PROLOGUEOnce, I’ve heard someone saying that you know it’s cold when you see a lawyer with his hands in his own pockets. It’s colder than that now. My mouth is numb and every breath is like ice.People are shouting and pointing torch lights in my eyes. In the meantime, I hugged this big wood like I’d die if I ever let go.A guy with a really loud voice and garlic breath panted in my ear. He was very strong and tried to ease my grip on the wood. I was too cold to move.He wrapped his arm around my chest and pulled me backwards through the water. More people that I couldn’t see, took hold of my arms, lifting me to the deck.Darkness surrounded me, thick and endless. “My goodness, look at her stomach!” someone shouted.“She's been shot in three different places!’Who were they talking about?People were shouting all over again, yelling for bandages and plasma. Then I felt someone slide a needle into my arm and put a bag over my face.“someone get me blankets. We have to keep her warm.”
Camilla. My hands trembled as I stared at the white sheet of paper in front of me. I’ve always heard this saying, that life is not a bed of roses, but now I understand exactly what it means. Until recently, my life was a bed of roses, but now all those roses have withered away, leaving me with only thorns.Dr. Mark’s voice echoed in my ears, confirming what I was scared to admit. “Camilla, I am so happy to announce that you’re going to be a mother. Congratulations dear.”Instantly I felt my entire body go numb, my heart was racing. This isn’t real. It can’t be. I am sure there’s a mistake somewhere.“What are you talking about?” I said, almost laughing at his statement. I just wanted to believe this was a prank and he was trying to pull my legs. I threw the paper onto his desk immediately, waiting for him to correct his mistake. “This cannot be my result. I would give you a few minutes to go back in there and bring my result.”Dr. Mike looked at me patiently, like he had seen this re
CHAPTER 2Camilla.I stood outside the hospital, staring at the sliding glass doors. I was still trying to figure out what will become of me now, all thanks to my weakness of trusting so easily, I am now in this crossroad with no idea of the right pathway to follow.I swipe at the tears threatening to cloud my vision. What was the reason for crying? It was all my doing! First, I was stupid enough to trust them so blindly, and then I also went ahead to take a foolish decision of sleeping with a stranger just to get over the worst shock of my life. Maybe I could just abort the baby and go ahead with my initial plan of getting back everything they took from me. Alexander grey was definitely not the man to give a fuck about a child from a woman he had a one night stand with. I already knew how everything would go if I confronted him about this child. I would be like a tiny ant beneath his feet, waiting to be crushed by him at any time.He wouldn’t even look at me, he was every woman’s dr
Camilla. “Get the hell out of my company! You’re fired!”Those were the first words that I heard the moment I stepped foot in Grey’s office. I was shocked. That was by far no way an angel will talk. Wait a minute, did I miss something? At the end of the hallway is a massive double door, slightly ajar. I approached cautiously, I needed to be sure whose voice I just heard a few seconds ago.“I don’t care how long you have worked here!” a deep voice boomed again. “You spill coffee on me, you’re done. I don’t tolerate incompetence!”I froze, peeking through the crack in the door. Grey stood behind a sleek black desk, with so much anger on his face. A man in his mid-thirties stood before him, head bowed, mumbling apologies.“I’m sorry, sir. It was an accident—”Grey cut him off with a sharp gesture and slammed his fist against his desk, and instantly the man flinched. “Accidents cost money. Get out of my office. You’re fired.” My heart pounded as I glanced back into the office. What t
Camilla.I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest as I waited for some sort of response. Grey stood across from me, eyes wide, disbelief etched across his face. For a moment, I thought I might choke on the words I was about to say. But I had no choice.The silence was deafening.Just say it, Camilla. Just say it.I took a breath and glanced at the floor, gathering my courage. This is it. This is what I have to do if I’m going to get my inheritance back. If I’m going to make him help me.I didn’t expect it to be easy, but I also didn’t expect it to feel this heavy. I swallowed hard, trying to push past the wave of nausea creeping up my throat.Still, I hesitated. My hands, clammy and stiff, gripped the edge of the chair. The silence between us was suffocating. Grey hadn’t spoken, hadn’t moved, just stared at me like I was a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve.Think, think…I felt my pulse in my temples. I knew that telling him this, all of it, was the only way forward. But the words
Camilla.The room became quiet again, and none of them could believe the words that I just uttered.Grey stared at me, his fingers pressed against his temple as if he was trying to keep himself from losing his mind. Bryce, shifted uncomfortably beside him. The two of them exchanged a look."I’m sorry," I heard Grey mutter, more to himself than to anyone else. He sighed heavily, then glanced at Bryce. "What are you thinking?"Bryce leaned forward. "You might be right about this claim of sleeping with him," he said, looking at me with a strange kind of detachment. "But Mr. Grey made it clear that you both used protection that night. So I seriously doubt you’re pregnant for him. You can check your other customers. Who knows? Maybe luck might be on your side today."I could feel my stomach churn at the insinuation. My breath hitched in my chest. Was he really suggesting what I thought he was suggesting? I opened my mouth to protest, but the words caught in my throat as I stared at him. "W
Grey.It was the same scenario, the same feeling that churned in my gut every time I thought about women. they were all the same! Give them little attention and they would want to ruin you completely.“Get out!” I snapped, every ounce of my being desperate to rid myself of her. My disgust for her grew with each passing second.She took a hesitant step backward, her hands trembling. “Please… you have to believe me,” she pleaded. I didn’t want to hear it. She had to go.I motioned to the security team, who had been standing at the door, waiting for their cue. “Get her out of here,” I said coldly, my eyes never leaving her face. Her lip quivered as she tried to take a step toward me, but the guards were swift, their hands gripping her arms and pulling her away. Her protests were drowned out as they escorted her from the building, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.Once the door slammed shut behind her, I felt an unexpected relief wash over me. But then, Bryce, who had been sitting in
CAMILLA.Tomorrow, I was finally going to tie the knot with that bastard. I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry or shout. I sat right In Front of my dressing table and stared at my reflection with pity for myself. I didn’t look like one of those happy brides, those ones who couldn't wait to walk down the aisle and say 'I do'. I looked more like a widow who just got kicked out from her late husband's house and stripped of every inheritance that her husband left her.Abruptly, I got up to pace around the room that had been mine since I was a child. It was very big, with one area totally occupied by the huge sized bed, and the other given over to a soft cushion chair and several paintings on the wall. The room was decorated in shades of royal purple and white. The four double windows on the far wall looked out on my most favorite part. I pushed one open. It was a hot summer day, and the park, carpeted thickly with grass, sparkled in the sun. The hot air seemed to invigorate me. At least, i
Camilla.I didn’t tell anyone.Not old lady that has been friendly lately, not even Miri—no one. If I opened my mouth, they’d try to stop me. Maybe not out of malice, maybe out of fear or love or whatever, but it didn’t matter. This was something I had to do. Alone.The newspaper felt damp in my hands, crumpled and nearly torn at the edges from how many times I’d folded and unfolded it throughout the night. The image on the front page stared up at me like a challenge—her face, my face. That woman... she could be my exact replica, if not for the blank emptiness in her eyes. And there, in bold print beneath the photograph, was the name of the venue where it all supposedly happened.I held the paper tighter, slipping past the east wing of the mansion, careful not to make the floorboards creak. My heart thundered in my chest, screaming that someone would catch me, but no one did. The morning air hit me like a slap the moment I stepped outside—sharp and cold, waking me up in ways that no a
Camilla.The soft rays of morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room. I stretched lazily, feeling the remnants of a wonderful dream about Grey. Last night had been perfect. He’d held me close, kissed me with such intensity, and whispered promises of forever into my ear. It had felt so real, so right. I smiled at the thought of it as I slowly sat up in bed, rubbing my eyes.But as the haze of sleep lifted, something felt… off. I glanced around, noticing immediately that the space beside me was empty. The sheets where Grey had been just hours before were cold, undisturbed. I reached out instinctively, as if hoping to feel him beside me, but there was nothing. The bed was just a bed, and it felt like it was missing a piece.A small pang of disappointment blossomed in my chest. Where did he go?I stood up and pulled on my robe, then quickly made my way out of the room. My feet moved automatically, but my mind was clouded. I hadn’t expected him to be gon
Grey.What was she doing?Restlessly, I swept my gaze around her room, passing indifferently over the bed. I tried to pierce the darkness beyond, and focus on her bathroom where I knew she was. But the night was impenetrable. Earlier, I’d heard her splashing water. Then I’d heard sniffling. Now—nothing. Just the cry of a lonely owl.What the hell was she doing?It felt like she’d been gone for a long time, but I knew it hadn’t been more than ten or fifteen minutes. So why was I impatient? Patience had been a survival skill I’d learned long ago. But my mind was playing tricks on me—cruel, vivid tricks. I imagined her unbuttoning her blouse, baring her big, white breasts to bathe. I stood and began pacing, tugging at the crotch of my trouser. I wasn’t used to this kind of frustration.I was spoiled when it came to women. They always wanted me. All of them. I couldn’t remember one who hadn’t. But this one? She was different. A lowlife that probably doesn't even know her real name. I didn
Camilla.I’d never known boredom could be this loud. The silence of the mansion roared in my ears as I paced around my room, again, arms folded, lips pressed into a thin line. The walls felt like they were closing in, suffocating me with every passing hour. I wasn’t a prisoner, technically, but that’s exactly what it felt like. A golden cage wrapped in luxury, yes—but a cage all the same.Grey hadn’t come to see me all day. Again.I flopped onto the bed, rolling onto my side to stare at the cold, untouched spot next to me. My hand hovered over the sheets, then clenched into a fist. I was done being ignored. If Grey wasn’t going to give me attention, then I’d get it elsewhere—even if it meant sneaking out.When Miri, one of the younger maids, walked by my room with a tray of clean towels, I sprang to the door like a woman possessed.“Miri!” I called, soft enough not to draw attention, but loud enough to make her stop.She peeked her head in, cautious. “Yes, ma?”I stepped closer, dropp
Benjamin.I was seething.My hands were trembling, fists clenched so tightly my knuckles had turned bone white. I could still feel the sting of humiliation crawling under my skin, burrowing deep like a parasite I couldn’t kill. She threw me out—threw me out like I was some houseboy she caught stealing silverware.Julia.I could still see her face, jaw tight, eyes burning like acid when she stormed into the room and found Rose and me having sex in that bed. No words. No screaming at first. Just silence. And then hell broke loose. The sound of her voice still echoed in my ears—sharp, cold, controlled.“Get. Out.”At first, I thought she was bluffing. I sat up, dazed. “Julia, listen—”“No. No explanations. No fake apologies. Just go.”I’d never seen her like that. I wasn’t sure if it made me angrier or just… shocked. But when she turned and walked out of the room like I didn’t exist, like I didn’t matter, something inside me snapped.I didn’t even realize I’d started trashing the place u
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