Nobela ni Skarlet-Rosé

The sun was high over the Kingston estate, but I was currently in my room avoiding human interactions at all costs. It felt cowardly, like a rabbit hiding in its burrow while the wolf circled outside, but it was the only way to avoid running into Eric. The Blue Suite, which was supposed to be a sanctuary, now felt like a prison cell made of silk and gold leaf.My mind was still reeling from what had happened last night in the library. Every time I closed my eyes, I could still feel the heat of Eric’s body pressing me against that cold reading table, his breath hitching against my neck. The thought of what could have happened if Alexander Hawthorne hadn’t interrupted us was a loop playing in my mind, terrifying and exhilarating all at once.Would we have had sex there and then? I knew the answer, and it made my skin flush with a heat that had nothing to do with the morning sun. Eric wouldn't have wasted a moment to claim me right there among the bookshelves. He had always been a man wh

After the fiasco at the rehearsal dinner, I retreated to my room as fast as my legs could carry me. I sat on the edge of the bed, replaying the scenario over and over. The problems of the rich weren't that different from the poor, really—cheating, resentment, and greed—it was just wrapped in more expensive packaging.I couldn't sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt Eric’s hand on my thigh or heard Eleanor’s sharp voice. The house was enormous, but at night, the quietness it exuded was scary. I needed to move. I threw on a silk robe over my nightgown, the chilling air of the hallway making me shiver as I stepped out.I decided not to visit the balcony where I’d encountered him the night before. Instead, I wandered down to the lower floors, looking for something to distract my mind. I found myself standing before a set of massive double doors. Pushing them open, I was greeted by a magnificent sight. Shelves upon shelves of books rose toward the ceiling, looking exactly like those m

Today was the day of the rehearsal dinner, and the air in the estate was thick with a different kind of tension. Chloe and I had spent the afternoon going through the final arrangements, but if I was being honest, it was all Chloe, not me. She was the one who had everything under her absolute control. The plans, the flowers, the seating charts—it was all managed by her and the high-priced coordinator she had hired. I was just there as "decoration," a silent support system for a world I didn't understood.I didn't understand why the hand-blown wine glasses had to be imported from Norway, or why it was a crisis that her third backup dress from a Paris boutique was a shade off from "eggshell." But I sat there anyway, nodding and showing support, commenting on how lovely everything looked or how gorgeous the centerpieces were every time she pointed at something.By the time the evening rolled around, I was exhausted. I was currently getting ready in my room. Just like the previous party,

The Kingston estate at night was a different beast than it was during the day. When the sun was up, the gold leaf and polished marble screamed of old money and power. But at night, the house was quiet, and there was no sign of life hidden anywhere in the long, echoing corridors. The silence was heavy, the kind of silence that made you hear your own heartbeat. I felt like an intruder in a museum, a ghost haunting the halls of a life I had walked away from five years ago.I sat on the edge of the plush bed in the Blue Suite, clutching my phone. I had already sent a text to Sarah, the nanny I’d hired for the trip. Thankfully, the person I left Fin with was more than understanding. After shooting her a text and explaining the "emergency" that had trapped me at the estate, she had been incredibly graceful. She was a bit more understanding of my plight than most would be, even minus the fact that Fin's father was the very man currently forcing me to be here.I couldn't stay in the room

After Eric stormed out to meet his grandfather, I collapsed into the leather chair behind his desk, my legs finally giving out. I spent ten minutes in the en-suite bathroom, splashing freezing water on my face and staring at my reflection. I looked like a ghost of the girl I used to be. Five years ago, I was the university student who thought love could bridge the gap between a scholarship girl and a Kingstone. Boy I was wrong.I stepped back out into the gala, trying to blend into the shadows. I needed a drink to steady my nerves. I grabbed a glass of dark red wine from a passing tray and downed half of it, the tart liquid burning my throat. I scanned the room, looking for a corner to hide in, but Eric’s presence was everywhere. Even when he was across the ballroom, I could feel the weight of his gaze. It was the same way he used to look at me during our secret dates—like I was the only person in the world, and like he was never going to let me go.“Autumn! I’ve been looking everywhe

I froze like a deer in headlights, my brain screaming for a lie, but my mouth wouldn’t move. I couldn't summon the courage to answer his question, not while those storm-gray eyes were boring into me, searching for the truth I had buried five years ago. The air in the ballroom felt like it was turning to lead. I couldn't breathe, and my head felt light, a dangerous buzzing sound starting in the back of my skull.“Autumn. Whose. Child. Is. That?” Eric asked again, enunciating each word with a lethal precision.He stepped closer, invading my air space until the scent of his expensive cologne—sandalwood and cold rain—completely surrounded me. It was an intoxicating scent, one that used to make me feel safe, but now it felt like a trap. The room felt like it was closing in, the golden walls of the Kingston estate becoming the bars of a cage.“Uncle, what are you talking about?” Chloe piped up, her voice sounding thin and confused against the heavy silence Eric had created. “Autumn has a ch