SARAHIt happened so fast. One of the servants moved my pillow, and there it was—Isabella’s prized jewel, glinting in the dim light. My heart dropped into my stomach.“What the—” I froze, my mind racing. No. No, this can’t be happening. How? I didn’t put that there. This doesn’t make sense.For a second, I couldn’t speak. All I could do was stare at the shiny, expensive object in front of me like it was a bomb about to go off. I could feel the eyes of the people behind me burning into my back. The whispers started immediately.“This is… this is impossible,” I muttered, my voice barely audible. I shook my head, backing away from the bed, the sight of the jewelry making me dizzy. “No, I didn’t… I didn’t take this. I swear, I didn’t.”I looked around frantically, my vision blurring as I tried to make sense of what was happening. Panic set in. This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be. How did this even get here?Just then, I saw Isabella step forward, her expression twisted into something dark an
SARAHI could see Isabella’s face shift the moment Marco spoke. It was subtle, but I caught it—the way her smile faltered just for a split second before she quickly regained her composure.“Marco,” she said, her voice suddenly softer, a fake tremor in it as if she was on the verge of tears. “I don’t think you understand what’s happened here.” She glanced around the room, making sure everyone was still watching her. “I found out my jewelry was missing. My priceless piece, the one my grandmother gave me. And... I panicked.” She placed a hand over her heart, like she was trying to steady herself. “I had no choice but to check with everyone in the room. It was stolen, Marco.”She looked at him then, her eyes wide, shimmering with unshed tears that I knew were nothing but an act. “When I realized it was gone, I felt... violated. Unsafe.” Her voice cracked for added effect. “And then... to find it in Sarah’s possession? I just don’t know how to feel. I’m hurt, Marco. I feel betrayed.”She w
SARAHI stood frozen, the accusation hanging heavy in the air, Marco’s words still echoing in my ears. Isabella set me up? It felt surreal, like I wasn’t fully there. My eyes darted around the room, and all I saw were shocked expressions. No one moved. Everyone stared at Marco as he stood, calm and collected, accusing Isabella of something so… unthinkable.“This is ridiculous,” Isabella hissed, her voice sharp and venomous. “What are you even talking about, Marco?”She looked around the room, clearly trying to find someone—anyone—who would back her up. But all eyes were still on Marco, waiting. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, my skin hot and tight like it was burning up from the inside. Isabella, the jewelry, this entire situation—it was spiraling out of control.“You paid someone,” Marco said coldly, “to lure Sarah out of her room with a false message that I needed to see her. Meanwhile, you planted your jewelry under her pillow.” He paused, his gaze hardening as he locke
SARAHThe TV flickered on, and the room fell silent. All eyes turned to the screen as the image sharpened into focus. There was Isabella, pacing in what looked like one of the mansion’s empty rooms. She was talking to someone, but the figure was hooded, their face completely obscured. The audio wasn’t great, but it was enough. I could make out fragments, little pieces of their conversation that were more than enough to send chills down my spine.“… Sarah… nuisance…” Isabella’s voice was crystal clear. Her tone was mocking, like she was enjoying every bit of what she was planning. She laughed, a nasty little giggle that sent a sick feeling swirling in my stomach.The hooded figure leaned in, whispering something that wasn’t entirely clear, but I caught the words, “…jab at her… easy to frame…”Isabella snickered again. “She’ll never see it coming,” she said, her voice dripping with glee. “This party will be unforgettable… for her.”I stood frozen, my eyes wide in shock. How could she? M
SARAHAs I sat on the edge of the bed in Marco's room, I found it hard to pull my eyes away from him. My mind was still racing from everything that had happened earlier, the adrenaline slowly wearing off, but now, instead of focusing on the chaos of the night, all I could think about was Marco. How effortlessly cool and calm he had been when he stood up for me. He had exposed Isabella’s lies without hesitation, and for the first time in a long while, I felt protected. I watched him move from the counter to the bookshelf, his presence filling the room. Every motion was purposeful, and I couldn’t help but let my eyes linger. He looked different to me now—more than just the man I was forced to marry. He was... something else. Someone I couldn’t quite figure out. My heart beat faster, and I swallowed, suddenly aware of the way my gaze followed him.And then, he turned to me, catching me completely off guard."Why are you staring at me like that?" he asked, his voice teasing. His lips cur
MARCOI sat in my office, the air heavy with tension. The dim light from the lamp cast long shadows across the room, but my focus was entirely on the screen in front of me. Tony sat on my left, fidgeting slightly, while Petrov stood stoic on my right. The grainy footage from earlier played again, and my stomach twisted as the sound of Isabella’s voice filled the room.“Play it again,” I muttered, my hand gripping the edge of the desk.Petrov nodded, his fingers moving swiftly across the keyboard. The screen flickered, and there it was—the scene that had been gnawing at me since we discovered it. Isabella, standing in a dimly lit hallway, her voice filled with venom, speaking to someone cloaked in shadows.“Are you sure you can pull this off?” Isabella’s voice echoed through the room. “You know what to do. You take Marco and the rest of his family out, and Sarah… well,” she laughed softly, chillingly, “I’ll take care of Sarah. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.”The laughter t
SARAHI woke up that morning with a strange sense of calm. It had been days since the whole ordeal with Isabella, and I had been hiding, practically invisible, ever since. I guess I needed that time to process everything. The accusations, the betrayal, the chaos. But I couldn’t stay locked away in my room forever. At some point, I had to face the house, the people, and most importantly, myself.I stared at the ceiling for a moment, taking in the quiet of the room. It had been peaceful. Too peaceful. While that peace was welcome at first, it was starting to feel like a cage. I needed to move, to be useful again. I sighed and sat up, pushing the covers off me. Today was the day. I was going to step out of my self-imposed exile and get some work done.“Okay, Sarah,” I muttered to myself, “no more hiding. You can’t be bedridden all day.”I swung my legs off the bed and stood, stretching my stiff muscles. I walked over to the wardrobe and grabbed a few clothes that needed washing. I wasn’t
MARCO The engine hummed steadily beneath me, but my blood was boiling. My hands tightened around the wheel, jaw clenched as we drove toward the docks. The night outside the window felt too quiet, too still for what had just happened. They stole from me. Again. And this time, they took more than goods. They took a good man’s life. Tony sat beside me, his face illuminated by his phone’s screen, fingers swiping as he tried to make sense of the reports coming in. He was calm—too calm for my liking. How could he be so composed when another one of our shipments had been stolen? And now… someone was dead. A man who had been loyal for years, taken out like he was nothing. It made my blood boil. I couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Tony, how the hell did this happen?” My voice was low but filled with a fury I couldn’t contain. “Again? First, the shipments, and now they have the guts to kill one of our men?” Tony sighed, his phone lowering to his lap as he glanced at me. “Marco, you need t