Love really does make you stupid, blind, and reckless. I never thought I'd come to this, pacing back and forth in my room, my thoughts a tangled mess. It had been days since I left the hospital, and Killian was still nowhere to be found. He was never home, and it was eating away at me, making it impossible to share the news I carried inside me. Anxiety gnawed at my insides, my nerves frayed with every passing moment. I knew this stress wasn’t good for the baby, but it was like I couldn’t stop spiraling. Claire’s calls were the only thing keeping me tethered to reality, but every time she asked how I was, the truth was a bitter pill to swallow. I tried calling Killian, again and again, but he kept rejecting my calls, the silence louder than any argument we’d ever had. A knock on the door made me pause, my breath catching in my throat. “Mrs. Lannister, someone is here to see you,” a voice said from the other side. Confusion furrowed my brow as I made my way downstairs, only to f
The office had become both my sanctuary and my prison. Every morning, I walked in with the hope that today would be different—that Killian would glance up from his desk, his gaze softening. But every morning, he remained as cold and distant as ever, a wall of ice that I couldn’t seem to thaw. I couldn’t let go. The divorce papers sat untouched on my desk at home, a reminder of the inevitable, but I wasn’t ready to give up. Not on him. Not on us. So, I kept trying. I poured all my energy into every small gesture, hoping he’d see how much I still cared. Today, I had chosen his favorite lunch—pan-seared salmon, the way he liked it, with a side of roasted vegetables. My hands trembled as I packed it up, adding a note, a simple “Have a good day. I hope you like it, Killian.” Maybe he wouldn’t read it, but I had to try. I carried the lunch toward his office, the usual nervous flutter filling my chest. What if today was different? What if this small act was enough to remind him of what
When I woke, the hospital room was eerily quiet, the beeping of machines the only sound. My body felt heavy as if the weight of the world was pressing me down into the bed. I blinked, trying to make sense of where I was, but the haze of pain and confusion made it hard to focus. Slowly, the memories came rushing back—the blood, the pain, Seria’s cruel smirk. My hand instinctively went to my stomach, and that’s when I realized. The baby. I gasped, sitting up too quickly, a sharp ache shooting through me. Claire was at my side in an instant, her eyes red-rimmed, her face a mask of heartbreak. She grabbed my hand tightly, squeezing it as if trying to hold me together. “Claire,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “The baby…” Her lip quivered, and tears filled her eyes again. She looked over at the doctor, who was standing at the foot of the bed with a solemn expression. The doctor’s words came out slowly and gently, but each one cut through me like a knife. “I’m sorry. You lost the
The plane touched down in Paris, its wheels skidding lightly on the runway as Claire squeezed my hand, her eyes searching mine for some sign of hope. But I still felt numb. The ache in my chest hadn’t disappeared during the flight, and the thought of starting over in a foreign city made my head spin.“Hey,” Claire said softly as the plane taxied to a stop. “We’re here. Paris, remember? Fresh start. New beginnings.”I offered her a small smile, but it didn’t reach my eyes. The city outside was bathed in morning light, the Eiffel Tower just barely visible in the distance through the airport windows. This was supposed to be a new chapter, but all I could feel was the weight of everything I’d left behind. The baby. Killian. The home we had built together.But that was all gone now. There was no going back.The airport was bustling, a sea of people rushing by us as we gathered our luggage and made our way through customs. Claire had arranged for us to stay in a small apartment in Montmartr
I hung up the phone and stared at it, feeling the weight of their rejection settle over me. But at the same time, there was a strange sense of freedom in it. I was no longer tethered to their expectations, no longer bound by the need to please them. I had lost so much already—my baby, my marriage—and now, it seemed, my family too. But I was still standing.Claire found me sitting on the couch, my phone clenched in my hand, my face pale.“They called, didn’t they?” she asked softly, sitting beside me.I nodded, my throat tight. “Dad’s angry. Because of the divorce. Because I’ve ‘embarrassed’ them.”Claire’s expression darkened, and she reached for my hand. “Screw them. They don’t know what you’ve been through. They don’t deserve you, Cassandra.”I let out a shaky breath, feeling a rush of gratitude for Claire. She had been the only person who had stood by me through all of this, never once judging me for the decisions I had made. She had seen the pain, the loss, and still, she remained
The days following my unexpected encounter with the fashion agent passed in a blur. I tried to push the thought of modeling out of my mind, but it lingered like a nagging whisper in the back of my head. I’d look at the business card she left with me, tucked into the pocket of my coat, and feel a strange mix of excitement and fear.Claire, of course, wouldn’t let it go.“You need to at least go to the meeting,” she insisted one evening over dinner at the apartment. She had been excited about the opportunity since the moment it presented itself, determined to see me follow through. “It doesn’t mean you have to sign up for anything. Just go see what they say. What’s the worst that could happen?”“I could trip in front of them, make a fool of myself, and realize I’m not cut out for this at all,” I said dryly, stabbing my fork into a salad.Claire rolled her eyes. “You need to stop doubting yourself, Cassandra. This is a chance to do something different, to put yourself out there. Besides,
It was an autumn morning in Paris, the kind of day that carried the promise of something new with every cool breeze. I had started a small routine—waking up early, taking a walk around the neighborhood, and stopping by the café near my apartment for coffee before heading to Claire’s boutique. The city still affected me, the beautiful distraction I desperately needed. It was almost therapeutic, just being part of the hum of life here.I pushed open the café door, the soft chime of the bell welcoming me into the familiar warmth. The scent of freshly brewed coffee hit me instantly, comforting and grounding. I stepped up to the counter and ordered my usual—a cappuccino—before taking a seat by the window, watching the world outside.As I waited for my order, my thoughts drifted to the modeling offer. The agency followed up with me yesterday, wanting me to sign a contract. Claire was ecstatic, urging me to do it, but I was still hesitating. It felt like such a leap, like diving headfirst in
The sound of pen on paper felt strangely final. I sat in the sleek office of the modeling agency, my fingers trembling slightly as I signed the contract. I was officially a model now. It had all happened so quickly, from the chance meeting with the agency’s talent scout to the follow-up meetings that eventually led me here. As I glanced up, Victoria smiled at me, her red lips curving into a pleased expression. “Bienvenue dans le monde du mannequinat, Cassandra,” she said ‘welcome to the world of modeling’, her French accent as polished as her appearance. “I have no doubt you'll do very well here.” I managed a small smile, though my heart was pounding in my chest. This was it—a new chapter. Something completely out of my comfort zone, but maybe that’s exactly what I needed. “Thank you,” I said softly. “I’m ready.” Victoria handed me a sleek folder with details about my first few jobs. Fashion shoots, brand endorsements, and even a runway show. I’d be diving straight into the