FAMILY VILLANUEVA

Chapter One: The Mansion in the Rain

The rain hadn’t stopped for hours.

With each step, Andi Hernandez felt the weight of her soaked shoes squishing in the muddy ground. Her cheap umbrella had already flipped inside out twice, and her backpack—once holding all her hopes—was now drenched.

Nobody had accepted her.

Not the bakery. Not the laundry shop. Not even the old woman who needed a housekeeper said yes. Her voice still echoed in Andi’s ears: “You’re too young. Go home.”

But what home? She didn’t have one.

No electricity. No job. No money. And no one to turn to.

Andi’s legs burned as she kept walking, deeper into the edge of town where no streetlights stood, only tall trees and fog. She didn’t know where she was going—just that she had to keep moving. Until she saw it.

A mansion.

Hidden behind twisted branches and iron gates. The kind of house people only talked about in whispers. Tall, ancient, with ivy crawling up its stone walls like veins. It looked... alive.

Her eyes widened. “What is this place?”

A part of her wanted to turn around.

But then the wind howled, and the rain came crashing harder like an answer. She had no choice.

She pushed open the creaky gate. No lock. No alarm. No dogs barking. Just silence. The heavy oak doors stood slightly open, almost... inviting.

Inside, it was warm.

A fireplace crackled. The chandeliers above flickered with soft golden light. The scent of freshly baked bread and roast chicken filled the air. Andi blinked. Her stomach growled.

“Hello?” she called out softly.

No answer.

Still, her body moved. Like she was being pulled by the smell. She stepped into the dining room, where a full feast waited on a long table—untouched, steaming, ready.

“Am I dreaming?” she whispered.

She didn't think twice. She sat down and devoured everything. One bite. Then another. Then another. She didn’t even realize tears were falling from her cheeks as she ate.

Afterward, dizzy and full, she wandered upstairs. Velvet carpet. Golden mirrors. Marble staircases. It didn’t feel real.

She opened a bedroom door.

The bed looked like a cloud. The sheets smelled like lavender and comfort. Her head hit the pillow, and before she could ask why this place existed or who it belonged to…

She slept.

Morning sunlight crept through the velvet curtains. Andi stirred, stretching her arms lazily.

Then froze.

Three men stood around her bed, watching her.

They were tall. Too tall. Pale skin. Piercing eyes. Each one handsome in a way that made her breath hitch—but with something… dangerous beneath.

She gasped, clutching the blanket to her chest.

“Who—who are you?!”

The man in the center stepped forward with a calm smile. “We should ask you the same.”

Another one added, with a smirk, “You ate our food.”

The third one tilted his head, quiet but observant.

Andi’s voice trembled. “I—I didn’t mean to— I was just—”

The first man raised his hand. “Relax. You’re safe. For now.”