Novels by Jess

The name hit the air like poison, I leaned back slightly.“Jane?”“Yes.”My mind spun, that didn't make any sense. None of it made sense at all.This didn’t make sense.“What baby?” I asked flatly. “Are you insane?” the baby that I already lost, they all confirmed it. If there's a baby, I should've felt a bump or something. There's no way I'm still pregnant and my body doesn't feel or know about it.His eyes narrowed, “You didn’t lose it.”My throat tightened. “You’re not taking me to any hospital,” I said quickly. “Take me back to my father’s house.”“No.”“Cillian.”“I said no.”My hand shot to the door handl

The cops pulled my hands behind my back.“She attacked me!” Sarah repeated.I laughed, “Really?” I spat. “Now you cry?”The officer shoved me toward the door. Outside, flashing lights reflected off the restaurant windows.And all around us, cameras. More cameras.Reporters already gathering, phones filming every second.“Film me!” I shouted at them.The officers tried to force me forward, but I twisted enough to face the cameras.“Go on!” I yelled. “I know all of you missed me!”The cameras flashed rapidly, “You’ve all been starving for my story, haven’t you?” I screamed. "Don't worry, I will have enough to feed you all from today henceforth! I will tell you all what really happened to my

Her face went dead white and she realized what she had done too late. Tears of fury burned my eyes.“You sold them out,” I said, my voice shaking. “You and your mother handed my family over.”“I didn’t—”“You knew exactly what would happen!”“No!”“You knew Sterling and Cillian were waiting for weakness!”“I DIDN’T KILL YOUR PARENTS!”“But you made it possible!”My voice broke, one year of grief ripped through me all at once.“If I had answered my father’s call—” My breath caught. “If I had picked up that phone—”“Val—”“No!” I screamed. “Don’t say

“Neither are you.” The words flew out of me like a gunshot and she froze. For one sharp second, the rage in her face vanished, replaced by naked shock.Then her eyes narrowed, she was trying to calculate. Trying to figure out what I knew. Trying to decide whether to lie.I laughed a harsh, ugly sound that made the people at the next table glance over nervously.“Oh, look at you,” I spat. “That face right there. You’re scared.”“I’m not scared,” she hissed.“Yes, you are.” I leaned across the table, my voice shaking with rage. “You’re terrified because you thought I’d stay stupid forever. You thought I’d never find out.”Her jaw clenched, “You don’t know anything.”I laughed louder. “I know enough.&rdq

The venom in my voice made the people at the next table turn away in a hurry. Sarah looked clueless, her mouth slightly agape as if she couldn't fathom why I was rejecting her kindness.She should know why. Acting like she doesn't know is slowly making me want to put a bullet to her forehead."Val, if this is about Cillian..." she started, her voice hushed. "I turned him down. I swear it. I didn't do anything with him while you were away. I realized that our friendship was more important than any man."I felt the laughter bubbling up in my throat. "I didn't ask you anything, you lying brat! You open your mouth and the lies just flow out like sewage. You turned Cillian down? Do you really think I’m that same naive girl who followed you around like a shadow?"She must really think I'd never grow up in my entire life. What should I be more insulted about? The audacity to

"Hello, Sarah. Can we meet?"I spoke the words into the receiver as the first grey light of dawn began to bleed through the dusty curtains of my father's study. On the other end, there was a sharp intake of breath. The silence stretched for a heartbeat too long before she found her voice."Val? Oh my God, Val. Are you finally ready to talk to me?""I'm ready," I said, my voice as cold and flat as a winter lake. "Meet me at our usual spot. The café we used to frequent when I was still acting. If you still remember it.""Of course I remember. I’ll be there. I’ll be right there."I hung up before she could say another word.Daniel had left only an hour prior, his face etched with a mixture of exhaustion and grim satisfaction. Before he walked out the door, he had briefed me on the sheer scale of the corruption I held in my hands about the slush funds. The slush funds weren't just a few local accounts, they were a global network...Germany, Singapore, the Cayman Islands. My father had man