"I thought those two got divorced! Why did I see them together again? And Kaira even had a baby bump!" Evelyn snapped, her voice filled with frustration."Looks like they got back together," Claudia muttered, her expression just as angry."This isn’t how things were supposed to go! She was supposed to come crawling to us for help!" Evelyn fumed.From upstairs, Julian chuckled, his laughter echoing through the house."What’s so funny?" Claudia snapped, glaring up at him."Are you mad because she didn’t come begging? Or because she managed to do something you never could?" Julian asked with a smirk."If you have nothing useful to say, shut up," Evelyn shot back, crossing her arms."You two are just so entertaining," he said, ignoring her outburst as he strolled downstairs."Don’t piss me off, Julian," Evelyn growled.He smirked, standing beside her. "Why would I want to piss you off? You waste so much time thinking about Kaira when she doesn’t even know you exist," he said, taunting her
“Mathias is such a devoted hardworking crook.” Kaira complimented sarcastically, glancing through the evidence Julian had handed over as agreed. “Don’t tell me you’re still surprised by anything he does, princess?” Sebastian asked with a hard stare on his face.“No, I’m not. He’s already done far worst.” Kaira responded flatly, with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. She placed the file down on the table, tilting her head up, “What do you think we should do about Detective Joe?”“Probably blackmail him into giving us the evidence.” Sebastian responded, snuggling her closer to his body. “And how exactly are we supposed to blackmail a man with a very clean record?” She asked with with a pointed look. Sebastian sighed, “I also have no idea, princess but don’t worry, I’ll think of something.” He reassured. Kaira hummed in response, resting her head on his chest as they lounged on couch.- - - “Happy to see, but what brings you here?” Nora asked curiously, letting Kaira into her room
“Hello, Cole.” Nora greeted, standing in front of detective Joe with an awkward smile on her face.Cole raised his head up from his desk, meeting her eyes with displeasure on his face. “I can’t see ‘it’s nice seeing you’ because that would be considered lying, Miss Gray.” He spat out coldly. Nora swallowed the lump on the throat. How was she supposed to get through him again? She thought bitterly.“And here I thought lying was part of your special skills?” She retorted sharply, before she could even stop herself. You are supposed to convince him, not anger him! She scolded herself internally.Cole chuckled, unfazed by the attack. “ And it seems stalking me around is your special skill?” He shot back, raising his brow in question.“I’m not—“ She began but bite her tongue, cutting herself off. “Can we talk?” She asked in a soft tone. Cole’s eyes glimmered, the corner of his lips curling up in a mocking smile. “I made it clear to you the last time already, Miss Gray. I don’t like you.
It was agonizing to stand beside the man she once believed would be her forever, watching him vow his life to another woman—her own sister, Evelyn. As the maid of honor, Kaira was painfully close, each vow and whispered promise a knife twisting deeper. She could feel her heart splintering with each passing moment, a suffocating ache in her chest as if her entire world had fractured beyond repair.Kaira had known heartbreak before, but discovering that Julian had been unfaithful was an agony she hadn’t anticipated. She had trusted him, seen him as the one stable, loving force in her life. The betrayal alone had been devastating, but to learn it was with her own sister—the sister who had taken so much from her—was a torment that left her feeling stripped bare, like her very identity had been torn away.Finding out through a wedding invitation was a new level of humiliation. It was a double blow, the kind that left her questioning everything she thought she knew about loyalty and love. H
The comfortable sheets cocooned Kaira as she snuggled deeper into the bed, the intoxicating scent of cologne filling her senses. She almost didn’t want to open her eyes, but as she rolled to her side, her hand brushed against something solid—a strong, masculine body. Realization hit, and her eyes flew open, meeting the intense gaze of a stunning man with piercing blue eyes that seemed to look straight through her. She gasped and bolted upright, putting as much distance between them as possible.The man’s warm smile, though friendly, only unsettled her further. Panic and regret flooded her thoughts. If she hadn’t drunk herself into a stupor, she wouldn’t be in this situation, waking up next to a stranger. She tried to recall the events of the previous night, but her memory was foggy, cut off at the last drink. Any attempt to remember only made her head throb painfully.“Did… anything happen?” she asked carefully, praying for an answer that would reassure her.Sebastian tilted his head,
As Kaira entered the house, she was met with a hard slap across the cheek from her stepmother, Claudia. The stinging pain snapped her back to the harsh reality of her life here. She’d been foolish to decline the food offered to her that morning; the slap reminded her that she’d likely be starved today as punishment. Across the room, her sister Evelyn was watching the scene with obvious satisfaction, a smug grin playing on her lips. Julian, her former lover and now Evelyn’s husband, sat beside her, his expression unreadable but his gaze fixed on Kaira.“What was that stunt you pulled at the wedding yesterday, huh?” Claudia’s voice was shrill with anger as she practically shouted into Kaira’s ear. She threw two newspapers onto the coffee table, and Kaira’s eyes widened slightly when she saw the headlines. It was the first time she’d ever made it into the news—she, the forgotten daughter, had actually captured the public’s attention, and on two front pages, no less. *Wow, I’m quite the c
The house had been unusually peaceful since Evelyn left. With her sister gone, everyone seemed too occupied with preparations for the grand dinner party in two days to pay much attention to Kaira. It was a relief, really. She wasn’t particularly fond of these lavish social events, and she already planned her escape from the evening’s watchful and judgmental eyes. She’d perfected the art of slipping into the background, avoiding unnecessary attention.Today, though, her mind was elsewhere. Kaira slipped into a modest but stylish outfit, soft and unassuming, yet put together. She carefully added a touch of makeup, hoping to make a slightly better impression than last time. She was returning Sebastian’s clothes, and though she told herself it was a simple errand, her heart thumped with anticipation.Once outside, she flagged down a taxi and, within minutes, found herself standing in front of his mansion. As she gazed up at the towering structure, Kaira felt small. The building was easily
Kaira sat at the bar on the edge of the party her father had insisted she attend. He claimed it would seem suspicious if she didn’t make an appearance, so here she was, with a glass of wine in hand, enjoying one of the few indulgences she allowed herself. She noticed the servants casting judgmental glances her way as she munched on a cookie, but she couldn’t care less about their opinions tonight.Her gaze drifted to her father, Mathias, along with Evelyn and Julian, laughing together over something their business partner was saying. So much for “making an appearance,” she thought, shaking her head. Her stepmother was nearby, deep in conversation with a law firm owner. Kaira knew well enough that this party was just a network of favors, disguised as a celebration. A soft melody played in the background, briefly drawing everyone's attention to the father and daughter on the dance floor.Evelyn and Mathias were the first to dance. Evelyn was skilled, and her movements impressed the gues
“Hello, Cole.” Nora greeted, standing in front of detective Joe with an awkward smile on her face.Cole raised his head up from his desk, meeting her eyes with displeasure on his face. “I can’t see ‘it’s nice seeing you’ because that would be considered lying, Miss Gray.” He spat out coldly. Nora swallowed the lump on the throat. How was she supposed to get through him again? She thought bitterly.“And here I thought lying was part of your special skills?” She retorted sharply, before she could even stop herself. You are supposed to convince him, not anger him! She scolded herself internally.Cole chuckled, unfazed by the attack. “ And it seems stalking me around is your special skill?” He shot back, raising his brow in question.“I’m not—“ She began but bite her tongue, cutting herself off. “Can we talk?” She asked in a soft tone. Cole’s eyes glimmered, the corner of his lips curling up in a mocking smile. “I made it clear to you the last time already, Miss Gray. I don’t like you.
“Mathias is such a devoted hardworking crook.” Kaira complimented sarcastically, glancing through the evidence Julian had handed over as agreed. “Don’t tell me you’re still surprised by anything he does, princess?” Sebastian asked with a hard stare on his face.“No, I’m not. He’s already done far worst.” Kaira responded flatly, with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. She placed the file down on the table, tilting her head up, “What do you think we should do about Detective Joe?”“Probably blackmail him into giving us the evidence.” Sebastian responded, snuggling her closer to his body. “And how exactly are we supposed to blackmail a man with a very clean record?” She asked with with a pointed look. Sebastian sighed, “I also have no idea, princess but don’t worry, I’ll think of something.” He reassured. Kaira hummed in response, resting her head on his chest as they lounged on couch.- - - “Happy to see, but what brings you here?” Nora asked curiously, letting Kaira into her room
"I thought those two got divorced! Why did I see them together again? And Kaira even had a baby bump!" Evelyn snapped, her voice filled with frustration."Looks like they got back together," Claudia muttered, her expression just as angry."This isn’t how things were supposed to go! She was supposed to come crawling to us for help!" Evelyn fumed.From upstairs, Julian chuckled, his laughter echoing through the house."What’s so funny?" Claudia snapped, glaring up at him."Are you mad because she didn’t come begging? Or because she managed to do something you never could?" Julian asked with a smirk."If you have nothing useful to say, shut up," Evelyn shot back, crossing her arms."You two are just so entertaining," he said, ignoring her outburst as he strolled downstairs."Don’t piss me off, Julian," Evelyn growled.He smirked, standing beside her. "Why would I want to piss you off? You waste so much time thinking about Kaira when she doesn’t even know you exist," he said, taunting her
“Welcome back, ma’am.” The staff beamed, wide smiles on their faces as Sebastian and Kaira stepped into the house. They lounged on the couch while the staff gathered around them, one of them carrying Kaira’s luggage upstairs.“Thank you.” She returned their smiles warmly. “I’ve missed you all.”“We’ve missed you too, Mrs. Ashford, especially Mr. Ashford.” Louis said with a teasing glint in his eyes.Kaira’s gaze flickered to Sebastian, whose piercing eyes was already locked onto hers.“Thank you for taking care of him while I was away,” she said softly, turning her attention back to the staff.“It’s our pleasure, ma’am,” Louis replied with a wave of his hand.Kaira’s brows furrowed slightly as she glanced around. “Where’s Butler James?”“He took a short break to visit his family,” Sebastian answered. She nodded before dismissing the staff.Sebastian turned to her. “Grandfather wants to throw a party in your honor.” He helped her to her feet.“A party? I just got here. How were they so
Kaira walked to the gate hesitantly, hearing the screeching of wheels. It was only Nora who knew her whereabouts and she wasn’t coming today because she had slept over. She pulled the gate opening, poking her head out slightly. Her heart raced when she saw Sebastian standing by his car with a wide grin.“Hello princess.” He said softly, his eyes lighting up. Her heart fluttered at the pet name she had missed listening to for over a month.Kaira opened the gates widely, staring at him with different emotions. She was happy to see him, it felt like years she had seen him and she couldn’t help but feel guilty over the bags which seemed to be under his eyes. “Aren’t you going to invite me in, princess?” He asked, walking towards her. “Sebastian.” She managed to say her voice cracking as she wrapped her arms around him, her swollen belly poking him slightly.“I missed you, princess.” He mumbled against her neck, stroking her hair. She opened her mouth to respond but nothing seemed to c
"Thank you." Nora smiled at the saleslady as she took back her card. She had stopped by the closest stores near Kaira’s place to pick up a few things."Do come again!" The saleslady beamed. Nora gave her a nod before turning to leave—only to bump into someone."Are you okay?" A man’s voice rang out in concern as she bent down to gather her fallen groceries."Yeah, I’m—“ She stopped mid-sentence, eyes locking onto the man in front of her. Cole. His initial look of worry quickly switched into a scowl the moment he recognized her."Miss Gray." He greeted her with a fake smile, eyes full of disdain. Even knowing it wasn’t real, her heart still fluttered."Cole." She responded evenly, meeting his gaze."Fancy running into you here. I don’t believe you live around this area." His voice carried a hint of sarcasm as his eyes flicked to the groceries in her arms."I don’t," she replied curtly, slightly taken aback by his sudden interest. He usually avoided her like she was the plague."Must be
Sebastian sighed, glancing at his watch for what felt like the hundredth time. His patience was wearing thin as he waited at the restaurant for Nora and Elijah.Just as he was about to get up and leave, they rushed in, both breathless, as if they had just sprinted the whole way."Nice of you both to finally show up," he remarked, his voice laced with irritation as they struggled to catch their breath."The traffic was insane," Nora explained, her voice raspy."We ran here because we know how much you hate waiting," Elijah added, sinking into the empty chair. Nora followed suit.Sebastian’s irritation eased as curiosity took over. "Why were you both late in the first place?""I stopped by Grandfather’s before coming here, and we used his car," Nora replied.Sebastian nodded—until realization hit him. His eyes widened. "Wait… where the hell is the car if you both ran here?""Still stuck in traffic," Nora said with a grin.Sebastian shook his head in amusement. "You two are absolutely cr
“Julian!” Evelyn screamed her lungs out as she stormed inside his room. He raised his eyes from his phone, glancing at her face filled with rage. “What do you want now, Evelyn?” He hissed in angrily. “How dare you?” She asked, stepping closer to him, lounging on the bed lazily. “How dare I do what?” He snapped, irritated by the annoying suspense. “I gave an order in the company as the new CEO for everyone to gather for a brief meeting today and you convinced them otherwise?” She asked rhetorically, her hands fisting on her hair in outrage. Julian paused, searching his memory for her accusation. “I simply told my team that we were having a meeting.” He said dismissively.She laughed bitterly, “Who do you think you are to challenge my orders, Julian?” She spat out, her eyes red from anger.“Your husband.” He retorted bitterly, the words repulsing him. “My husband?” She repeated with dark glint, “You’re nothing but a piece of trash, Julian.” His jaw tightened in anger, springing u
Sebastian sat on his office desk, his eyes glued to the paperwork on his desk. It was infuriating how little he had to do today. He wanted to bury himself with work, the need to escape the reality of returning back to an empty house each day. “Come in.” He commanded, hearing a knock on his door. His eyes flicked to Clara stepping into the office.“You have a visitor, sir.” She informed in a professional manner. “A visitor?” He echoed, wondering how it could be now. Nora just left his office a while ago so it couldn’t be her again.“Yes, the other Mr Ashford.” She clarified, referring to Elijah. Sebastian sighed in frustration, clenching the pen in his hand. Elijah was the reason Kaira wasn’t here now and he had the guts to show his face to him? “Let him in.” He commanded regardless, the curiosity of what had dragged him all the way to his office when he was still in suspension consuming him.“Yes, Sir.” She responded curtly, turning on her heels. Soon Elijah entered the office with