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
KIAN'S POVAmidst my mother shoving the idea of another marriage down my throat every chance she gets, and coming home everyday to Beverly who is constantly in my face and even taking up the role of a wife in my home, work is the only way I have been able to cope in the past few days.It’s 8 o'clock
KIAN'S POV Grandfather makes himself comfortable on one of the sofas that adorn my office, sipping on the cup of chamomile tea that Peter prepared for him before leaving me to deal with the problem at hand. A huge one. My grandfather has always been spontaneous, with a child-like and carefree att
LESLIE'S POV “Who did you say is asking to see me?” I ask, wondering if I heard wrong or my personal assistant really just told me that my ex-husband is currently at the company’s lobby, requesting to see me. “I believe his name is Kian Winston, CEO of WS fashion company.” She confirms it again.
KIAN’S POV She’s like a raging ball of fire when she steps out of the car, visibly shaking with rage that is nothing like I have ever seen before. It almost deters me, almost rips apart the courage with which I used to accost her after hours of waiting. Almost. I am no fool. I knew from the secon
I cover the distance between the cars in two strides, cornering her and shutting back the door with a loud bang that echoes throughout the empty lot and Leslie’s eyes go wide. “Did you not hear me? I said grandfather is back.” Leslie’s eyes hold no other emotion at those words other than the an
TRAVIS' POV I am restless, pacing the front porch of Sir Hanson’s home. Clenching and unclenching my fists. Cracking my knuckles repeatedly out of a sheer force of habit, anxiety and maybe even a small hint of anger. It’s a little past 7pm, an hour and a little past the normal time Leslie is supp
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