Novel-novel oleh Peters

Julia.I don’t know how long I sat on that park bench, knees pulled to my chest, face buried in my hands. The tears had dried up, but the ache in my chest stayed, like a dull blade slowly turning. I should’ve stayed away. I wanted to stay away. Every fiber in me screamed that going back to that house, to him, was the worst idea possible. But then that was all I have, and I could not possible run away from it like a coward.Dragging myself to my feet felt like dragging a boulder. I wiped my face with the back of my hand, ignoring the judgmental looks from passersby. My legs moved on autopilot, taking me through streets that were far too familiar, back to the one place that was supposed to be safe—but hadn’t been for a long time.I unlocked the door, pushing it open slowly like the house might somehow swallow me whole.And then I saw something that took me a while to decode.A pair of women’s panties. Just lying there. On the floor. Pale pink lace.My heart stopped mid-beat. My brain st

Julia.I woke up gasping, drenched in sweat, my chest heaving like I’d just run a marathon. My heart slammed against my ribs, the final echoes of the nightmare still clinging to the edges of my mind like cobwebs I couldn’t shake off.Then I saw him.Benjamin.Standing over me.With a pillow in his hands.For a heartbeat, I couldn’t move. I was paralyzed. My body refused to cooperate, but my mind screamed—Run. Get out.“What the hell are you doing?” I snapped, shooting up from the bed so fast that the sheets tangled around my legs. My voice cracked, equal parts fear and rage.He laughed. Actually laughed. Like I’d just told him the dumbest joke in the world.“Oh, relax,” he said, shaking his head. “If I wanted to kill you, Julia, I’ve had seven whole months to do it. Don’t be so dramatic.”Then he turned, still chuckling to himself, and walked away—pillow still in hand like none of this was completely unhinged. Like he wasn’t completely unhinged.I sat there, frozen. My fingers gripped

Camilla.I didn’t expect to be stunned. The car rolled to a smooth stop in front of what could only be described as a palace carved out of glass and white marble. I blinked, twice, maybe three times, and even rubbed the edge of my sleeve against my eyes, hoping I wasn’t hallucinating. But no—this was real. This was Grey’s house.The walls stretched high into the sky, with delicate arches and floor-to-ceiling windows that reflected the golden dusk like they were part of the sun itself. A circular driveway curled around a fountain so pristine I could see the rippling reflection of a swan statue balanced in its center. The air smelled like lavender and wealth. There were actual gardeners trimming the already-perfect hedges, and I caught the soft echo of a grand piano playing from inside.I stood there, frozen. My heart thudded somewhere near my throat. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe for a moment.This was his world. And I—what was I doing here?The image of the slum I left behind fla

Camilla“I’ll do it,” I said.The words slipped out of my mouth before I could catch them—like breath on a cold morning, there and gone. I didn’t even mean to say it out loud, not yet, not until I was sure.Grey’s eyes narrowed as he took a step closer, the faintest trace of shock flickering across his otherwise unreadable face. “What did you just say?”I swallowed, hard. My heart thundered against my ribcage like it wanted to escape. This was it. No going back.“I said I’ll do it. I’ll agree to the contract marriage.”Silence.Grey didn’t say anything immediately—he just stood there, watching me like I was a puzzle he hadn’t figured out yet. Like I had somehow surprised him. Which, let’s be honest, I probably had.From behind him, Bryce stepped forward, his shoes tapping against the polished floor like a ticking clock. He pulled something from his coat pocket—an envelope. He held it out toward me with both hands, like it was some kind of sacred offering.“This is yours,” he said.I b

Grey’s POVI knew Bryce wouldn’t believe me.Even before I told him, as I sat behind my desk, watching him toss his phone between his hands like he always did when he was bored or skeptical, I could already see the disbelief etched on his face. Hell, I wouldn’t believe me either if I hadn’t lived it.But I had to try."Bryce," I said, my voice more serious than I intended. “You remember Camilla, right?”He raised an eyebrow, smirking a little. “What kind of question is that? Of course, I do. She was the same woman that came here claiming to be pregnant with your child… until she died.”I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the polished mahogany surface of my desk. “Yeah… about that. I think she’s alive.”Bryce stared at me, the smirk not fading. “Come again?”“I saw her. She saved me when I was kidnapped. She got me out, Bryce. I know it sounds crazy, but it was her. And that was what I was trying to tell you last night."He laughed.Like, actually laughed. Loud and long. He even til

Grey.I woke up with a jolt, gasping for air like I had been underwater for too long. My eyes snapped open, and the first thing I saw—no, it couldn’t be. There, standing in front of me like some kind of twisted hallucination, was her. Camilla.She looked exactly the same as the last time I saw her. Same dark, curling hair. Same soft eyes that had held so much warmth. My heart stopped for a beat, and I couldn’t move, couldn’t think. All I could do was stare, my breath hitching in my chest.“Camilla?” My voice was barely a whisper, fragile like I was afraid if I spoke too loudly, she would disappear. I blinked, trying to clear the fog in my mind. This couldn’t be real.But there she was.She didn’t answer at first. She just stood there, her expression unreadable. I could feel my pulse thumping in my ears, but I didn’t dare look away.“Camilla, what are you doing here?” I asked again, my voice shaking now. My mind was racing—seven months ago, she had told me she was pregnant with my chil