Chapter: Chapter 207Epilogue Benita finally moved to the States and into our house. She slotted into the family so naturally that within weeks it felt like she had always been there. It felt like I had gained a sister while my parents gained another daughter. I noticed there was still something going on between her and Uncle Jason, but all my energy was on Aunt Sophia and the baby. Whenever I wasn't at work or with Adrian, I was at Aunt Sophia's house bothering her constantly and speaking to her stomach like the baby could fully understand me already. "You are a girl," I would say while rubbing her bump. "Do not disappoint me." "You know the baby can't hear you yet." Aunt Sophia would tease. "She can feel the energy,” I replied without looking up. She always laughed and said I reminded her of Mom when she was pregnant with me because she had been just as desperate for a girl. The moment anybody mentioned the possibility of the baby being a boy I instantly became defensive before later sitting som
Last Updated: 2026-05-27
Chapter: Chapter 206Starting the vacation as boyfriend and girlfriend only to become Adrian's fiancée a few hours into it changed the vibe of the entire trip.We decided not to tell anyone until we got back home, but that didn't stop him from acting like the happiest man alive every single day.I would catch him randomly staring at me smiling. Other times I would catch him staring at the ring on my finger smiling like he still couldn't believe I said yes.He wanted everyone around us to know. Restaurant staff, hotel concierge, strangers in passing. He always found a way to work it in.One afternoon in Italy we were already halfway to our reservation when Adrian suddenly looked down at my hand. "Where's your ring?"I stared at my empty finger and gasped. "It should be on the nightstand, I pulled it out—"Before I finished he had already turned the car around. Drove all the way back, went up to the room, came back down and slid it onto my finger himself.I rolled my eyes. "I could have put it on after lunc
Last Updated: 2026-05-27
Chapter: CHAPTER 205After spending days trying to separate Benita from Uncle Jason only for her to ignore every warning I gave, I finally gave up.At some point, I realized there was no point forcing it anymore. Benita was going to keep seeing him regardless of what I said, and maybe the only way she would truly understand why I had been so against it was by experiencing Uncle Jason for herself.Still, a tiny part of me secretly prayed that if Uncle Jason eventually broke her heart, it wouldn’t destroy her too badly.For what Adrian did helping Uncle Jason arrange that lunch date behind my back, I tried staying angry, but Adrian made it impossible.He kept showing up at my parents’ house carrying gifts and smiles until my irritation slowly disappeared on its own. Besides, I couldn’t even afford to stay mad for long because we were busy preparing for our vacation together.A few days before the trip, Mom was helping me pack even though Adrian specifically warned me not to bring too much.“Mom, it’s enough
Last Updated: 2026-05-25
Chapter: CHAPTER 204I stormed downstairs ready for war only to find Uncle Jason waiting at the bottom of the stairs with a smile already on his face.“Stay away from Benita.""Sophia—""She's not for you. Find someone else.""I'm only trying to make her feel welcome.”“Your version of welcome has a body count.”Just then Mom and Dad walked into the house holding hands. I hurriedly walked to Dad. “Dad, please tell your brother to leave our house right now.”"Hold on." Dad raised a hand. "This is Uncle Jason. What exactly am I walking into?”"I know," I muttered. "I know I usually love when he's here. But not anymore.”Mom laughed. “I’m guessing this is about Benita?”“Exactly, Mom. He wants to make her one of his little situationships.”“Situationships?” Uncle Jason repeated. “Sophia, have you considered the possibility that I might actually be serious about her?”“I don’t care if you’re serious this time. Find somebody else to be serious with.”“You know she could be the love of my life and you’re the on
Last Updated: 2026-05-24
Chapter: CHAPTER 203Once both our families accepted the relationship, everything in my life started falling beautifully into place.Adrian’s family publicly cleared up the entire engagement situation and officially denied every rumor linking him romantically to Zoey. It later came out that Zoey’s parents had been drowning financially for a while, which explained why they had been so desperate to tie her permanently to Adrian.The scandal became messy online for a few days before people eventually moved on to the next thing to gossip about.Thankfully, Adrian handled the public narrative perfectly.Things also changed for good within the Valecrest family after everything that happened. Adrian even admitted that my parents had influenced his parents in ways he was genuinely grateful for.“They’re actually trying now,” he told me one evening while we lay in bed together. “It feels strange finally getting the whole parent experience at this age, but I guess better late than never.”I understood exactly what
Last Updated: 2026-05-22
Chapter: CHAPTER 202I didn’t realize how serious Adrian had been about changing his surname until Sunday afternoon.I had just woken up from a nap and was heading downstairs for lunch when I heard voices coming from the living room.One of them belonged to Adrian.That alone surprised me because he hadn’t told me he was coming over. Curious, I walked toward the living room only to stop halfway when I saw him sitting across from my parents.Mom smiled the second she noticed me. “Oh, you’re finally awake. Come join us.”I walked over slowly, still confused, before sitting beside Mom and finally paying attention to the conversation. That was when I realized Adrian had been discussing the surname issue with my parents.Dad looked surprised even though he was trying not to show it. “You’re seriously willing to do that?” he asked Adrian. “Do you even understand what you’re saying?”“Yes, sir.”The confidence in Adrian’s voice made Mom and Dad exchange looks.“You’re willing to walk away from your identity beca
Last Updated: 2026-05-20
Teach Me How to Love You
After Nora West discovers that her four-year relationship had been nothing more than a cruel joke, the last thing she expects is for her twin brother to collapse from exhaustion and land in the hospital. That incident brings her face to face with Alan Reed, Noah’s billionaire boss, a cold and emotionally distant man whose family has been pressuring him to move on from the woman he lost years ago.
When Alan asks Nora to marry him, Nora says yes knowing they both have something to gain from it.
Nora walks into the arrangement with a broken heart and no expectations. After everything she went through with her ex, she no longer believes love is worth the risk. Alan, on the other hand, is convinced all he needs is a contract wife to satisfy his family and maintain appearances.
But living together slowly changes everything. What starts as an arrangement turns into friendship, quiet comfort, late-night conversations, and stolen kisses neither of them planned for. The closer Alan gets to Nora, the more guilty he begins to feel, like caring about her somehow betrays the woman he once loved.
While Nora once believed nothing could hurt more than heartbreak, nothing prepares her for falling in love with a man who swore never to love again.
Read
Chapter: CHAPTER 127“I should've known today wasn't going to be a good day when I slept through my alarm,” I muttered, turning for the door.“Where are you going?”I glanced back at him. “Leaving, obviously. I'm not giving you the satisfaction of getting even.”“Who said I wanted to get even?”I narrowed my eyes.He leaned back in his chair. “You're here for an interview, aren't you?”I nodded slowly.“Then sit.”I didn't move.He picked up my résumé. “Sit, Nora. Unless you're no longer interested in the job.”He sounded far too amused when he said my name.If he was willing to give me a chance after our not-so-pleasant encounter, I wasn't going to waste it. I took the seat while he removed his suit jacket, tossed it onto the couch and turned his attention to my résumé.“Waitress. Flower sales.” His eyes moved down the page. “You have customer service experience, but this is a little different. We cater mostly to...” He paused, then looked at me. “Wealthy clients. Think you can handle that, or does that
Last Updated: 2026-09-16
Chapter: CHAPTER 126NORAMy main reason for going to see Noah before I left was to drop off the letters.Craig happened to see me when I arrived and stopped to tell me he was moving to England temporarily. His company was sending him there for work. It was a funny coincidence, considering England was the exact country I had already decided to move to.Italy had been my first choice, but I'd changed my mind. Alan could accidentally run into me there. Spencer too. England felt safer, and finding out Craig would be there made the decision easier.I told him I was moving too, and somewhere in the conversation, I admitted things weren't going well with my husband and I needed to get away for a while. I didn't give him the details.While Craig was consoling me, I noticed Alan pull up.I couldn't help hoping when I saw him. Maybe he'd regretted everything he'd said and had come back because he wanted our baby. But after sitting there for a while, he drove off without even getting out of the car. So much for tha
Last Updated: 2026-09-15
Chapter: CHAPTER 125ALANTristan sat beside me, still looking like he wanted to punch me.“Damn, Alan. How did you let things get this bad? You made Nora do what?”I couldn't answer.“Where is she?”“She left. Went back to her place and blocked me everywhere.”“Then we'll go and bring her back.” He picked up the first-aid kit and resumed cleaning my knuckles. “But not like this. You need to get yourself together first. For a start, forgive yourself.”“Forgive myself?”“Yes. Your only crime was loving the wrong woman. And as fucked up as everything you just found out is, it's good you found that diary. Imagine spending the rest of your life mourning someone like her.”“I don't even know which is worse. Carrying on without knowing or finding out all of this at once.”“Finding out,” Tristan said. “At least now you can actually move on with your life instead of staying in the same hole you've been stuck in for years.”“What if Nora never forgives me?” My voice cracked. “I love her, Tristan. I fucking love he
Last Updated: 2026-09-14
Chapter: CHAPTER 124AlanMaddox was Amy's cousin. At least, that was what she'd always told me.So what the hell did she mean by making Maddox believe she loved him?My hands started trembling. My mind was already forming an answer, but I refused to believe it. There had to be another explanation. Something I was missing.I picked up the diary and turned the page, hoping I'd misunderstood. But the more I read, the harder it became to breathe.Maddox had never been Amy's cousin. He was the man she loved. She'd followed him to our college, hoping he would finally make their relationship public. Instead, he'd come up with a plan to use me for money, and Amy had gone along with it.I kept reading, and every page exposed another lie.My money had paid Maddox's bills. Trips. Clothes. Rent. Whatever he needed. Whenever Amy asked for money for herself or her family, I'd given it without question.Then I reached an entry about Christmas.I remembered that one. Amy had spent most of it crying in my arms because, a
Last Updated: 2026-09-14
Chapter: CHAPTER 123ALANI thought I knew pain. I'd experienced it in its rawest form before, but I'd been kidding myself.Watching Nora leave the kitchen with proof that our baby no longer existed taught me there were still places inside me pain hadn't reached.I'd stayed up all night after our conversation, finally forcing myself to confront everything I'd been running from. By morning, I'd realized just how badly I'd handled things.That was why I had come home early. I'd been waiting for Nora, rehearsing what I wanted to say, trying to find the right words to explain my fears and admit that I'd been a jerk.But I'd waited too long.I should've found those words yesterday when she was sitting in front of me asking if I wanted our baby.Part of me wanted to be angry with her for going through with it so quickly, but I couldn't. What right did I have? She'd told me she wanted the baby, and instead of giving her one reason to believe we could figure it out together, I'd panicked.I grabbed the glass in f
Last Updated: 2026-09-13
Chapter: CHAPTER 122My first reaction was anger. How dare he even ask me that?But then, someone had to be the reasonable one here, so I forced myself to breathe through it before answering."That's not a question you get to ask me, Alan. You know you're the only man I've ever slept with. Asking that basically means you think I cheated on you, and I am not a cheat.""No, Nora." He shook his head quickly. "I'm not saying that. Of course you didn't cheat. I'm just–" He dragged a hand through his hair. "I got you pregnant? I'm the father? You're pregnant? Like, actually pregnant?"The way he kept rambling, struggling to make his brain accept what his ears had just heard, told me exactly how badly this was about to go."Yes." I nodded. "I'm pregnant. I'm serious."He just stared at me for a long moment before shaking his head."Okay, Nora, please. You've taken this too far. You got me really good, but the joke is getting too serious now." He glanced around the room. "Did Lory put you up to this? Where's the
Last Updated: 2026-09-12
Chapter: CHAPTER 120I had it in mind to see Nicholas, mostly to wrap things up cleanly before diving fully into wedding preparations. Mason had already spoken to his mother, and once the wedding was behind us, school would take over most of my time. I also wanted to invite Nicholas before everything got too hectic and I somehow forgot.He was happy for me when I told him, congratulated me warmly, admitted he would miss working with me, and wished me nothing but the best.As I turned to leave, something got into me. Curiosity, maybe, or Daphne's words still sitting in the back of my mind. I turned back around.“Nicholas, are you in love with me?”The question caught him off guard. “Where is that coming from?”“Daphne. She seemed pretty certain you were.” I hesitated. “I didn't think much of it before, but now that I've invited you to the wedding... if she's right and being there is going to be difficult for you, I don't think I'd want to put you through that.”He was quiet for a moment before releasing a
Last Updated: 2026-09-17
Chapter: CHAPTER 119Chase, who was lying facing the door, saw me first.“Fuck.”The shock on his face made Hannah turn around, and she screamed when she saw me.I didn't even bother saying anything. I pulled the door shut and walked back downstairs laughing.I went into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of wine and a glass, then made myself comfortable while I waited for the walk of shame.They clearly weren't in a hurry to come down. Hannah's muffled scream a few minutes later told me exactly why.My mouth fell open before I started laughing again.I already knew whose idea that was. Chase probably looked at her and said something along the lines of, Well, Mia already saw us. We might as well finish.Shameless.Chase was the first to come downstairs. The moment I saw him, I started grinning.He sat next to me. “What are you even doing here? Shouldn't you be busy preparing for your wedding or something?”“I am doing exactly that. I came to update my bridesmaid, only to walk in on you getting it.” I mimicked
Last Updated: 2026-09-13
Chapter: CHAPTER 118The rest of the celebration passed in a blur of laughter, teasing and conversations coming from every direction. At some point, there was so much going on that I gave up trying to keep track of who was saying what and simply enjoyed the moment, watching Lior happily move from lap to lap.I was sitting beside Mason, still occasionally looking down at my ring like it might disappear if I didn't keep checking, when he brought up an engagement party.My father jumped in with his own plan. He wanted to formally introduce me as his daughter.Somehow, those two things became one huge engagement-slash-reveal party, and I was perfectly fine with that.My father had missed years of being my father. If standing in front of a room full of people and proudly announcing that I was his daughter made him happy, I wasn't going to take that away from him.The problem started when they moved on to the wedding.It started with possible dates and quickly spiraled into planners, designers and venues.I sat
Last Updated: 2026-09-13
Chapter: Chapter 117Laughing, I pointed at the sign. "Yes or yes? Mason, it's supposed to be yes or no."He rolled his eyes. "The only reason I'm even on my knees right now is because I want to give you a nice story to tell our kids. We're already married.""Oh, really?" I folded my arms. "Okay then. Since you're not serious…"I turned like I was about to leave.He caught my wrist and pulled me back, laughing. "Fine. I will be serious."He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box, opening it to reveal the same cheap ring I had given him the summer we first met.I started laughing all over again. "Mason, be serious. For real this time.""That laugh," he smiled up at me, "is exactly how I intend to keep you for the rest of our life."My laughter died instantly."I had something else planned," he continued. "I wanted to fly you out of LA, somewhere beautiful, do something elaborate, ask you to be my wife in grand style. But when I really thought about it, no place could mean more than this o
Last Updated: 2026-09-09
Chapter: Chapter 116When we arrived in France, I was surprised by the house.It was tucked into a quiet, middle-class neighborhood and wasn't particularly huge. Compared to Dad's house in Chicago, it was almost modest, definitely not the kind of place I imagined a man like him buying.He caught the question on my face before I even asked it, laughed, and explained."Your mother made us buy it. She was tired of the big houses and all the…" He paused, chuckling. "What did she call it? The bling-bling.""She said she couldn't change who I was, but France was supposed to be where she could escape from my world." His smile softened. "She loved it here."Walking through the front door, I understood why he had kept the house.It felt like she still lived there.There were traces of my mother everywhere. Her clothes were still in the closet. Her jewelry, shoes, and other belongings remained exactly where she had left them. Even the walls looked like they hadn't been repainted since she was here.It was almost as
Last Updated: 2026-09-06
Chapter: Chapter 115Before we left, my father told Gina that once he was finished with her, being homeless would be the least of her worries. She would beg for death, and death would stay far out of reach.Inside the car, I held the letter tightly against my chest. My mother had done everything within her power to make sure I had a good life.I had been loved before I even took my first breath.If I ever had a daughter, I already knew what I would name her.Aurora.Staring down at the letter, an unpleasant thought crept in. Nina had given me this letter, and Gina, knowing her the way I did, would figure out exactly who had done it.And Nina must have known that before she gave it to me.Why had she risked it?"Can you please take me back," I told my father. "There is one more thing I need to do."He asked the driver to turn around.When we pulled up, exactly as I feared, Nina was on the floor while her mother and father struck her without mercy.She was not even fighting back. It looked almost as if she
Last Updated: 2026-09-05
Chapter: CHAPTER 129 – Finally HomeSix months later.Sometimes I sit quietly and wonder how life managed to change so completely.For so long, everything had felt uncertain and fragile, like happiness was something that could disappear if I held it too tightly.But now…Everything felt beautiful. Perfect, if perfection even existed.Six months had passed since the wedding and our honeymoon, and somehow those months had gone by faster than I expected. Every day seemed to move with its own quiet rhythm as Cade and I continued building the life we had once struggled so hard to reach.And if there was one thing I had learned about being Cade’s wife, it was this: that man loved to spoil me.Not just in the loud, showy ways people could see.Cade covered every version of pampering – the loud, the quiet, the soft, and the deeply personal. He made sure my coffee was exactly how I liked it every morning. He never forgot the small things that mattered to me. And sometimes I caught him looking at me like he still couldn’t believe
Last Updated: 2026-03-12
Chapter: CHAPTER 128 – At Last, Our Wedding Day“Wake up. You’re getting married today.”Romi’s voice woke me as she tapped my shoulder.I peeled one eye open and stared at her.“That sounds important.”“It is very important, and if I let you sleep through your own wedding, Cade is going to have my head.”I laughed.That was how my wedding morning began.The day passed in a blur after that. Shower. Skincare. Hair. Makeup. Dresses being steamed. Voices in every room. Someone was always looking for pins, perfume, earrings, or something that had apparently vanished in the middle of the chaos.Through all of it, Romi stayed glued to my side, somehow managing to help me get ready while also texting furiously on her phone every few minutes and rolling her eyes so hard I thought they might stay that way.“What’s wrong?” I asked while the makeup artist finished the final touch on my face.She looked up from her phone and groaned.“Your man is disturbing me.”I smiled immediately. “Cade?”“Who else? Of course it’s him. He wants to see you.”
Last Updated: 2026-03-11
Chapter: CHAPTER 127 – The Night Before ForeverFriday night started quietly, but it quickly turned into something much bigger than we had planned.At first, the plan had been simple. We would host a small gathering for the people closest to us before the wedding, let everyone relax, laugh, and enjoy themselves.But once everyone started arriving, the energy changed. The house came alive in a way that made it feel less like an event and more like a memory being made in real time.Noah was with my parents for the night, which gave the rest of us the freedom to stay out late without worrying about bedtime routines. Cade had arranged for most of the guests to stay at one of his other properties nearby, so no one had to stress about driving home or cutting the night short.A few of my old college friends flew in. Some people from my modeling days came too, the ones I had stayed cordial with over the years. Drew and Lauren arrived with their usual loud, familiar energy. Jesse and Chanel came together, which made me privately smile. Romi
Last Updated: 2026-03-11
Chapter: CHAPTER 126 – The Life We ChoseMoving into the new house felt strangely unreal at first. For the first few days, I wasn’t sure whether Noah or Cade was the one more excited about it.They both couldn’t seem to get enough of each other. Noah even slept in our room with us most nights. On the days I insisted he sleep in his own room, I would still wake up in the middle of the night to find him in our bed. Cade would quietly go and carry him in from his room while I was asleep.That wasn’t all. Getting Cade to go to work became the real challenge.“Cade,” I said one morning, standing by the door with my bag, “you do remember you have a company to run, right?”“I know.”“You haven’t been there in two days. Your employees might start thinking you’ve disappeared.”He shrugged lazily. “I trust them to do their jobs well without my presence. That’s why I pay them.”I gave him the I’m serious look.“Get dressed. You’re going to work today.”He sighed. “Fine.”Later that afternoon, I realized I had forgotten something at hom
Last Updated: 2026-03-10
Chapter: CHAPTER 125 – Out in the OpenThe Instagram post did exactly what I expected. It exploded.My phone had barely survived the first fifteen minutes before the notifications started pouring in. Messages. Mentions. Comments. Old contacts suddenly remembering I existed.But the one message that made me laugh out loud came from Drew.Send me your number immediately.I stared at the screen for a second, already knowing what was coming. Then I sent him my number.My phone rang less than ten seconds later. The moment I picked up, Drew started yelling.“Are you kidding me right now, Mira?”I laughed.“You disappear for years,” he continued dramatically, “and the first thing I find out is that you’re engaged through Instagram?”“I’m sorry,” I said between laughs. “I’m sorry.”“You shut me out!”“I know.”“You vanished!”“I know!”“You have been a very bad girl.”“I said I’m sorry,” I repeated, still laughing.There was a long pause, then Drew sighed loudly.“Send me your address.”Before I could say anything else, he hung up
Last Updated: 2026-03-10
Chapter: CHAPTER 124 – Double CelebrationNoah and I were still buzzing with excitement by the time Cade dropped us back at my parents’ house. The entire drive home had been filled with Noah talking nonstop about the new house.By the time the car stopped in the driveway, he was practically vibrating with energy.“Go tell Grandma,” Cade said with a laugh as Noah jumped out before the engine had fully stopped.He ran toward the house, already bursting to share the news.Cade glanced at me from the driver’s seat, his expression soft.“Tomorrow,” he said.“Tomorrow,” I repeated.There was something comforting about that word now. Tomorrow meant the house and building a home together.I leaned over and kissed his cheek before stepping out of the car. The sight in the living room made me pause. Max was sitting on the couch, and beside him was Romi.Noah barely noticed them as he rushed past.“Grandma!” he shouted, already heading down the hallway.Max looked up and smiled when he saw me.“Mira.”“Max,” I said, genuinely surprised.
Last Updated: 2026-03-07
LOGIN
