Asher Present day The room was dead silent, Adele’s words echoing in my fucking head like a gunshot that wouldn’t fade. My Eve had been alive all this time. I should have felt relief. Hell, I should have felt something other than this burning rage consuming me. But all I could think about was the years I spent drowning in grief, thinking she was gone forever. All I could think about was the nights I spent wishing I had been there, wishing I had died with her because living without her had felt like hell. And all this time, Adele knew. My own sister knew. My fists clenched at my sides, my nails digging into my palms. If she weren’t my blood, I would have put a bullet in her head without hesitation. I inhaled slowly, trying to control my rage. Then I lifted my eyes to meet hers. “Finish.” “W-what?” “Finish your story,” I said, my tone like ice. “That wasn’t the end of it, was it? If it was, you would’ve never told me the truth or come crawling for my help. You wo
Asher I stormed out of the room, my mind racing with everything Adele had just told me. “Asher, wait.” She called after me, her voice urgent, but I didn’t slow down. I didn’t even look back. My body was running on pure adrenaline, my main thought was to kill everyone—her parents, her sister, the man she married, every damn single person that even dared to make her cry. They would think twice before taking advantage of her again. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, Mateo and Elijah, who had been leaning against the wall waiting for us, immediately straightened. Elijah’s brows furrowed as he took in my expression. "What happened? What’s wrong?" I ignored him. I grabbed my keys from the table, ready to leave, but before I could reach the door, a firm hand clamped down on my shoulder. Mateo. "I don’t know what’s wrong," he said, his voice calmer than it should have been, "but don’t. Your sister is worried." A low growl rumbled in my chest. How annoying, I don’t have time f
Eve “I know you want to die, but live, not for anyone else, but for yourself. Please, take my hand. Please! I can't let you die. I can’t—” "Let go. Don't try to save a dead man. Nobody would cry for me if you let go.” His voice was hollow, stripped of everything that made a person human. I tightened my grip on his wrist, refusing to let go. My chest ached as I looked at him. There was no light in his eyes, no fight left in his body. How much pain must a person endure to reach this point? Will I one day find myself here, standing on the edge, refusing someone’s outstretched hand? Will I also break? Will I give up on life? I had no idea. But there was one thing I knew. "Maybe you're right, maybe you have nobody to cry for you," I whispered, my voice shaking. "But don't you think you're selfish for trying to kill yourself? You're still breathing. Your heart is still beating. As long as you’re alive, there’s still a chance for you to overcome everything. Don't give others the sati
Eve "Eve.” I snapped out of my thoughts, looking up from my hands to meet Emma’s concerned gaze. She was one of my coursemates from college. We had spent a lot of time together back then, but ever since we started our internships at different hospitals, we had drifted apart. Still, when I called her for help, she didn’t hesitate to be here for me. For that, I was grateful. Emma gave me a reassuring smile and gently held my hand. “I'm sorry for taking too long.” I forced myself to smile back. “It’s okay. Are you done with the test yet?” Emma nodded “I am, but can you come and see someone for a second? I know you don’t want to see any doctor, but I really think you should. It’s better to meet a professional doctor rather than an intern.” I frowned, surprised. I had wanted to keep this low-key, which was why I came to Emma in the first place. She was the only person I trusted enough to keep this confidential. Emma took patient dignity seriously, she would never let anyone know abo
Xander Nathan leaned back in his chair, his smile full of self-satisfaction. "So, I sealed the deal with the Jones family, father. They were difficult to deal with, but after a while, I just had to persuade them to invest in us." I looked at the scene in front of me, keeping my expression blank. Nathan and Gianna were both grinning like fools, waiting for my father’s approval like obedient dogs. My father sat in his seat, his face unreadable, as always. He gave a slow nod, it was barely an acknowledgment but that was enough for them. Nathan straightened up, puffing out his chest like a child being praised for doing something mildly competent. Gianna, ever the doting mother, placed a hand on her son's arm, her eyes practically glowing with pride. I watched, unimpressed. What a joke. This was a waste of my time. The only reason I was here was because my father had requested my presence, and he never did that unless it was something important. But now, listening to Nathan boast ab
Xander I stared at my father, emotionless. The news did nothing to me—it didn’t surprise me, didn’t shake me, didn’t change a damn thing. The only thing I cared about was how he had found out so quickly. He studied me for a long moment before finally speaking. “You already knew, didn't you? You knew she could fix your legs." Did I? I had no idea. I wouldn’t say I knew for certain that she could fix my legs, but I had my suspicions. The first time we met, when she helped relieve the pain in my legs, was the first clue. Then there was my personal doctor—one of the best in the world, who had looked downright fascinated when I pointed out pressure points she told me to target. It was as if he hadn’t even considered that possibility before. And then, she turned out to be the woman I was marrying, and she was a doctor. At first, I thought it was a stroke of luck, a perfect opportunity. If she could fix my legs, I could use her. That had been the plan. That was why I went to th
Xander "Why wouldn't you just die? It would benefit everyone if you were not alive!" The night I was nearly murdered by that pathetic excuse of a maid, she had said the exact same thing. And now, here was my idiotic stepbrother, repeating it like a fool who didn’t know the weight of his words. Coincidence? I doubted that. Was Nathan the man I was looking for? No. Too many people wanted me dead. My stepmother and her little puppet were just two among many. But this confirmed something I had suspected for a while. Nathan had sent that maid. How utterly stupid of him. He was still glaring at me, unaware that his mouth had just signed a confession. "What?" he snapped, his voice dripping with irritation. "Do you know why I've never bothered to claim your lives?" I asked, my voice calm, almost amused. "Why I've let you live so many times when I could have easily killed you?" Nathan’s jaw clenched. Gianna narrowed her eyes. "It’s because no matter what you two have don
EveI have always mocked women who froze, women who stood there, unmoving, while their partners betrayed them. I couldn’t understand it. Why didn’t they storm in, scream, slap someone, demand answers? I had always imagined that if it were me, I would throw open the door and tear into them both without hesitation.I mean, who would allow such nonsense? Who would cry when it was never their fault? It was the man's fault for betraying them. It was the man's fault for humiliating them and breaking years of trust and love.I gripped the edge of the doorframe so tightly my knuckles turned white, the air was heavy, and suffocating, rooting me in place. My chest tightened, a raw, aching pain spreading from my ribs to the pit of my stomach.I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe.This isn't happening.But it was.My fiancé, the man I had promised myself to, the man I had loved for four years, the man I wanted to build a family with, was fucking another woman.And I stood there, just like the wome
Xander "Why wouldn't you just die? It would benefit everyone if you were not alive!" The night I was nearly murdered by that pathetic excuse of a maid, she had said the exact same thing. And now, here was my idiotic stepbrother, repeating it like a fool who didn’t know the weight of his words. Coincidence? I doubted that. Was Nathan the man I was looking for? No. Too many people wanted me dead. My stepmother and her little puppet were just two among many. But this confirmed something I had suspected for a while. Nathan had sent that maid. How utterly stupid of him. He was still glaring at me, unaware that his mouth had just signed a confession. "What?" he snapped, his voice dripping with irritation. "Do you know why I've never bothered to claim your lives?" I asked, my voice calm, almost amused. "Why I've let you live so many times when I could have easily killed you?" Nathan’s jaw clenched. Gianna narrowed her eyes. "It’s because no matter what you two have don
Xander I stared at my father, emotionless. The news did nothing to me—it didn’t surprise me, didn’t shake me, didn’t change a damn thing. The only thing I cared about was how he had found out so quickly. He studied me for a long moment before finally speaking. “You already knew, didn't you? You knew she could fix your legs." Did I? I had no idea. I wouldn’t say I knew for certain that she could fix my legs, but I had my suspicions. The first time we met, when she helped relieve the pain in my legs, was the first clue. Then there was my personal doctor—one of the best in the world, who had looked downright fascinated when I pointed out pressure points she told me to target. It was as if he hadn’t even considered that possibility before. And then, she turned out to be the woman I was marrying, and she was a doctor. At first, I thought it was a stroke of luck, a perfect opportunity. If she could fix my legs, I could use her. That had been the plan. That was why I went to th
Xander Nathan leaned back in his chair, his smile full of self-satisfaction. "So, I sealed the deal with the Jones family, father. They were difficult to deal with, but after a while, I just had to persuade them to invest in us." I looked at the scene in front of me, keeping my expression blank. Nathan and Gianna were both grinning like fools, waiting for my father’s approval like obedient dogs. My father sat in his seat, his face unreadable, as always. He gave a slow nod, it was barely an acknowledgment but that was enough for them. Nathan straightened up, puffing out his chest like a child being praised for doing something mildly competent. Gianna, ever the doting mother, placed a hand on her son's arm, her eyes practically glowing with pride. I watched, unimpressed. What a joke. This was a waste of my time. The only reason I was here was because my father had requested my presence, and he never did that unless it was something important. But now, listening to Nathan boast ab
Eve "Eve.” I snapped out of my thoughts, looking up from my hands to meet Emma’s concerned gaze. She was one of my coursemates from college. We had spent a lot of time together back then, but ever since we started our internships at different hospitals, we had drifted apart. Still, when I called her for help, she didn’t hesitate to be here for me. For that, I was grateful. Emma gave me a reassuring smile and gently held my hand. “I'm sorry for taking too long.” I forced myself to smile back. “It’s okay. Are you done with the test yet?” Emma nodded “I am, but can you come and see someone for a second? I know you don’t want to see any doctor, but I really think you should. It’s better to meet a professional doctor rather than an intern.” I frowned, surprised. I had wanted to keep this low-key, which was why I came to Emma in the first place. She was the only person I trusted enough to keep this confidential. Emma took patient dignity seriously, she would never let anyone know abo
Eve “I know you want to die, but live, not for anyone else, but for yourself. Please, take my hand. Please! I can't let you die. I can’t—” "Let go. Don't try to save a dead man. Nobody would cry for me if you let go.” His voice was hollow, stripped of everything that made a person human. I tightened my grip on his wrist, refusing to let go. My chest ached as I looked at him. There was no light in his eyes, no fight left in his body. How much pain must a person endure to reach this point? Will I one day find myself here, standing on the edge, refusing someone’s outstretched hand? Will I also break? Will I give up on life? I had no idea. But there was one thing I knew. "Maybe you're right, maybe you have nobody to cry for you," I whispered, my voice shaking. "But don't you think you're selfish for trying to kill yourself? You're still breathing. Your heart is still beating. As long as you’re alive, there’s still a chance for you to overcome everything. Don't give others the sati
Asher I stormed out of the room, my mind racing with everything Adele had just told me. “Asher, wait.” She called after me, her voice urgent, but I didn’t slow down. I didn’t even look back. My body was running on pure adrenaline, my main thought was to kill everyone—her parents, her sister, the man she married, every damn single person that even dared to make her cry. They would think twice before taking advantage of her again. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, Mateo and Elijah, who had been leaning against the wall waiting for us, immediately straightened. Elijah’s brows furrowed as he took in my expression. "What happened? What’s wrong?" I ignored him. I grabbed my keys from the table, ready to leave, but before I could reach the door, a firm hand clamped down on my shoulder. Mateo. "I don’t know what’s wrong," he said, his voice calmer than it should have been, "but don’t. Your sister is worried." A low growl rumbled in my chest. How annoying, I don’t have time f
Asher Present day The room was dead silent, Adele’s words echoing in my fucking head like a gunshot that wouldn’t fade. My Eve had been alive all this time. I should have felt relief. Hell, I should have felt something other than this burning rage consuming me. But all I could think about was the years I spent drowning in grief, thinking she was gone forever. All I could think about was the nights I spent wishing I had been there, wishing I had died with her because living without her had felt like hell. And all this time, Adele knew. My own sister knew. My fists clenched at my sides, my nails digging into my palms. If she weren’t my blood, I would have put a bullet in her head without hesitation. I inhaled slowly, trying to control my rage. Then I lifted my eyes to meet hers. “Finish.” “W-what?” “Finish your story,” I said, my tone like ice. “That wasn’t the end of it, was it? If it was, you would’ve never told me the truth or come crawling for my help. You wo
Adele Four years ago I sat in the library, my eyes scanning the pages of my textbook, trying to focus despite the dull ache forming between my brows. “Let’s go out today. There’s a party at my boyfriend’s place,” Maya said, plopping down beside me with a grin. I sighed, barely looking up. “Another party? Didn’t you go to one yesterday?” Maya rolled her eyes. “So? We’re in college, Adele. This is the time to have fun. We’ll both become lawyers. Do you think we’ll have any time for parties after we graduate?” I turned the page in my book, ignoring the way she was practically bouncing in her seat. “That’s exactly why I’m not going. I need to study to become a lawyer.” “You’re so boring sometimes. Just one night won’t kill you. You are always studying.” I shook my head, waving her away. “Not happening. We have exams, and I got to keep my grades up for my scholarship. Unlike someone who comes from a rich family, I don't have the luxury to party around.” She huffed, cros
Adele Present time The Noah standing in front of me now was nothing like the boy I once knew. Tattoos covered his arms, a silver ring pierced through his nose, but it was his eyes that unsettled me the most, it was so different from the innocent, wide-eyed boy I had once protected. The boy who used to cry when we buried dead birds in the orphanage garden. The boy who would sneak extra food onto my plate when I wasn’t eating enough. The boy who promised me that no matter what, we would always be together. That boy was gone. In his place stood a man with blood on his hands. After Eve died, everything changed. A year later, Noah and I were adopted by an Italian family. Well, if you could even call them that. Family was supposed to mean love, safety, but the people who took us in only knew power and control. I should have listened to Noah. We should have run away before we were adopted. But I was desperate. Desperate to believe that we could have a second chance, that