KIAN'S POVBeverly continues to talk while I nod along as I chug down my second glass of wine since the night began. The gala itself hasn’t begun, yet it feels like I have been standing here forever. I keep sneaking glances at my wristwatch, following the movement of the minute hand and barely payin
KIAN’S POVI didn’t see her approach us until she’s standing right beside me. If the expression on Beverly’s face was the same one on mine when I first saw Leslie, then Leslie was right to ask if I’d seen a ghost. But unlike how my shock left me spellbound and unable to string together a meaningful
LESLIE’S POV I watch every single detail, every single twitch of both their faces as they try to make sense of my words that I intentionally kept vague. The entire five minutes of engaging with them both has left me with a series of feelings ranging from fulfillment at their reaction to seeing me,
KIAN’S POV Before the arrival of the Hanson Group’s chairman, I already had my fingers bunched up in a fist, ready to send it flying in my uncle’s face in a frenzy of rage that had been brewing since the night I saw them together at that restaurant one month ago. I was ready to give it all up–my
“With all due respect sir, she is Leslie Winston, my wife and I do no–” “Then who is the woman beside you, Mr Winston?” He cuts me off and he stares at me knowingly while I struggle to find the right answer to his question. Deep down, I can tell he already knows the answer and I feel the tingles o
KIAN'S POV The ride home that night was just as suffocating as the ride to the plaza earlier that evening. Only this time, it wasn’t because of Beverly’s never ending talks. In fact, she barely said a word during the ride, didn’t even complain about how I almost left the gala without her because I
LESLIE'S POV Today is officially my first day as the new head designer at Hanson's Fashion Company. The day I take on a responsibility that has always been my lifelong dream and it really still feels like a dream. Sometimes, I pinch myself and expect to wake up in my gloomy room, 5am in the morni
BEVERLY’S POV I drum my fingers on the steering wheel as I wait, impatience and annoyance coiling inside of me all at once like a venomous snake. It’s dark, eerily so. I hate the dark but I couldn’t care less at this moment since all my senses are busy catering to my pent-up rage to give a damn abo
CHAPTER 72 [The Golden Boy ] ~ELAINE~ (2) Trigger Warning: This chapter contains depictions of abuse that may be distressing to some readers. ONE YEAR AGO The house was silent, as it always was when Jac orchestrated his games. No stepmother barking orders, no father pacing the halls. Not even t
CHAPTER 71 [My Tormentor ] ~ELAINE~ (1) Somebody save me. The words echoed in my head as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My fingers tightened around my phone, the edges biting into my skin as if the pain could pull me out of the suffocating misery that hung over me heavily My hair, once
CHAPTER 70 [ Hearts-to-Hearts ] ~SOPHIE~ If you had asked me when I was ten years old what my greatest wish was, I would’ve said it was to live alone with my father. No stepmother finding new ways to torment me, no stepbrother hovering like a vulture—just me and my dad. I even prayed about it, e
CHAPTER 69 [ His Morals ] ~JUSTIN~ (1) I’ve never been anyone’s first choice. . No matter how hard I tried, Jac always had the spotlight. He was the golden boy, the prodigy, the one with all the medals and accolades. Meanwhile, I was the kid bringing home crayon sketches and piano recitals that
CHAPTER 68 [Welcome Home ] ~SOPHIE~ “Please tell me you two didn’t fuck in here.” Celeste’s voice cut through the quiet like a whip, sharp and full of disbelief. I glanced over my shoulder, pausing mid-fold as I stuffed another sweater into my bag. She was standing above me, her arms crossed, a
CHAPTER 67 [ Whenever, wherever ] ~TRAVIS~ Having fallen for Sophie’s schemes more than once, I guess it was normal for my brain to process every unusual thing she does as a trick to lure me in. Perhaps, that was why I imagined her smirking when in truth, she was just as stunned as I was to fi
CHAPTER 66 [ In The Flesh ] ~TRAVIS~ They were still under the harsh glare of my headlights. While Justin didn’t exactly look his best, Sophie was…worse. An ugly sweater hung loosely over her upper frame, her hair was in a messy bun and was close to tumbling all over her face as she took Justin by
CHAPTER 65 [ The Real Deal ] ~TRAVIS~ The past week has been nothing short of exhausting. I had barely stepped foot into my office before I was bombarded with calls and meetings, my inbox flooded with contracts and reports that had piled up during the engagement trip. If it wasn’t work, it was
CHAPTER 64 [ Caged, Not Sheltered ] ~SOPHIE~ There were many questions; like how on earth she was in a place that was at least an hour's drive from her family’s mansion, and why she was chugging down cheap beer when I have only ever seen her enjoy the finest wine. The longer we stood there, wo