Harper is trapped in unrequited love. Orphaned, she finds refuge with Mr. Cooper and his children, Atlas and Amanda. However, as Harper's affection for Atlas grows, he only sees her as a sister. Mr. Cooper's passing leaves her under Atlas's reluctant care. Now, she must confront the painful reality of longing for what she cannot have. To complicate things, Atlas's girlfriend moves in with him in the same house as Harper—additionally, a mysterious professor of Harper, whose closeness to Harper might not sit well with Atlas. Will Harper find the strength to let go, or will she cling to a love that may never be returned?
View MoreThe rest of the week flew by in a blur—work, spending time with Jess, and the constant flood of calls and messages from Atlas. I didn’t pick up a single one. His texts, all variations of the same theme, piled up on my phone, each one a hollow echo of regret. If Atlas had proven anything over the past few days, it was that he was sorry. But that word, sorry, had lost all meaning to me.I used to be the girl who’d drop everything for him, who’d bend to his will with a single word. But not anymore. I was too hurt, too broken, to let his apologies soften me. Even if he meant them—truly meant them—I didn’t want them. They couldn’t fix what he’d shattered.Saturday arrived faster than I was ready for, leaving me standing in front of my cupboard, staring at the meager selection of clothes. I blew my cheeks out in frustration before turning to Jess, who was casually perched on my bed, lost in her book. “I really need to get the rest of my stuff back from Atlas,” I muttered.Jess looked up, he
“Are you going to tell me what happened? Is this about Amanda? Did she say something to you?” Jess's voice trembled slightly as she stood outside the bathroom door where I had locked myself. I had tried to pull myself together before coming home, but the effort had been futile. The moment I stepped into the apartment, Jess took one look at me and knew something was wrong. When she asked what happened, the dam broke. Tears streamed down my face, and when she wrapped her arms around me, I collapsed into sobs. She didn’t press me for answers, just held me, her silent presence a comfort.After what felt like hours of ugly crying, I finally excused myself and retreated to the bathroom. I splashed cold water on my face, trying to erase the evidence of my breakdown. As I wiped my face with a towel, I noticed streaks of makeup staining the fabric. It was a small thing, but it felt like a mark of my defeat. I tried not to catch my reflection in the mirror, but when I did, the sight of myself o
He didn’t need to guide me. I knew exactly what to do. While he remained standing, steady and composed, I could feel my legs trembling with the overwhelming pull of desire. The weight of it was too much, and I made my way to the bed, the cool sheets beneath me a stark contrast to the heat building inside.I waited, expecting him to join me, to close the distance between us, but he didn’t move. He stood there for a few long, torturous seconds, his eyes narrowing as he watched me. I could see the thoughts swirling in his mind, hidden behind a carefully controlled expression. He was a master at masking his emotions, but there was one thing he couldn’t hide—lust. It blazed in his eyes, a raw, primal hunger that made my heart race.I was certain he would climb into bed with me, that he would let go of the restraint I could see him struggling to maintain. But instead, he surprised me. He dragged the armchair from the corner of the room, pulling it closer to the bed. He sat down, his gaze ne
Walking back to the living room, I felt a heavy weight inside me. I was nervous and ashamed. Every glance in my direction made me feel like they knew what I had done and what I was doing. As I stepped out, Aunt Rosa's concerned voice met me.“Oh sweetie, I hope you’re okay. You were gone for a while and you look flushed,” she said.Her words heightened my anxiety. I hadn’t even thought to check myself in the mirror before reentering. Pressing my lips together, I decided to lie.“Uh, yes. I’m fine. The food just didn’t agree with me,” I said softly.She gave me a sympathetic smile, her hand gently stroking my arm. Over her shoulder, I saw Atlas reenter the living room from outside. He must have taken the back door earlier and now returned through the main entrance, maintaining the illusion that he had been outside all this time. His calculated move made me feel slightly less nervous. He offered me a quick glance as he passed us and walked over to Philippe.My stomach knotted at the sig
For the next five minutes, I remained frozen. I couldn't bring myself to speak or excuse myself. When I glanced at Atlas, his calm gaze met my panicked eyes. I gulped, feeling both anxious and thrilled. This was something I'd never done before—something so controversial. Fear and intrigue mingled within me. I wanted to know what would happen if I excused myself to the washroom, so I finally gathered the courage.Clearing my throat, I gained everyone's attention. Offering a small smile to Aunt Rosa, I stated, "Please excuse me. I’ll be back in a minute. You all carry on." As I stood, the chair scraped against the floor, making me wince. I straightened my dress and, with a quick glance at Atlas, aimed for the washroom. Unsure of which washroom to go to, I decided to head to my old room.Each step felt like a journey as I made my way down the hall, my heart pounding in anticipation. What would Atlas do next? The thrill of the unknown sent shivers down my spine, making my steps both hesit
When Philippe learned that I already knew Dr. Lawson, he echoed my thoughts with a chuckle, "What a small world." Dr. Seth was then introduced to Amanda and Aunt Rosa as Philippe's nephew and my professor/boss. The moment felt awkward, perhaps because I now realized Dr. Lawson was connected to a distant family member who might uncover aspects of my life I preferred to keep private.Amanda's reaction added to my unease. She arched an eyebrow upon learning that Dr. Lawson was my professor, a glint of mischief in her eyes before she smirked softly. It sent a chill down my spine. While I hadn't done anything that could tarnish my reputation—at least, nothing Amanda knew about—I couldn't shake the feeling of apprehension. Being around Amanda always made me wary, and this situation was no exception.But I wasn’t the only one feeling awkward. Dr. Lawson seemed equally uncomfortable. After his initial greeting, he avoided making eye contact with me. Instead, he engaged in a polite conversatio
It was a weird and dangerous game we were playing. I still didn’t know how Atlas truly felt about me. Did he like me? Did he love me the way I loved him? Or was it all just physical for him? All I knew was that whatever he felt for me had been simmering for a while. I wanted to ask him, but I didn’t want to ruin what we had. I knew I was on the path to getting hurt again, but I loved his attention. It was exactly what I always craved, and now that I had it, I didn’t want it to end. I wasn’t going to tell Jess either because I knew she would never approve of my choices, and rightfully so. I was being incredibly dumb and naïve. I wasn’t thinking with my brain. I was letting my heart lead me to my doom.“How horrible is it to ask you to come back home?” Atlas asked softly. I was sitting on the couch in his office with my feet up while he leaned against the very desk he had bent me over, his arms folded across his chest. Our little session had ended a few minutes ago, but my ass was still
Eva's words echoed in my mind, each one striking me like a blow. I still couldn’t wrap my head around what I had just learned. All this time, I thought Atlas was cheating on Eva with me, but I was utterly wrong. He ended their relationship the night I left.Why hadn’t Atlas told me? Why hadn’t he come back to me? My heart skipped a beat, a flicker of hope sparking within me. Had he ended things with Eva for me? Did he want me as much as I wanted him? But then, my heart sank into my stomach, a cold dread washing over me. If that were true, why hadn’t he reached out? Was I just a pawn in his game? What was I to him? What was he doing with me?I felt a storm of emotions raging inside me—confusion, hurt, hope, and despair all mingling into a nauseating swirl. I didn’t tell anyone about meeting Eva, not even Jess. She was too consumed with guilt for setting me up with a guy like Dylan to notice how distracted I was when I got home.The revelation that Atlas was no longer with Eva kept gnaw
I couldn’t shake off the memories of what happened between Atlas and me in the washroom. It has gotten to the point where I can’t visit public or office washrooms without recalling the incident. What happened between us was wrong and so embarrassing. I was truly ashamed of myself.It has been a week since I last saw Atlas, and I'm glad for the distance. But even in his absence, the memories occupied my mind, causing my work to suffer. Dr. Lawson noticed and called me out, saying, “Miss Miller, if you’d rather be somewhere else than be here, maybe you should just leave.” I apologized and tried to focus on taking notes during therapy sessions with different juvenile convicts. I was so mad at Atlas. I couldn’t concentrate on anything at work, and this incredible opportunity was slipping through my fingers because of him.The week was finally over, and the weekend was on the horizon. Jess had started her internship, so she was busy during the week as well. It was Friday night, and I was b
Harper Miller I was just ten years old when I watched as my parents' coffins were solemnly lifted, their faces hidden from view forever. Their lives ended abruptly in a plane crash while en route to a meeting. Meanwhile, I found myself in the care of Mr. Benjamin Cooper, a close friend of my father's from childhood. Initially intended as a short stay, my time with Mr. Cooper stretched into several years as he became my legal guardian following my parents' tragic passing. In my youthful naivety, I clung to the hope that my parents might one day return, but as the years passed, reality sank in. I slowly came to terms with being the lone survivor of the Miller family. I was never formally adopted by Mr. Cooper, though the reasons remain a mystery to me. Nevertheless, his love for me was unwavering. He was a kind-hearted man, much like my own parents. A successful businessman, his days were often consumed by work, but he always made time for us – for me, Amanda, and Atlas. Atlas, the e
Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.
Comments