Sara tried to talk but nothing came out. Her friends looked like they wanted to disappear. Nobody had ever seen Max's grandfather this mad before."You've brought shame on this family tonight," he said, getting closer to Sara. "You're like a snake, feeding off being mean to others. Look at yourself,
Chapter 24EVA'S POINT OF VIEW The ballroom sparkled like something from a fairy tale, but I felt anything but magical. My heart felt heavy, like someone had filled it with rocks. Max's grandfather held my arm as we walked through the crowd, and honestly, his grip was the only thing keeping me from
*Click. Click. Click.*My heels hit the marble floor like angry little hammers as I ran. Each step echoed in my head: I. Hate. Her. I. Hate. Her.Eva. Sweet, perfect, innocent Eva. Just thinking her name made bile rise in my throat.You know what makes me the angriest? She doesn't even deserve any o
The thought made my heart beat faster. She was right. These past few weeks, Max had barely touched Eva. Barely looked at her. When she talked, his eyes would glaze over like he was a million miles away."And who's been there for him?" Mom's voice dripped honey and poison. "Who's been his shoulder to
Chapter 25EMILY (SARA'S MOTHER) POINT OF VIEW I just left Sara's room, and my heart feels like it's breaking into a million pieces. These big fancy mansion walls they're so cold and empty, just like Williams' heart. I can still hear my baby girl crying in there. Each sob feels like someone's stabb
What a joke that turned out to be.He didn't bring us there because he wanted us. No, he brought us there to take care of Eva his precious, perfect little princess. He never married me. Never gave Sara his last name. We were just the help, living in the shadows of his real family.That's when I real
Chapter 26 EVA POINT OF VIEW The familiar scent of coffee fills my nose as I sit across from Sally my best friend at our favorite coffee shop,the one we always go to, and something just doesn't feel right today. Even though everything looks exactly the same, you know, the coffee smell that's alwa
Sally's mouth drops open so wide I can see the coffee she just drank. "What? Eva, that's just crazy! Why would he even think something like that?"And then it all comes rushing back to me, like someone pressed play on the worst movie ever made. I can still feel exactly how cold that water was when I
Josh's Point of View The nightmares returned last night. Faces from my past, screams in dark alleys, blood on my hands that no amount of success could wash away. I jolted awake in my mansion suite, sheets tangled around me, heart pounding against my ribs. My phone showed three missed calls from He
Eva's Point of View The Brown Enterprises conference room buzzed with barely contained hostility. Camera flashes popped like lightning as reporters jostled for position, their hungry eyes fixed on the empty podium. Behind the scenes, I watched Sara pacing, her face pale but determined. "You don't
Sara's Point of View The morning started like a dream. My first major runway show for Paris Fashion Week, everything I'd worked so hard to achieve finally coming true. I should have known it wouldn't last. Nothing good in my life ever does. The first hint came during makeup. Victoria Stone, superm
Sara's Point of View The morning started with an urgent text from Eva about a "childcare emergency." I rushed to the mansion, expecting chaos, only to find four suspiciously well-behaved children setting up what appeared to be a romantic picnic in the garden. "Aunty Sara!" Mia bounced over, her pr
"Operation Love Birds is now in session!" Mia declared, banging her plastic princess wand against her bedroom floor like a gavel. Her brothers gathered around in a tight circle, their faces serious with six-year-old determination. "Are you sure about the name?" Leo whispered, glancing at the door
Chapter 319 The garden's night blooming jasmine filled the air with sweetness as Josh made his final rounds of the fotress grounds. Helena had insisted on top-notch security after the recent paparazzi incidents, and he took his role as Sara's protector seriously, perhaps too seriously, given how hi
"You didn't have to follow his plans." Bitterness crept into my voice. "You chose to help him kill Eva's mother. Chose to watch her die slowly." "I know." Tears filled her eyes. "Not a day passes that I don't see Leah's face. She was kind to me, even as the poison took her. Sometimes I wake up scre
"Sara?" Josh's voice seemed to come from far away. "What can I do?" A sob tore from my throat. Without hesitation, he crossed the room and pulled me into his arms. For once, he didn't maintain careful distance or worry about boundaries. He simply held me while I cried. "She's dying," I managed bet
Chapter 318 Sara's Point of View The envelope sat on my dressing table like a ticking bomb. Prison-issued paper, my mother's elegant handwriting somehow maintaining its grace despite her circumstances. I'd been staring at it for hours, unable to open it, unable to throw it away. My phone buzzed a