinners, and laughed at your own mistakes. And somehow, in the middle of all that beautiful mess—you taught me how to live again.”

Jenny was crying—and so was half the guest list.

“I was numb inside—just going through the motions. But you showed me there’s beauty in imperfection, joy in simplicity—and that love is worth more than any fortune.”

William wiped a tear from her face. “I promise to spend the rest of my life making you laugh, supporting your dreams, and occasionally saving pancakes from burning. I love you more than words can say.”

Jenny let out a loud sob—then laughed at herself. “Sorry. I’m a little emotional here.” The guests laughed lovingly.

“Jenny, your vows?” David encouraged.

Jenny wiped her tears and looked at William. “William Harrison—when I accepted the job at your mansion, I just wanted a decent paycheck. But the universe had other plans.” She laughed. “You were the most serious man I had ever met. You didn’t smile, barely spoke, and I thought, ‘This one desperately needs some laughter in his life.’”

William smiled—and tears finally rolled down his face.

“So I danced, sang out of tune, broke things, burned food—and slowly I saw you come back to life. I saw your smile return, your laugh echo, your heart open.”

Jenny squeezed his hands. “You taught me that dreams can come true, that true love exists, and that sometimes chaos is exactly what someone needs. I promise to always make you smile, support your choices, and keep burning pancakes—because some traditions are sacred. I love you with every chaotic fiber of my being.”

There wasn’t a dry eye among the guests. Even Thomas was using three handkerchiefs at once.

“The rings, please,” David said. Lisa handed over the rings, and William slid his onto Jenny’s finger with shaky hands. She did the same—almost dropped it— but recovered at the last second.

“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

“William, you may kiss the bride.”

William pulled Jenny into a passionate kiss while everyone clapped and cheered. When they finally pulled apart, he whispered in her ear, “I just married the most amazing woman in the world.”

“And I just married the man who didn’t smile for twelve years—and now can’t stop smiling,” Jenny replied.

The reception was perfect. Delicious food made by a professional caterer—since neither William nor Jenny trusted their own cooking skills. Live music. Simple but lovely decorations with flowers in shades of pink and white. During the couple’s first dance, Jenny stepped on William’s feet three times.

“Sorry—I told you I can’t dance,” she said, laughing.

“Wouldn’t change a thing,” he said, spinning her around—awkward, but happy.

Thomas gave a heartfelt toast, talking about how he had watched William come back to life after twelve years of grief— all thanks to a clumsy housemaid who brought light back into that home. Lisa gave a hilarious speech about all the times Jenny had called her in a panic—asking for advice on how to handle feelings for a billionaire.

When it was time to cut the cake, Jenny accidentally smashed a piece into William’s face while trying to feed him. Instead of getting upset, he grabbed another piece and did the same to her—starting a mini cake fight that both shocked and amused all the guests.

By the end of the night, as the guests started to leave, Jenny and William sat in the garden. She was barefoot—her shoes tossed aside. He had his tie loose—and a bit of frosting still in his hair.

“So, Mrs. Harrison—how does it feel to be a married woman?” William asked.

“Exactly the same—just with a beautiful ring and a new last name,” Jenny said, resting her head on his shoulder. “And you, Mr. Harrison?”

“Hm. For the first time in twelve years—I feel truly whole.”

They sat there under the stars—holding hands—dreaming about a future that now belonged to both of them. Jenny’s company would keep growing. William’s businesses would keep thriving. They would keep burning dinners, laughing at their own mistakes, stumbling through life together. And somewhere up in the sky, Jenny liked to imagine that Elizabeth was smiling—happy that William had finally found love again.

It wasn’t a perfect fairy tale. It was something better. It was real, messy, imperfect, chaotic—and absolutely wonderful.

Jenny Rodriguez Harrison had walked into that mansion a year ago looking for a job. She walked out with a love for life, her own business, and the unshakable belief that miracles happen when we least expect them. And it all started with an awkward dance, a broom as a microphone, and a man who had forgotten how to smile.

Sometimes a little chaos is exactly what we need to find our way back home.

And they lived happily ever after—with lots of love, lots of laughter, and the occasional burned pancake.

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