PrincessDaisyMae99
Some homes are built with care.
Every room in its proper place. Every need anticipated. Every detail tended to.
Lyle Marshals has spent his life perfecting order. Raised on strict routines and higher expectations, he learned early that comfort comes from control and that a well-kept home reflects the man who owns it. By twenty-seven, he has everything he was taught to want: wealth, privacy, and an estate designed to function as flawlessly as his schedule.
What he lacks is companionship.
Pearl Thomas never planned to stay in the suburbs. A registered nurse newly arrived from the city, she intends to care for her aging aunt, work her shifts, and keep her head down. One quiet night out becomes an unexpected meeting and an invitation she never imagined accepting.
Behind iron gates and manicured grounds, Pearl discovers a household unlike any she has known. The women who live there are bound by rules, routines, and unspoken understandings. Some are content. Some are afraid. All are watched.
As Pearl settles into her place, she learns that survival is not always about escape. Sometimes it's about becoming indispensable. Sometimes it's about choosing which truths to swallow and which loyalties to protect.
And sometimes, the most dangerous thing a house can offer is the feeling of being needed.