Novels by ammienwaeze

Alora's Pov The taxi ride back from the club feels like being trapped in a cage of my own ribs. Every time I close my eyes, I see Leyla’s cold, painted face. I’ll be his mistress. Live with it.I don’t go home. I can't. I have the driver drop me at a 24-hour diner, but I can’t eat. I watch the clock until 11:47 PM, my fingers tracing the digital copy of the contract Lucien has already sent to my email.Clause 4: Discretion. The Bride shall not interfere with the Groom’s external associations.Clause 9: Possession. Upon signing, the Bride becomes a resident of the Vale Estate. Failure to comply results in the immediate reinstatement of all charges against George Blackwood.He doesn't just want my hand; he wants to isolate me.At 1:20 AM, my phone chimes. A text arrives from the same "Unknown" number that has been haunting me.“The courthouse side entrance. Five minutes. Don’t be late, Lo. George is already in the holding cell.”My heart hammers against my teeth. I flag a new cab, my

Alora's Pov Lucien didn’t sit. He circles his desk like a shark deciding if I was worth the bite. Seeing my name, Alora, on that folder made my stomach do a backflip. “How long,” he repeats, “were you planning to play dress-up as your sister?” “I wasn’t pretending,” I snap, my voice betraying me with a tiny quiver. “Leyla was busy. I filled in.” "She was invited. You weren't.” He drifts to the window, looking over the city with his hands in his pockets. “But you didn’t correct the secretary. You didn't even blink when I caught you. My pulse kicks hard as he turns back to me.“When I saw George’s file, and recognized the family which he came from, I stopped wondering if you’d appear.” I have nothing to say. Everything I had planned in my head evaporates. He always had this way of crumbling me. His gaze settles on me. “I started to wonder how long you’d last before you came.” The room suddenly feels like it's shrinking. "Why are you here, Lo?" Hearing that nickname, the one o

Alora's Pov The plan is already in motion by dawn.I get lost twice trying to find Lucien's office. It wasn't the directions, in fact, Leyla is whispering them into my ear with saint-level patience. It's the building itself. The glass corridors feels like a maze designed to unsettle you, reflections folding into one another until I didn't know which way was out.“Left now,” Leyla's voice crackled in my ear. “The small door beside the massive one.”“I’ve got it,” I lied, wiping my damp palms on my dress.“You still there?” she asks.“Unfortunately.”“Lora, if you want us to stop...”“I don’t.”The elevator opens onto the top floor. It’s actually quieter up here.“There’s no one at the reception,” I murmur. “Just a corridor and one door at the end.”“That’s his office,” Leyla says. Her voice tightens now. “Wait for his secretary before you go in. Don’t just walk...”I end the call.A small waiting area sits off to the side. Two leather sofas, a glass table and one magazine that looks l

Leyla’s Pov Alora didn’t let me finish. The moment I mentioned Lucien Vale, she went deathly pale. She gripped the bedsheets so hard her knuckles turned white, her whole body trembling as if she were bracing for a physical blow. “You can’t do this,” she rasped. “I won’t let you.” I let out a long breath I'd been holding for years. “You don’t understand, Lora. I can't let George rot in a cell. Friday is his hearing.” The room goes completely quiet when an idea strikes me. “Are you saying this because you actually think he's guilty?” I ask, flaring up. She looks up quickly, her eyes burning. “What? No. Never.” That’s when I really look at her. For the first time, my twin felt like a stranger. There’s this look in her eyes I didn't recognise, like a heavy, dark door she had kept locked for years. We had always shared everything; clothes, secrets, and even the blame for things we did. But this? This is felt different. "I knew him," she says, almost in a whisper. “What do you me

Leyla's Pov By my fourth visit, I'm invisible. The secretary doesn't even look up; she just acknowledges my presence with a cold, silent stare before returning to her typing. I stand there a second too long, waiting for a "hello" that isn't coming. To her, I’m just the stripper sister of the man who killed Raymond Vale. I reek of cheap coffee and desperation, but it doesn’t stop me. George’s hearing is the morning after tomorrow. If I don't get to Lucien today, my brother is as good as dead. I’m his only hope, and I’m running out of time." “Mr. Vale is in a meeting,” the secretary says, dismissive. “I’ll wait.” She snaps her patience finally breaking. "Look, I’ve already told you already. There’s nothing more you can do for him." “Then stop telling me," I fire back, the frustration bubbling over me. That earns me a long, calculating look. She’s deciding between calling security or letting me stay. Finally, she sighs and points to the leather sofa. I sit, watching the power