Chapter: THE SECOND NIGHTChapter 144By Tuesday evening the house had stopped performing politeness.Ava no longer asked what anyone wanted for dinner. She put food on the table and expected them to sit. Oliver came and went with less explanation. Lena moved through the rooms like someone counting exits. Helen’s messages arrived twice a day—photos of a harbour, a plate of food, Julian half-asleep in a chair—and each one made the kitchen feel more temporary, as if the real owners might appear at any second and ask what had been done in their absence.They hadn’t.Oliver found Lena in the living room after nine, the television on with the sound low, a show neither of them was watching. Ava had gone to the guest room with a book and a closed door. The hallway light was off. Outside, rain tracked down the window in thin lines.“You’re avoiding the upstairs,” Oliver said.“I’m sitting on a sofa.”“Same thing.”He stood in the doorway for a moment, then came in and sat on the other end of the couch. Not close. Clos
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-19
Chapter: THE TRIPChapter 143 Helen. Helen cried at the door, then laughed at herself for crying. “It’s only a week,” she said, wiping under her eyes with the side of her hand. “Look at me. I’m being ridiculous.” “You’re allowed,” Ava said. She was already in the hallway with her tote bag and a folded duvet cover, as if she had done this enough times to know the house would need both practical things and soft ones. “Go. I’ve got them.” Julian put the last bag in the boot and came back up the path. He checked his pockets for the third time—keys, wallet, phone—then looked at Lena and Oliver standing on the step like people waiting for a verdict. “You know where everything is,” he said. “Call if the boiler does that thing again. Don’t ignore it until the kitchen floods.” “We’ve lived here longer than a week,” Oliver said. “That’s what worries me.” Julian’s mouth moved like he might smile. He didn’t quite manage it. When he hugged Lena, it was brief and careful, the kind of contact that stay
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-19
Chapter: THE WEEK ON THE FRIDGEChapter 142 Sunday morning Helen fixed the dates. She did it at the kitchen table with her laptop open and a pen between her teeth, calling out options while Julian read the paper and Oliver ate cereal like a man who had somewhere else to be. Lena stood by the kettle, waiting for it to boil, and listened to her mother build a week-shaped hole in the middle of their lives. “Monday to Monday,” Helen said. “Train on the way down. Julian hates the motorway when he’s supposed to be relaxing. Ava said yes again. She’ll come Sunday evening so she’s already here when we leave.” Julian turned a page. “That’s soon.” “It’s three weeks away. That’s not soon. That’s civilised notice.” Helen wrote the dates on the calendar stuck to the fridge and circled them twice. “There. Real. No more maybes.” Oliver glanced at the fridge, then at Lena, then back at his bowl. “Do we get a schedule for feeding times, or are we trusted with the cupboards?” “You’re trusted,” Helen said. “Try not to pro
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-11
Chapter: THE SHAPE OF ORDINARYSaturday arrived without drama, which somehow felt more suspicious than if it had.Helen slept late, still soft from the spa, and came down in a robe with her hair loose, asking if anyone had coffee left in the pot. Julian made a fresh one. Oliver was already out—a text on the kitchen table said he had a library shift until mid-afternoon. Lena sat with a piece of toast she was only half eating and listened to her mother describe a steam room as if it were a religious experience.“I forgot what my own shoulders felt like when they weren’t up by my ears,” Helen said, wrapping both hands around her mug. “Ava booked the next one before we even left. She’s dangerous.”“In a good way,” Julian said.“In an expensive way.” Helen smiled at him over the rim. “You’re working today?”“Only a couple of hours. Then I’m yours.”“I’ll hold you to that.”Lena finished her toast, rinsed the plate, and said she was going into campus to collect a book she had left in a locker. Helen waved her off without
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-06
Chapter: UNTIL LATEChapter 140Friday morning Helen announced she was taking the whole afternoon for herself.Not a clinic. Not a chore. Ava had booked them into a spa on the far side of town—massages, steam, the kind of slow waste of hours Helen had not allowed herself since before the accident. She said it at breakfast with a slight flush of guilt, as if pleasure still needed justifying.“I’ll be back late,” she said, already checking her bag. “There’s food in the fridge. Oliver, if you’re bringing anyone home, tell me next time so I’m not coming in half-asleep to strangers in my kitchen.”Oliver raised his mug. “Noted.”Julian said he would work from home. Lena said she had a campus shift until four. Helen kissed the top of Julian’s head, squeezed Lena’s shoulder, and left in a light cloud of perfume and borrowed calm. The door shut. The house adjusted around her absence the way it always did: a little wider, a little more dangerous, a little more itself.Julian looked at Lena across the table once t
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-06
Chapter: BORING THINGSChapter 139Helen did not mention the receipt again.By morning it might as well have never existed. She stood in the kitchen in one of Julian’s old shirts, sleeves rolled to the elbows, making eggs with the radio on low. She talked about a sale on garden plants, about whether they should finally repaint the guest-room door, about a neighbour who had asked if they were settled now after all the hospital months. Julian answered from behind a mug, voice still rough with sleep. Oliver ate standing up, scrolling his phone, then rinsed his plate and left for campus with a short goodbye that took in the whole kitchen and no one in particular. Lena stayed long enough to wash her own plate and long enough to feel the ordinary weight of a house that was not, for once, tilting toward disaster.Helen kissed Julian’s cheek on her way past him to the fridge. “Don’t work through lunch. You always say you won’t and then you do.”“I’ll try,” he said, and almost smiled.Lena took her bag from the hook
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-06
Blood and Betrayal
"Thomas, please. Do you really think someone like me would ever choose someone like you?"
Fifteen years ago, Thomas Santos swapped his newborn daughter with the child of the woman who broke his heart. Her name was Victoria and since high school, Thomas had always had a strong obsession towards her and after he had his heart broken by her, he sought revenge by all means. His daughter Kiara grew up in a mansion with everything she could ever disguised as Victoria's daughter while Victoria's real daughter Ivy grew up in poverty, beaten and abused by Thomas, the man who was supposed to be her father.
Now the girls turned fifteen and happened to study at the same high school.
When Thomas's wife Maria gets a job as a housekeeper for the wealthy Sterling family, she moves into their mansion with her daughter Ivy. Maria still didn't know that the Sterling's daughter Kiara was her real child.
At school, Kiara makes Ivy's life a living hell. She bullies her, humiliates her, turns everyone against her and shares videos of Ivy and her Mother cleaning their her family's mansion.
Months later, Ellis Sterling, the golden son of the family returned from college. He was charming, handsome and manipulative and took liking to Ivy. He treated ger differently and xared for her which made Ivy to easily trust him.
Later on, when Ellis drugs and rapes Ivy, she finally breaks. She tells her mother the truth and Maria confronts the Sterlings immediately, but they didn't believe her. They saw both of them as liars chasing wealth and purshued them out of the house, leaving them with nothing.
But the truth doesn't stay buried forever. Some secrets destroy families, while others sets them free.
Baca
Chapter: THE GIRL IN MY HOUSEChapter Seven: The Girl in My HouseIvy had never seen a house this big. She stood just inside the Sterling mansion, her small bag hanging from her shoulder as her eyes wandered across the enormous living room. Everything looked expensive—the polished marble floors gleamed under the soft glow of crystal chandeliers, the furniture was plush and elegant, and massive paintings adorned the walls in ornate gold frames. She felt small and out of place, like a visitor in a world that didn't belong to her."Mom," she whispered, her voice barely audible.Maria turned toward her. "What?""It's beautiful." Ivy's eyes continued to wander, taking in every detail. "I've never seen anything like it."Maria gave her a small smile, though her eyes held a trace of sadness. "It is."Victoria watched them from across the room, her expression soft and understanding. "You don't have to be nervous, Ivy. You and your mother are welcome here."Ivy quickly shook her head, embarrassed by her own awe. "Thank you
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-27
Chapter: THOMAS?Maria had been working at the Sterling residence for several months, and despite the overwhelming size of the mansion, she had quickly learned every corner of it. The sprawling hallways, the countless rooms, the hidden storage spaces—she knew them all. She woke before everyone else, prepared breakfast with careful precision, kept the house spotless, and made sure everything was in perfect order before Victoria and Richard left for their demanding jobs. Even on the busiest days, she rarely complained. She had grown accustomed to the weight of responsibility.That afternoon, Maria was polishing the large dining table when Victoria walked into the room, her heels clicking softly against the marble floor. "Maria," she called gently.Maria immediately straightened, her hands pausing their work. "Yes, ma'am?"Victoria smiled warmly, her eyes softening with genuine affection. "Do you ever sit down?"Maria laughed softly, shaking her head. "I have plenty to do. There's always something that n
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-26
Chapter: BROKENMaria quickly became part of the Sterling household. She woke up early every morning, prepared breakfast, organized the rooms, did the laundry, and made sure everything was ready before Victoria and Richard left for work. She never complained, even when the workload became heavy. She simply continued, moving through the mansion with quiet efficiency.One afternoon, Victoria found Maria in the kitchen scrubbing pots that had been left overnight. "You work too hard," Victoria told her gently.Maria looked up, surprised by the interruption. "I need the money and the job," she said simply. "I can't afford to lose it.""You're more than a housekeeper to us, Maria." Victoria sat down at the kitchen island, watching her work. "You've been wonderful with Kiara too."At the mention of Kiara's name, Maria smiled. "She's a good girl. Stubborn, but good."Victoria laughed. "Don't let her hear you say that. She'll become even more stubborn than she already is."Maria chuckled, thinking of her own
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-08-28
Chapter: THE STERLING'S RESIDENCEMaria stood nervously in front of the large iron gates, staring at the mansion beyond them. She had seen beautiful houses before in magazines and on television, but nothing compared to the Sterling residence in person. The building stood several floors high, its grand architecture featuring tall columns, arched windows, and a sweeping balcony that overlooked the perfectly maintained gardens below. Fountains trickled softly in the courtyard, and rows of expensive cars sat parked beneath a covered driveway that could have accommodated a dozen vehicles.Thomas stopped the car and killed the engine. "Go inside," he said, his voice flat.Maria turned to him, her hand resting on the door handle. "Aren't you coming?""I'll wait."She smiled faintly, grateful that he had driven her all this way. "Thank you."Thomas watched her walk toward the entrance, his eyes fixed on her retreating figure until she disappeared through the massive wooden doors. His hands tightened around the steering whee
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-08-28
Chapter: FIFTEEN YEARS LATERFifteen years had passed since the night two babies had been switched in a hospital ward. The memory had almost disappeared from everyone's mind.For the Sterling family, life had become everything Victoria had dreamed it would be. Their mansion stood behind tall iron gates, surrounded by perfectly trimmed gardens and a long driveway that seemed to stretch forever. Richard Sterling's businesses had expanded over the years, making the family one of the most influential in the city. Victoria had also built a successful career of her own. Their eldest son, Ellis, was away at college, studying at one of the most prestigious universities in the country, and their youngest child, Kiara, was fifteen. At least, that was what everyone believed."Kiara!" Victoria's voice echoed through the enormous house. "You're going to be late!""I'm coming!" A teenage girl hurried down the staircase. She wore a perfectly pressed school uniform, expensive shoes, and a designer backpack hanging over one shou
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-08-28
Chapter: THE PERFECT REVENGE"I'm sorry who are you?" Richard looked at him with a confused expression before glancing at the two babies. "And what are you doing here?" Thomas swallowed hard, having already recognized who the man was. Richard Sterling.The almighty business tycoon and Victoria's husband. He had found out about them during their engagement party that was shown on the news, and that alone gave Thomas more reasons to hate Victoria. "I'm here to see my wife and check on my daughter." "Your wife and daughter?" "Yes, Maria Santos. She just gave birth." Richard nodded, his expression indifferent. "Oh, your're the father to the second baby the doctor had told me about" His eyes briefly moved toward the cradles. "Congratulations." "Thank you." An awkward silence settled between them. Richard wasn't particularly interested in continuing the conversation. He had only come to check on Victoria and his child and had stopped because he had seen a stranger standing near the cradke his daughter was place
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-08-28
Masuk
