"Look at me," she ordered.I stared at the wall instead. The fancy wallpaper got all blurry as tears filled my eyes. I blinked hard. Sara Brown doesn't cry. That's what Mom always taught me. Crying is for weak people. We're not weak."Look. At. Me." Mom's voice got even scarier, like ice about to cr
"But what about Max?" The question burned in my throat like acid. It's the one thing I couldn't stop thinking about, the thing that kept me up at night. "What if he really loves her? What if he picks her? What if all those stupid romance novels Eva reads are right and love really does conquer all?"
Chapter 78Chapter 80: Eva’s Point of ViewThe meeting room was packed. Board members, senior executives, and other key decision-makers sat around the long oval table, their faces a mix of skepticism and curiosity. I could feel their eyes on me as I stood at the head of the room, the large projector
Chapter 79Eva’s Point of ViewThe fashion store’s luxurious interior glimmered under the warm golden lights. Rows of designer dresses lined the racks like silent soldiers, their elegance a stark contrast to the storm brewing inside me. I had come here for a distraction something to take my mind off
The worker scurried off to fetch the dress, leaving Sara alone with me.“You know,” she said, leaning closer, “it’s sad how far you’ve fallen. All that Brown family wealth now belongs to me. Now you’re stuck pretending you belong here when we both know you don’t.”I bit my tongue, refusing to rise t
Chapter 80: Eva’s Point of ViewThe grand auction hall was abuzz with chatter, the air electric with anticipation. Lavishly dressed men and women milled about, their eyes gleaming with the prospect of acquiring the rare and priceless. Every corner of the room exuded wealth ornate chandeliers hung l
Chapter 81 Eva’s Point of ViewThe tension between Sara and me was palpable, a tightrope stretched dangerously thin. I could feel the weight of her venomous gaze, her words still echoing in my mind like sharp claws scraping against a chalkboard. The crowd around us had thinned, most guests returnin
Chapter 82Sara's Point of ViewThe morning sun filtered through the sheer curtains, but its warmth did nothing to soothe the cold dread pooling in my chest. My phone buzzed incessantly on the bedside table, the vibration rattling against the wood like an unrelenting alarm. Groaning, I grabbed it, s
The backstage chaos of Paris Fashion Week swirled around Sara like a tornado. Models rushed between makeup stations, stylists shouted instructions in multiple languages, and someone nearby was having a meltdown about a broken heel. But Sara couldn't focus on any of it. The walls of the massive venue
The grand dining room of the Brown mansion sparkled with its usual Sunday elegance, but tonight the atmosphere crackled with unspoken tension. Crystal glasses clinked too loudly against china plates as the family attempted normal conversation around the elephant in the room. "Pass the potatoes?" Ev
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