Felicia gave a final smile and turned to the remaining participants. "Good luck with the competition," she said warmly. "Thank you," they replied with a nod as Felicia left with Damien. Aliyah’s gaze remained fixed on the piece of paper detailing the design type, fabrics, and theme to be used. S
"I.. won?" She murmured in disbelief, blinking as if she couldn't believe her ears. Adeline’s eyes burned with fury as she glared at Cassia during the announcement of the competition results. Her expression darkened as cheers erupted from the crowd, and quiet whispers filled the room. Other contest
Cassia stood on the stage, her heart swelling with a mix of triumph and relief as the judges took turns offering their congratulations. Each word of praise felt like a warm embrace, validating not only her talent but the long, difficult journey that led to this moment. "Your innovation and craftsma
"She’s... alive?" he muttered under his breath, his voice barely a whisper. Cassia arched a worried brow, turning fully to face the waiter in front of her. "What did you say?" "Nothing." He cleared his throat, his gaze darting everywhere but at her. "I said you're... pretty." Her eyes narrowed sl
Kelvin walked down the street, his hands tucked into his pockets, his head tilting repeatedly toward Martinez's house. "She really doesn’t eat chocolate?” he muttered to himself, his brows knitting together in confusion. The thought clung to him as he continued walking. "Maybe she’s not the woman
"Aliyah..." Lucas's voice came again, more impatient than before. His tone got on her nerves, leaving her with no choice but to end the call. But Lucas wasn’t one to give up easily, and she knew that. He called again, his persistence only annoying her further. With no choice, she ended the call once
"Cassia?" Her mother called, her voice soft and filled with disbelief. Cassia froze, tears streaming down her face as her feet remained rooted to the spot. Her dad, Mr. Jenkins, spoke up, his voice filled with concern. "Why didn't you go in? Would you have left without a word if we hadn't come?" He
Cassia felt a sting from her words, the burn of unshed tears pricking at her eyes. “Mom…” she said softly, her voice trembling. But Evelyn wasn’t done. “If you were having a hard time, why didn’t you come home? Did I do something wrong? Was coming over on the weekends too much to ask? Did I offend
Mrs. Sinclair stepped into her house with an angry glare. She pushed the door shut with so much force that it echoed through the hallway. A maid who happened to be passing by froze for a second, then quickly hurried out of sight. Mrs. Sinclair didn’t even notice her. She stormed straight to her roo
Cassia’s heart raced as she still stood frozen outside the office door. The words she’d just heard wouldn’t stop repeating in her head. "Framed Darvan… to protect Martinez"* She clutched her bag tighter, feeling as if the space she stood became small. She didn’t want to hear more. Whatever it was,
Cassia pushed open the door to her apartment and stepped inside. She dropped her bag carelessly onto the couch and kicked off her shoes, sighing into the quiet space. Without dwelling too much on the day's events, she headed straight for the bathroom. The warmth of the water against her skin was th
Cassia finally stopped crying. The cold had numbed her face, her tears drying against her cheeks. The wind brushed against her skin as she tilted her head back, eyes scanning the night sky where stars flickered faintly through drifting clouds. Everything hurt. But deep down, a voice in her head u
Cassia looked at Henry like he was a stranger. What he’d just said made her so angry that everything around her seemed to fade. Without thinking, her hand moved on its own and then....Smack... The slap rang through the almost-empty parking lot. Henry’s head turned from the hit, a red mark forming
"I was about to head out," Mira repeated, "but there’s a man at the entrance saying he wants to see you. He’s… insisting." "Who?" Cassia asked, puzzled. Before Mira could answer, Cassia’s phone rang again. This time, it was Quinn calling. She sighed and waved a hand dismissively at Mira. "Tell hi
Darvan set the bowl down slowly, confusion and disbelief etched across his face. “I swear on everything, Justin… I have no idea what this is about.” Justin cursed under his breath, already reaching for his phone. “You need to do something fast,” he said urgently. “Because if this blows up any furth
Stacy sat alone in her apartment, staring down at her stomach. Her hand gently brushed over the slight curve as a deep frown settled on her face. The room was silent, except for the ticking of the wall clock. Then, suddenly, her bitter laughter broke the stillness. "How did it come to this?" she mu
Cassia pushed open the glass doors of her newly opened design firm. A young woman, likely a few years younger than her, looked up and greeted her with a smile. “How are you, Mira?” Cassia returned the smile. “I’m okay. I didn't expect you to come back,” Mira said with a grin. Cassia nodded, manag