Catherine Jones stood frozen in the doorway, her heart pounding in her chest. The scene before her seemed surreal, yet painfully real. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight of Tristan and Evelyn, her stepsister, tangled in each other's arms on the king-sized bed.
A few hours ago, she’d gotten an anonymous text message from someone who said her boyfriend was in a hotel with some girl. The text contained the hotel room number and some additional details. However, she didn’t want to believe it. She had trusted Tristan too much and almost deleted it, thinking it was some sort of sick joke.
But something inside her urged her to confront her fears head-on. And now, she wished she had never entered that room. The betrayal cut through her like a knife, shattering the illusion of trust she had built with Tristan over three years.
Her voice trembled as she found her words. "Tristan... How... How could you?"
Tristan sat up on the bed and turned towards her, his eyes avoiding hers. There was a flicker of guilt in his gaze, quickly masked by indifference. He was already planning to break up with Catherine for a while now, but he was too chickenhearted to bring up the discussion. Perhaps, her finding out like this was for the better.
There wasn’t a single sympathy in his voice as he spoke. "I'm sorry, Catherine, but I've always liked Evelyn. I can't deny my feelings for her anymore."
Catherine's heart shattered into even smaller fragments as his words sank in. She had given Tristan everything, believing their love was unbreakable. Yet, here he stood, confessing his attraction to her stepsister and showing no remorse for his actions.
"So, I was just a placeholder until you could be with her? Was I ever important to you?" Catherine choked, fighting back tears.
"You were important at some point, but now I'm sick and tired of you. Evelyn is different. She understands me in a way you never could."
"You... You're heartless... a monster."
"Don't act like you're innocent in all of this. You were so clingy, always demanding attention." Tristan scoffed irritably.
"I loved you! I gave everything I had to make us work." Catherine shouted at the top of her lungs. Her entire body was trembling now and she felt her legs could give way at any moment.
He replied with a sneer, his lips curling in contempt. “We were together for three years, it was always the same routine with you and I got bored. You were always more focused on your job anyway. Evelyn here brought excitement back into my life."
Catherine's eyes blazed with fury as she turned her attention to Evelyn who was watching their exchange with keen interest. She had a devilish smirk on her face as if she’d achieved something glorious. Catherine's eyes widened in realization. Evelyn had orchestrated this whole thing. The text message she had received, the timing of it all—it was all part of Evelyn's plan to destroy her happiness. She wanted Catherine to catch them in the act all along.
"You... You planned this, didn't you, Evelyn? You wanted to hurt me, to see me suffer.” Catherine spat, her voice dripping with venom.
“Yeah, so?” Evelyn shrugged, her smirk widening as she wrapped herself in the bedsheet.
"Funny how you conveniently sent me the address. You couldn't stand seeing me happy, could you? You've been jealous of me since we were kids, but I never thought you would stoop this low."
"I simply took what I wanted. Tristan is mine now, and there's nothing you can do about it. You always were so blind. Did you really think he would choose you over me? I've always been the one he desired,” Evelyn said mockingly, her voice dripping with malice.
Catherine couldn't believe what she was hearing. The man she loved, the one she thought she would spend her life with, had turned into a heartless stranger. And Evelyn, her stepsister, was reveling in her pain. The pain and betrayal coursed through Catherine's veins, but she refused to let them break her. Wiping away her tears, she straightened her shoulders and looked at them with newfound strength.
"You've shown your true colors, Tristan. I hope you find the excitement you crave.”
Catherine turned on her heels and walked away, leaving behind the shattered pieces of a love she once believed in. As she stepped out into the cold night, the tears flowed freely and blurred her vision. She didn’t know how she drove back home in that state but it was definitely a miracle. She went straight to her bathroom, turned on the cold shower, and sat under it, crying furiously.
She was almost nineteen years old when she started dating Tristan Presley, who was twenty-two at the time. He was one of the young masters of the Presley Family, the 7th most powerful family in Australia. Their friendship went way back to when she was about fourteen. And they officially started dating 5 years later after meeting again at a get-together event for Melbourne-raised youngsters. He was her whole world and she loved him to the moon and back.
And now, she caught him red-handed sleeping with her malicious stepsister, Evelyn Jones. Ever since they were little girls, Catherine knows Evelyn has been obsessed with taking everything she loved and cherished away from her. It has lasted for as long as she could ever remember. Right from when they were both wearing diapers to their era of playing with Barbie dolls and so on. She would rather live her life trying to upset Catherine and make her miserable.
Catherine couldn't help but laugh at herself for believing in the love she shared with Tristan. She was only twenty-three years old with her whole life ahead of her. Not to mention, she was also a completely stunning woman with her very long brown hair locks and beautiful brown eyes to compliment it. She had an amazing model-like slender figure, standing tall at 5ft10. Anywhere she went, she was sure to turn heads.
Which man in his right mind wouldn’t fall for her anyway? It was surely Tristan’s loss and sooner or later, he would regret what he did to her. She gave him her all and poured her blood, sweat, and tears to make their love work for years only to be sidelined and abandoned in the worst way possible.
After crying her eyes out for hours, she wiped away her last round of tears and turned on her Tv, hoping for something to distract her from thinking about the betrayal.
As Catherine flicked on the television, she mindlessly scrolled through the channels for something interesting to watch. Her attention was immediately captured by the sight of a regal figure standing at a grand podium. Her heart skipped a bit and her breath became hoarse as she recognized the face.
Hi besties, if you like this book, please don't forget to give it a vote with gems. That would mean a lot to me!!! This is actually my first story and it's a “Royal Romance” niche which isn't so popular on the platform. I’d need all the encouragement I can get and Your votes would go a long way. Thank you so much for reading. Love you!!!
It was King Shawn, the drop-dead handsome king of Australia. The King was renowned for his wealth, power, and influence, making him one of the most eligible bachelors in the world. Her heart fluttered as she watched him speak with eloquence and grace and somehow, she forgot all about Tristan. She couldn't help but be drawn in by his charisma and commanding presence.”He's truly mesmerizing." Catherine thought to herself.She found herself admiring King Shawn's chiseled features, his piercing blue eyes, and the air of authority that surrounded him. She envisioned a world where she could stand by King Shawn's side, a queen who would be cherished and adored. It was a fantasy that momentarily allowed her to escape the harsh reality of her own heartbreak.“If only... If only life were like a fairytale." Catherine said smiling wistfully.She knew deep down that finding love with a powerful king was nothing more than a distant dream. But for a brief moment, Catherine indulged in the fantasy,
It was Steven, her queer bestie since childhood who called. At this moment, she just wanted to be alone and think about her miserable life but she just couldn't ignore the call. "Hi Steve, what’s up?" “You won’t believe what I just heard on the news.” “What?” Catherine asked, her interest piqued. “All single ladies aged 20-28 from prominent families were asked to upload their data and basic information on the royal screening website. King Shawn is about to choose a queen.” Steven said unleashing a screech filled with excitement. ”Really?” Catherine replied flatly. “Yes really. And why is your voice so down? Aren't you excited?” Steven asked curiously. The whole world was excited about this. King Shawn, every woman's dream man, and the world's most powerful king would be choosing a bride. He had finally given in to the people’s demands to have a queen. “I'm fine, Steve. I just caught a really bad cold,” Catherine lied through her teeth. Steven knew her so well and could sense th
It’s been seven long and hectic years since Shawn Ivan Larson ascended the throne of Australia at the age of twenty-one following the untimely death of his father, the former king Larson, in a plane crash. Although he admits internally that he was a proud and arrogant man, who looked down on almost everyone he met, that still doesn’t justify the hate he was receiving as the king in Australia. As if it wasn’t already bad enough, he was now being thrown in the same sentence with the likes of war-hungry leaders such as Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-Un as tyrants of the present generation. Running both the country’s internal and external affairs has not been an easy task for him to handle alone at all. He was always moody and had a terrible frown on his face almost every second of the day, due to the extreme stress that comes with being the supreme ruler of one of the most successful and famous nations on the planet. He had a lot on his plate and his days were filled with back-to-back mee
He still remembered the last words Rory had said to him before running straight into the arms of Arthur for hugs right in front of him. “I’m sorry Shawnie, I do love you but I have to think of my future and my family’s future first. Being with Arthur means I’ll become the crowned princess soon enough and help my family achieve greater heights in the empire. Please don’t take it to heart”. Shawn couldn't help but feel betrayed by Rory's decision. He had always thought that their love was strong enough to overcome any obstacle, but it seemed that the lure of power and prestige had been too much for her to resist. Despite the pain he felt, Shawn tried to understand Rory's position and the difficult choices she had to make. However, he couldn't help but wonder if she would have made the same decision if she truly loved him. To him, true love was nonexistent in this world. He hated hearing the word “LOVE”. Over the years, Shawn has tried his possible best to move on, but the pain and bet
He had never heard of her before but he knew about the Jones family of Melbourne. Although their family’s wealth, fame, and influence had been dwindling over the years, they were still current among the top 20 kindred clans in Australia, which was good enough, to begin with. Besides, he didn’t ask them to screen the candidates base on who has the best family background but on the caliber of the lady. He didn't want to choose a queen due to her family's wealth or status, but rather on her character and suitability for the role. “Bring me her profile information,” he commanded in his usual authoritative manner. One of the officials quickly scrambled forward and politely handed him a document containing her profile and a picture. Firstly, he took a quick glance at her photo and was stunned. “......”. ‘Not bad,’ he thought inwardly while his face remained grim and expressionless. The woman can be said to be strikingly gorgeous at first glimpse. She had a pair of pretty and bright brown
As the days went by, the people of Australia and worldwide observers waited with bated breath for the announcement of the chosen bride. The highborn young ladies who had applied were all anxious and nervous, hoping that they had what it takes to win the heart of the king and become the queen. Things were getting heated on the internet as the D-Day for the announcement of the chosen queen, February 21st drew closer.As Catherine scrolled through her social media feed, she noticed something peculiar. A lot of young ladies, who had applied to be the queen, were posting their profiles and pictures from the Royal Seal website for all to see on their social media accounts. Obviously, they were trying to get the attention of the king and the people. This caused a frenzy online and people started comparing who had the best background, beauty, education, character, and so on.Catherine couldn't help but feel a little disgusted by the way some of them were flaunting themselves. It seemed as th
It was a cool Saturday morning, Catherine woke up early as usual, feeling refreshed and ready to start her day. She got out of bed and stretched, letting out a long yawn as she walked over to her balcony. The sun was just starting to rise, casting a beautiful orange glow over the city of New York. She couldn't help but feel a sense of peace and contentment as she gazed out and admired the amazing view.She quickly started her usual weekend cleanup and made sure her whole place was extremely neat and cozy. She then made sandwiches for a quick breakfast and fed her pet some canned sardines before heading to the bathroom for a soak in her bathtub.Afterward, she proceeded to her closet to select her outfit for the day. She was going to stay indoors and rest so she opted for simple house wear. Catherine loved white headbands so much that she had about thirteen of them. She put on a sexy sleeveless white top to match her white headband and white flip-flop slippers. And then a tight blue Je
Catherine shifted her gaze back to the man standing tall at about 6ft3 meters in front of her. Only after hearing the voice of Sir Bradley did she realize this wasn’t an illusion at all, the man even knew her last name. She quickly fell to her knees and bowed her head towards the king’s feet in a state of panic.“Greetings to the Great King of the golden lands, master of the endless skies and boundless seas. Blessed with the strength of the sun and Southern Cross, ruler of the vast and bountiful lands of Australia, beloved by all who dwell beneath your banner, I am your loyal subject”, Catherine said in one breath as her head remained bowed. She heaved a small sign of relief thanking God she still remembered the “King’s Official Salutations” which was taught in middle school.“Rise”, she finally heard his deep and authoritative voice. She raised her head to look at him while still kneeling as if pinned to the ground. She could not find the strength to stand back up as he had commanded