Sam and Nora were childhood friends whose bond was sealed with an arranged marriage. But soon after, Sam’s warmth fades, leaving Nora alone in a cold, distant relationship. His connection to Isabella, a woman from his past, casts a shadow over their marriage, fueling suspicions and driving them apart. After a heartbreaking divorce, Nora tries to rebuild her life, and just as her high school crush, Daniel, reappears, offering hope for a fresh start, Nora finds herself entangled in a secret that could change everything. As past emotions resurface and new complications arise, Nora must navigate the tangled web of love, loyalty, and deception. Can she move on from Sam, or is their story far from over?
View MoreNORA'S POV The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. “I’ve found someone else.” Sam’s face stilled, his expression unreadable. For a moment, it looked like I had punched the air out of him. He blinked, as if trying to understand what I had just said. I didn’t dare move, every nerve in my body on edge. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. His hand dropped from mine slowly, reluctantly, like he was forcing himself to let go. “Okay,” he whispered, his voice rough. He looked down for a second, brushing a hand over his mouth. When he glanced back up, the sadness in his eyes hit me square in the chest. “Okay,” he repeated quietly, his lips pressing into a thin line. Without another word, he turned and left, the soft click of the door louder than it should’ve been. The moment the door shut, my knees buckled, and I crumbled to the floor, burying my face in my hands. Tears welled up, hot and fast, spilling down my cheeks before I could stop them. I hadn’t r
NORA'S POV Evelyn’s words hit me like a slap. The Moretti deal. The air around me seemed to thicken, and for a moment, I couldn’t move. My heart thudded painfully in my chest, my palms turning clammy. Genevieve’s gaze snapped toward me, curiosity lighting her green eyes. “What’s she talking about, Nora?” I swallowed hard, forcing my breath to steady. “I... I think she’s confusing me with someone else.” My voice wavered slightly, and I hated how shaky I sounded. But Evelyn wasn’t convinced. She frowned, studying me with an intensity that made my skin prickle. “No, I swear. I saw you in the boardroom—at the meeting with Mr. Moretti.” My mind raced. How did she know about that? Before I could say anything more, Genevieve looped her arm through mine with a bright, easy laugh. “Oh, Evelyn, you must be mistaken. My girl Nora? Nora isn't involved in the family business. She can’t even read a balance sheet, let alone run a business deal.” Evelyn raised a brow, unconvinced. “I’m
SAM'S POV Isabella’s voice slid through the phone like silk. “Sam,” she said, drawing out my name as if she’d been waiting for me. I wasn’t in the mood for games. “I thought you took care of it,” I snapped, frustration bleeding through my tone. She let out a soft laugh, the kind that said she wasn’t bothered by my temper. “Oh, come on. You know things like this don’t happen overnight.” “I’m done with excuses, Isabella,” I growled. “I need it finished.” There was a pause, then her voice softened, turning into something almost sweet. “You need to relax, Sam. Why don’t we have dinner tonight? Just the two of us.” I rolled my eyes, gripping the phone tighter. This was typical Isabella—mixing business with her own agenda. “No.” Her laugh was light, but I could hear the annoyance beneath it. “You’re so predictable.” I was about to hang up when her voice shifted, casual but with a sharp edge. “By the way, I ran into Nora today.” My heart kicked in my chest, but I kept my ton
NORA'S POV Isabella’s words hung in the air like a loaded gun. You shouldn’t be talking after what you did. A chill ran down my spine, and for a moment, I felt the ground shift beneath me. My breath hitched as dread coiled tightly in my chest. What did she mean by that? Could she know? I forced my features to remain neutral, but inside, panic surged. There were things—mistakes I had made—that no one was supposed to know about. I thought I’d buried them deep, locked them away where they couldn’t come back to haunt me. But now Isabella was looking at me with that same smug grin, like a cat who’d just cornered a mouse. No. She couldn’t know. I swallowed the lump in my throat and squared my shoulders. I couldn’t let her see the crack in my armor—not now, not ever. “What exactly do you think I did, Isabella?” I asked, tilting my head slightly, my voice light but edged with steel. Her smile deepened, but I saw a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. She had been bluffing—fishing
SAM'S POV Daniel’s words still gnawed at the edges of my mind as I leaned back in my chair. Focus on your family.The weight of those words stirred a dangerous restlessness inside me. What the hell did Daniel mean? I could tell he wasn’t just talking about my divorce. There was something in the way he’d said it, something loaded with meaning—something I didn’t have the full picture of yet. Just as my thoughts started spiraling out of control, and I was starting to think increasingly about calling Nora, my phone buzzed on the desk. Dad. I blew out a slow breath and answered. “Hey, Dad.” “Samuel,” came the steady, authoritative voice of William Bennett. He didn’t need to raise his voice to command attention. “I’m in town. On my way to the office.” The familiar weight of expectation settled on my shoulders, but I didn’t let it show. “Everything alright?” I asked, already knowing the answer. My father never just stopped by. “We’ll discuss it when I get there,” he replied
NORA'S POV Genevieve leaned in expectantly, her manicured nails drumming softly against the side of her champagne glass. “So?” she prompted, her voice low but eager. I opened my mouth, the words already forming at the back of my throat: I’m pregnant. But just as they reached the tip of my tongue, something tightened inside me. The weight of it, the reality—suddenly, it felt too big. Too terrifying. Not yet. Instead, I gave her a tight smile and shrugged, forcing a lighter tone. “I think I might have a crush on Daniel.” Genevieve blinked, taken aback, before narrowing her eyes. “Daniel?” Her lips curled into an amused smile. “Yes. Daniel.” I felt my cheeks heat under her gaze, and I tried to ignore the way my heart thudded unevenly. Gen twirled the stem of her glass between her fingers, her smile deepening. “Huh.” I could see it instantly—she didn’t believe me. Not fully. Genevieve knew me too well, could probably tell there was more I wasn’t saying. But to my relief, she p
SAM'S POV The night air was sharp and cold as I left Genevieve’s loft. My hands were stuffed deep in my pockets, my jaw tight with frustration. She had shut me out again, siding with Nora like always. I knew she was only trying to protect her, but it didn’t make it any easier to swallow. I got into my car and gripped the steering wheel for a long moment, forcing myself to breathe. The engine purred softly beneath me, but I felt restless—like I was trapped in a loop I couldn’t escape. Nora was slipping through my fingers, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t seem to stop it. Why did I sign those damned papers? I asked myself for the umpteenth time.By the time I got back to my apartment, the emptiness inside me had settled like a weight in my chest. I tossed my keys on the counter, kicked off my shoes, and collapsed onto the couch. The room was too quiet. Too still. I grabbed my phone, knowing it was a bad idea but doing it anyway. I opened Pictory and searched for my name. It
NORA'S POV I watched as Sam's face fell when I answered him. He sat on the bed and buried his face in his palms, silent but downcast.“You don’t have to... We… we can wo…”“We're divorced Sam,” I said quietly.That shut him up and he left the room slamming the door. I couldn't stay. I packed the last of my suitcases to the front porch and waited. I had earlier sent all my boxes with the movers and tomorrow, they should be flying to Paris. I was doing this.I was standing there lost in thoughts when a Bentley stopped in front of me. The driver got down and put my suitcases in the car then we glided smoothly through the streets.When the car pulled up outside Genevieve’s loft, relief washed over me. Her place wasn’t just a physical escape—it was a bubble of freedom, far away from the heavy, complicated world of the Bennetts. The doorman opened the door for me with a warm smile. “Welcome, Ms. Nora. Miss Genevieve’s expecting you.” I gave him a tight smile and grabbed my suitcase, f
SAM'S POV The second Nora vanished upstairs, I rounded on Isabella, my patience hanging by a thread. “What the hell is wrong with you Izzy?” I growled, keeping my voice low but sharp enough to cut through the tension. “Why do you enjoy being mean to her?” Isabella’s eyes glinted with amusement. “Oh, Sam, relax. You really should have told her the truth. It would have saved us all a lot of trouble.”The muscles in my jaw clenched. “This isn’t a game, Isabella.” She arched a brow, entirely unbothered by my frustration. “You think I don’t know that? If anyone’s playing games, it’s you, Sam. Pretending you can have it both ways—your secrets and Nora.” I stepped closer, my voice low and dangerous. “I swear, Isabella, if you keep pushing—” Her smile widened, smug and taunting. “You’ll what? Go ahead, Sam. But we both know you won’t. Not after everything we agreed on. Not after what I did for you!”The mention of our deal made the blood in my veins boil, but I knew better than to l
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