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
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
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 83My nails were digging into my palm when Cash moved. He had figured out I was lying, nobody begs a stranger like that, but instead of calling me on it, he angled his body between me and Damien."Get up. And go.”Damien looked him over, sizing him up. He knew he was no match for Cash, a man built like exactly what he was, a professional hockey player.He pleaded with Cash instead. "Please, man. Help me. Beg her for me. There's so much riding on this, you don't understand."Cash just ignored him, and I could tell from his expression he was running some kind of silent countdown in his head. When it hit zero, he closed the distance in two steps.Damien got the message fast and bolted. I would be ashamed forever that I once dated that coward."Thank you." I turned to Cash.He nodded, then gave me a look. "So. Who is he? And don't say you don't know him, because we both saw that you do."I sighed. "My ex."His eyebrow went up. "Guess I'm not the only one who dates jerks.”"Shut up." A smile
Last Updated: 2026-08-02
Chapter: CHAPTER 82I couldn't explain why Lory found his reply so funny after I showed her the message. I was beyond pissed.I fired off another message, telling him I had zero interest in whatever he thought he needed to prove, what I wanted was my picture down. Immediately.His response: an address and a time."This guy is insane," I snapped.Lory sat halfway up in bed, wearing that specific scheming look I'd learned to dread."No. Absolutely not. This is the worst possible timing for whatever's going on in your head, Lory." I headed for the closet to change.I came back out. "Can I sue this guy? Legally?"She laughed at me. "You really shouldn't be this mad about it. If you look at this properly, it could work in your favor.""Lory, no. There's no way being splashed all over the internet to strangers works in my favor.""Just hear me out." She rushed the words. "You could use this to snap Alan out of that standoff. Get you out of your own misery."I sighed. "I shouldn't be listening to you.""Look, I
Last Updated: 2026-08-02
Chapter: CHAPTER 81Alan didn't bother pretending he wasn't looking. He stared, and he wanted me to know it.Even after I'd placed my order, I could still feel it, his eyes on me. I did my best to ignore it, composed myself, and turned my full attention back to Spencer.We caught up properly after that. He told me he would be around for a month, and somewhere in the catching-up I mentioned I'd been on my way to the flower shop when he called. That led to him mentioning his cousin's wedding."I'll connect you with her. You could handle the flowers.""Thank you for the recommendation.""I'll stop by on my free days." He checked his watch. "I have a meeting in a bit. Only stopped because this is where I get the best coffee in town."We left the café together. The only thing keeping me from finding some excuse to hang back and wait for Alan, to apologize one more time, was Lory's warning never to do that again.At my car, Spencer whistled low. "Someone's not so humble after all." He knocked a knuckle against
Last Updated: 2026-07-30
Chapter: CHAPTER 80It was a nursery. Tastefully done, everything in muted shades of blue. The crib had a name worked into the wall above it. Kendrick.A closet took up one side, packed with designer baby clothes, some folded, some still tagged, next to a shelf of storybooks. Whoever put this room together had thought through every detail of it. It even smelled faintly like a baby.By the window was a nursing chair, and on the table beside it, a diary.I crossed to it and opened the first page.Hi Kendrick. It's Mom.I closed it immediately.It felt wrong, invasive, like I'd walked in on something sacred. Being there at all felt like a violation.I stepped back out and pulled the door shut.Turning to walk to my room, I flinched at the sight of Alan watching me.One look at his face had sweat lining my forehead. His jaw was clenched so hard it looked painful. His chest rising and falling fast."I'm sorry, I was just passing by and the door was open, I… I…"Even to my own ears, the words coming out of my
Last Updated: 2026-07-30
Chapter: CHAPTER 79We stared at each other in the mirror. Then he moved, closing his hands around my waist, murmuring something I couldn't make out against my neck before his mouth found it, kissing along my skin.I knew nothing was happening tonight, not with him this drunk. I turned in his arms, gently pulling him back. "Are your friends gone?"He nodded.I guided him to bed, got him settled, and climbed in beside him. He pulled me into a snuggle, his head dropping onto my shoulder, eyes already closing."I'm sorry, Amy," he mumbled, right before his breathing evened out into sleep.I shut my own eyes, refusing to let myself think about it, and forced myself back under too.A sound from the bathroom woke me. I rushed in to find Alan forcing himself to vomit.I rubbed his back. "What's wrong?""I don't feel well." His voice was rough. "Might be the food. Nauseous. My head's killing me."Of course his head was killing him, given how much he'd had, but this wasn't the moment to point that out. His skin w
Last Updated: 2026-07-28
Chapter: CHAPTER 78Once we were outside, I looked at him. "That was a lie back there. The small-wedding thing.""I know.""Why say it, then?""Because the truth would've meant telling them about our agreement. And them looking at you differently."Something in me went soft and quiet at that, realizing his reasons for the lie were about protecting me."They're friends from when I was a teenager," he further explained. "Miami used to be home, back then.""That handshake," I teased, mostly to cover whatever was happening on my face. "Very elaborate."He just laughed it off.Back at the house, since Alan was here for real now, I figured I'd move my stuff into a different room and let him have his back. I was tossing my things into my suitcase in the closet when he walked in."What are you doing?""Packing." I nodded to my small pile of things. "Freeing up your space. Moving to the next room.""No need. I'm leaving tomorrow. I've got a meeting to catch. Just stay. We'll share it tonight."I nodded. "Okay.""
Last Updated: 2026-07-28
Chapter: CHAPTER 89I was sitting on Mason's lap, replying to Jane's text, when his assistant's head peeked in to say his mother had arrived.Mason didn't even glance up from his screen. "Send her in."I tried getting up to go to the adjoining room, but he caught my wrist. "Stay.""Mason. She can't see me in here, that's the whole—""Relax, Mia."I did, because arguing with that voice had never once worked in my favor.She walked in a moment later, put together as always, a tender smile already arranged on her face, the smile of a mother coming to comfort her heartbroken son.That smile faltered the second her eyes landed on me."Mia." She stopped short in the doorway, like she'd walked into the wrong room. "You're... still here.”"I am."Her eyes cut to Mason. "What is going on?"He didn't answer. Instead he picked up his phone, tapped it once, and set it face up on the desk. Her voice filled the room through the speaker.It's simple. I'll send you a location to meet me at night. We stage cheating evide
Last Updated: 2026-07-30
Chapter: CHAPTER 88I tried to swallow it back down the instant it slipped out. I hadn't meant to say it out loud."Don't." Mason's voice was flat. "You know I heard you. And you remember what we promised each other. No lies. No secrets."I didn't have an option after that. I told him everything, every word of the conversation with his mother, and showed him the photo of the check I'd snapped with my phone.He lost it. I had never seen him this angry, not through any of the ordeal we'd passed through. He moved for the door, vibrating with rage.I got there first, blocking it with my body."Move," he said, low and dangerously calm."No. Not like this. Not tonight.""Mia—""I won't let you walk out of here in this state. Whatever you'd do right now, you'd regret it, and I'm not letting that happen.""Nothing I do could be worse than what she's already done." His jaw was tight enough to ache. "Trying to pay you off to leave me. That's as low as she gets. And she's going to get exactly what she asked for."I
Last Updated: 2026-07-25
Chapter: CHAPTER 87My first instinct was to turn around and walk right back out. I knew nothing good was waiting for me.But Mason's voice looped in my head, the reminder that backing down only ever made things worse with his mother. So I decided to sit through it and hear exactly what she'd come to say.I pulled out the chair and sat. "If you wanted to see me, you knew exactly how to find me. You didn't need to stage all this."She ignored that, giving me the same condescending look she seemed to reserve just for me.“Why is it," she started, her tone clipped, "that you decided to latch onto someone else's man?”I was glad Mason had told me the full story of the contract already. If I'd walked in here without that context, she might have managed to shake me.I looked at her and reminded myself of Mason's advice to match her energy. Nothing I did tonight was going to make her approve of me."You've got that backwards," I corrected. "That's a question for Naomi. She's the one chasing a man who doesn't wa
Last Updated: 2026-07-22
Chapter: CHAPTER 86Looking at Mason's face, I could tell he meant every word. If I pushed back too hard, this would turn into an actual argument, and that wasn't how I wanted to start the morning.I walked up and kissed him quick on the lips. "We'll talk about it when I get back."I turned to leave. He caught my wrist and shook his head. "That's not going to work.""Mason, please. Nicholas is outside. I don't want to be late."His jaw tightened. "Then I'll drop you myself.""That's ridiculous, and you know it." I ticked it off on my fingers. "Lior's school, your office, and my job aren't anywhere near each other. We'd drop him first, then swing back around to get me to work before you could even make it to yours. Or I just get in the car that's already outside and you don't waste an hour driving in circles. You know I'm making sense."He didn't answer right away, calculating, while my phone buzzed against my palm, Nicholas calling again.Mason glanced at it. "Did you tell him yet? That you're my girlfri
Last Updated: 2026-07-20
Chapter: CHAPTER 85Just like I'd predicted, Mason refused to let me go out with Jane again that evening. Every trick I tried, nothing worked. Every promise I made got a firm no."We agreed only on seeing her in the morning," he said, like that settled it. "If you and Jane want a real hangout, do it on one of her free days. I'll even cover her traveling expenses to LA. But I'm not sharing you with anyone on this trip."I teased him. "This is giving very controlling boyfriend energy, you know that?”That made it worse. He took both our phones, switched them off, and hid them somewhere I never found. It was funny, honestly, how fiercely he held on to me. I didn't get the phone back until we were already boarding the jet home.I never told him about Nina. Ruben was back behind bars, sure, but that didn't answer how he'd known to find me at that ice cream shop. I didn't want to read too much into it. But it didn't feel like coincidence either.When we landed in LA, the driver took us straight to Mason's pare
Last Updated: 2026-07-19
Chapter: CHAPTER 84You know that look, the one you get when trouble finds you and your worst enemy just happens to be standing right there. That was exactly Nina's face when she saw me."What's going on here?" I asked again.One of the men waved a hand at me without even turning fully around. "You're not deaf. You're better off minding your business."I ignored him and looked at Nina instead. "What happened?"She started explaining through tears, her voice shaking so badly I couldn't make out a single word of it."Get up first," I told her.“Don't you dare!" the taller one barked."Nina. Trust me. Get up."She weighed it, glanced between them and me, then pushed herself to her feet."Now. Tell me what happened, calmly, so I can follow."She pulled in a breath, steadying herself. She cleaned for them, and had just finished for the day, on her way out, when they accused her of stealing a watch. She swore, desperate, that she hadn't touched it, begging me to believe her, swearing on her own life before the
Last Updated: 2026-07-15
LOGIN
