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
"No," I say, probably way too fast. "No, it's... I'm sure it's nothing big. I'll call you later, okay?"The drive to Max's grandfather's house feels like it takes about a million years, even though it's really only like ten minutes away. You know how when you're really scared or nervous, your brain
Chapter 328 Sara's Point of View The morning headlines hit like physical blows: "FASHION'S SCANDAL GIRL IN LOVE AFFAIR WITH MANAGER" "SARA BROWN'S SECRET ROMANCE EXPOSED" "CRIMINAL'S DAUGHTER SEDUCES WAY TO SUCCESS" My hands shook as I scrolled through article after article on my phone. Someho
Chapter 327 Sara's Point of View Camera flashes greeted me the moment I stepped out of the mansion. They lurked behind bushes, crouched behind parked cars, shouted questions that made my skin crawl. "Sara! How often do you visit your parents in prison?" "Is it true you helped plan the murders?"
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
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