Ariel blinked, her heart catching in her throat. “He said that?” “Worse,” Chase murmured. “He said they’re not his ‘real siblings.’ Called them stupid. Then said he doesn’t belong here.” Ariel’s face drained of colour. She shook her head. “No. No, he wouldn’t say that.” “I didn’t want to beli
Chase leaned on the doorframe of the triplets’ playroom, arms crossed, watching. Moon was building a wobbly tower of blocks with Star, both rascals giggling in that sweet, infectious way that only two-year-olds could. But Sky wasn’t laughing. He sat across the room, legs curled up under him on the
It was a week later when Monica returned to the school. This time, she wasn’t in disguise. She was in full performance. A fitted beige trench coat hugged her figure, paired with elegant flats and a soft cashmere scarf. She looked like every other high-end parent on the school grounds—harmless, refi
“I didn’t want to ruin our day,” he said lamely. Ariel finally turned to him. Her voice was calm but sharp. “You let her near Sky. Without telling me. After everything she’s done. She could’ve taken him. Lied to him. Planted something in his head. And you didn’t tell me because you didn’t want to
The elevator doors slid shut behind her with a quiet ding , sealing Monica off from the penthouse and the seething humiliation boiling in her chest. Her hands trembled at her sides, still itching from where Ariel had yanked at her hair. She could still feel Chase’s rejection pulsing through her arm
As Monica spoke, her voice dripped with malice, Ariel's expression turned incredulous. "You know, that's funny, Ariel. Just the other day I was with him, and he didn't seem like he would kill me. He was, well, he seemed happy to see me, and I could tell by his eyes that he wanted to see more of me