Chapter 23: Entangled Fates

THIRD PERSON

Rihanna was determined with her plan. Ever since she discovered that Kristen had secretly married Marcus, whom she believed should have been hers, she had been seething with anger and jealousy. Even Marcus's mother, whom she used to confide in, no longer spoke to her about it.

She wondered why she was always left out in the cold by these people. She was used to such situations, as her biological parents had done the same to her. If not for an elderly rich man who adopted her and became a father figure, she wouldn’t be where she was today.

"Papa," Rihanna began, her voice steady but cold. "I need your help."

Her foster father leaned back in his plush armchair, studying her face under the warm glow of an antique desk lamp. "What is it this time, Dear? Who's causing you trouble?"

"It's that woman, Kristen Sterling," she said, clenching her fists. "She needs to pay for what she's done. She stole everything from me. Marcus should have been mine, not hers."

Scenes like this were