He loses his job. She writes the rules.
Kofi Adusei comes to Chicago for a degree and a future. Then the paycheck disappears-and Harper Lane pays the rent with a silent tap that turns their home into a ledger. Sticky notes bloom on the fridge. A door chain clicks a little too loud. Harper calls it being practical. Kofi calls it survival: walking on eggshells in his own kitchen, measuring every word, hiding every flinch, swallowing his pride one rule at a time while the clock he can't name keeps ticking. When a small lie slips out just to sound employable, Harper treats it like proof he can't be trusted-and the cost of staying rises overnight.
How much love can survive when help comes with ownership?