"In the gilded halls of wealth, bloodlines twist and fray, tangled by greed. It’s not legacy that binds them—it's the ruthless hunger to take what can never truly be theirs." Raelynn Winters is an orphan who grew up under the stress of Harlem; she is a girl who is content with what she has until she accidentally enters the world of the Montgomery family after saving a stranger. What begins as an innocent act of kindness becomes a game of power, betrayal, and manipulation. And just when her life can't get any harder, she is made heir to the Montgomery family empire and now she is the target of hungry and caged tigers.
View More(LIAM'S POINT OF VIEW)I stand in my room. The air feels thick, like the house itself is suffocating under the weight of our shared malice and greed. My hands rest in my pockets, fingers curling into fists, and I stare at the floor as if the answers I’ve been chasing are hidden in there.This place—this family—it’s nothing more than a cage filled with predators, all circling the same prey.The old man.He sits at the center of it all, clutching his wealth, his power, his legacy as if he can take it to the grave with him. Maybe he knows. Obviously he senses the knives at his back, the poison in the wine, the traps laid in every corner of his empire. Grandfather barely looks at me unless it’s to criticize. His approval, his respect—both always feel just out of reach, like a cruel game I’ll never win. But for him? For him, it’s different.They’re all so eager, so desperate. They think they can scare him into an early grave with their scheming and backdoor deals, but the old man’s toughe
(REIGN'S POINT OF VIEW)“What plans do you have for Miss Raelynn, sir?”The question causes me to raise my head from the file I'm reading. I look at Dean who sits at the driver's seat, hands on the wheels and eyes focused on the road ahead of him.“It's only a matter of time she's paid to work for them. It's obvious she's attracted to you, why don't you use the opportunity to get her to work for you.” he continues.I tilt my head. “Do you believe she could easily be bribed?”He shrugs. “With the amount they offer and persuasive they are, anyone will easily be tempted. Besides, she's just a maid and she just needs money. You can offer her something better,”I smirk at the ambiguity in his words. “Do you think I will live that long, Dean? Perhaps, my end is nearer than the old man's,” “Sir! You shouldn't say something like that!” He clamors.“My health is deteriorating, it's best if we don't keep our hopes up.” I dismiss the idea.“Only if you consider the surgery. There's a fifty chan
(RAELYNN'S POINT OF VIEW) I guess I spoke too soon when I said it's peaceful now. I thought they'd forgotten about me.I sit in front of Mrs. Pam and Ethan on the opposite sofa in Ethan's bedroom. Their eyes scan me over, judging yet calculative.“What do you want?“The question from Mrs Pam catches me off guard, my brows wrinkle in confusion. “I don't understand.““Don't try to act innocent. How much did Llia offer you, I will give you double of it.“ she narrows her eyes.“I don't know what you are talking about, Mrs Pam, I have been offered nothing.“ Where the hell is she going with this?“Fine then, how much do you need to be my pawn.“ My eyes immediately widen in realization. “I-I-I…”“I will stop beating around the bush. My father has taken a liking to you and it still puzzles me to no end but if that's his choice, I won't go against it but that doesn't mean I won't turn it to my favor.“ She pins me with a stare. “What do you know about the content of his will?““H-his will?“ I
(RAELYNN'S POINT OF VIEW)“Daphne.“ Her eyes are harsh and her jaw is clenched, matching the tight grip she has on my grip that makes me yanks it free from her forcefully.“That hurts.“ I pout as I rub my wrist, looking at her in sheer confusion on what I have done this time.“I saw what you did with Reign. How can you allow yourself to be fooled and used, Rae!“ She begins, shocking once more with her tone of voice. “I keep telling you; no one in this household can be trusted. All of them have motives behind their actions. And I can't believe you can't see that.“ She immediately exhales a breath, seeming to calm herself down.She starts again, calmly this time but the look in her does not change. “Look Rae, I know you have a crush on Reign, it's written all over you but don't you find it weird that Reign is suddenly all over you?“ Her words strike me harder than I expected. I blink“Think about it, he's suddenly so attached to you like a moth to a flame. He's trying to make you beli
(RAELYNN'S POINT OF VIEW)I try to concentrate on the task at hand, which includes ironing washed clothes in the laundry room with two of the staff members, but no matter what I do, my mind drifts back to Reign.He's like a doom fruit—sweet-looking but forbidden, if that makes any sense.He's stuck in my mind like a parasite. The way he looks at me makes my heart skip more beats than one, and the way his lips curve into a smirk whenever he talks dirty makes the butterflies in my stomach dance and heat run south.“Careful, you might burn yourself.”The unexpected voice beside my ear shakes a yelp out of me. I press hard on the iron, and it burns through the shirt. My eyes widen in terror, more at the ruined cloth than the cause of it.“Oh my God! What have you done?”Reign tsks, unimpressed. “It's just a shirt.”I throw him a glower, which he smirks at. “It's not just a shirt; this is worth my salary. You can't just sneak up on people working. What are you even doing here?”He used to
(REIGN'S POINT OF VIEW)“What brings you here, Liam?”I tap my way off the bed just as Liam walks into the room. I stroll over to where my coat was discarded and take out a packet of cigars, popping one into my mouth and lighting it up. I study the look directed at me. He looks like I've murdered his favorite pet.His jaw is clenched, and his eyes are venomous. It's a rare sight to see him this irked. I smirk.“I see that Mother was right. You sent that maid to seduce Grandfather just to gain his favor. I'd always believed you were better than that, Reign.”Raelynn. I test the name on my tongue just as an image of her pretty face and innocent eyes shining back at me, pressed against the bed, pops into my head. A tiny smile emerges on my face as I release a huff of smoke into the air. “I'd always thought you knew better than to listen to anything that comes out of your mother's mouth; she says one thing and does the other.”Liam's eyes narrowed. “Don't talk about Mother like that.”I s
(RAELYNN'S POINT OF VIEW)"You might get burnt."I shudder at the sound of Reign's voice in my ear.These lines have been resonating in my thoughts for the past day. They make me shudder and want to run away in terror, yet they also draw me in like a magnet and entice me in ways I have never been tempted before. They're foreign; they've caused me a sleepless night because I've been tossing and turning in bed. The way he said it, how he said it, just gets me stuck. I understand the intent behind his words. I am playing with fire by becoming entangled in the chaos that is this family, yet I can not help but think of those words in a different light—a sexy one. As I stroll down the hall with a basket of laundry, a blush spreads across my face. But my journey is cut short when a shadow falls on me, and a figure blocks my path. When I raise my head, Mrs. Rachel is glowing in front of me. I pause. "Mrs. Rachel." I greet.She looks at me with soulless eyes, much like Mrs. Llia does. I re
(RAELYNN'S POINT OF VIEW)There's another party going on at the mansion—the third one in a week. The estate is busy and bustling. Luckily, I'm not serving the guests because I'm taking care of Mr. Montgomery. The night is young, and I have already finished two books. “The end,” I read out loud and looked at him. I anticipated him to be sleepy and depleted, but his eyes only shone at me like a curious child. I beam. “Should we read another one, Mr. Montgomery?” He shakes his head. “I'm getting bored and tired. Tell me about yourself, Raelynn.” “There's nothing to tell, really,” I answer. My life is as dull and empty as a blank sheet. He doesn't respond, only looks at me to continue. I sigh. “I don't know who my parents are. I lived in the orphanage until I was old enough to leave and start a life of my own, and since then, I've been living every day hoping for a better day.” I shrug. My life is so dull.“Have you found a better day yet, Raelynn?” Again, I shrug. “Not yet, but I
(RAELYNN'S POINT OF VIEW)A day after the ordeal, I get cornered by Daphne. Her eyes are judging as she looks at me. “Tell me the truth, Rae, did you really sleep with the old man to get promoted?” My eyes boarden at the accusation, and my hands itch to slap her across the face. “What?” My hand clench into a fist by my side. She throws her hands in the air. “What do you want me to believe? That's what everyone is saying. The rumors have spread far and wide. If your parents were alive, do you think they would be happy to see their daughter shamelessly opening her legs for a man old enough to be her great-grandfather?”This time, I did not resist the urge and smacked her across the face. “I can expect everyone to judge and insult me, but not you, Daphne,” tears sting my eyes.She stares back flabbergasted, her hand on her face. “Did you just hit me?” she polls as if she can't believe it. “Did you just freaking hit me because I'm trying to talk sense into you for being a whore?” “I
[RAELYNN'S POINT OF VIEW]I remember when it all happened—when my life changed so dramatically that it knocked me off my feet, and in a flash, I gained and then I lost everything. This is how an innocent act of kindness turns into a game of power, betrayal, and manipulation.It’s 4 p.m. in New York City, and the East Side of Harlem moves in current. Cars are honking and people bustling, and I blend in perfectly with the crowd on the sidewalk, with my delivery bag filled with orders of takeout hanging over my shoulder and my face hat over my head blocking the view of the setting sun. I walk with a destination in mind.New York City is known as the City of Dreams; this city is like a breath of air that is suffocating and refreshing at the same time and growing up on the street of Harlem as an orphan is like living in a combination of both. This city becomes unscrupulous when you realize you have no one to rely on but despite the struggle, every day is faced with a smile.My smile is my ...
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