Novels by Mira N.

Chapter 46Ashley’s POV I woke up to a faint, delicious aroma drifting through the crack of the guest room door, cutting straight through the heavy, suffocating fog of sleep.For a fleeting second, confusion washed over me. I wasn't in that cold, sterile bedroom where I used to wake up with a knot of dread tightening in my stomach. I was in Syer’s house.I pushed the duvet aside, sitting up slowly. The emotionally exhausting events of the previous night came rushing back in vivid detail, the bitter confrontation at the dinner table, the cold metallic key in my trousers, the thick leather folder of legal deeds now resting safely on my nightstand, and the raw, tear-stained confession I had poured out on the living room sofa.I swung my legs over the side of the bed, slipped into a warm silk robe, and stepped out into the hallway.The soft sound of a spatula scraping against a pan led me toward the open-concept kitchen. Standing behind the marble island was Julian.My breath hitched in

Chapter 45Julian’s POV The drive back from the Vance estate was wrapped in a suffocating, heavy silence, but for the first time since I had dragged Ashley out of her shell, the quiet between us didn't feel like a battleground.It felt like the stillness right after a storm has torn through a valley, leaving the air clear, cold, and sharp.Ashley sat rigid, staring out at the blurred streetlights bleeding across the side window. She hadn't let go of her leather handbag for a single second. It sat heavy on her lap, her long, delicate fingers tightly entwined around the strap as if it were the only anchor keeping her from floating away into the dark.The ambient city lights filtered through the floor-to-ceiling glass walls, casting long, geometric shadows across the cold marble floor.Ashley stepped out first. She didn't take off her coat. She didn't walk toward the guest room. She simply glided to the center of the vast living room, stopping right in front of the glass, looking out ov

Chapter 44Ashley’s POV "Ashley, you can’t possibly refuse to give your sister a life."My father’s voice boomed through the high ceilinged dining room, reverberating off the cold marble walls and shattering whatever fragile illusion of domestic peace remained. The artificial warmth he had performed so carefully just moments ago completely evaporated from his tone, replaced by the harsh, demanding, and authoritative glare he usually reserved for failing corporate executives who dared to cross him in a boardroom.He sat at the head of the table, his shoulders squared, his chin raised in an imposing display of absolute dominance. He genuinely expected me to buckle under the weight of his voice. He expected the quiet, obedient daughter who had spent years shrinking into the shadows to bow her head, swallow her pride, and hand over her birthright simply because he demanded it."I can, father, and I have decided to," I replied smoothly.My voice didn't shake. It dropped into a quiet, icy

Chapter 43Ashley’s POV I stilled my heart, forcing the icy blood in my veins to steady as I sat beneath the warm, suffocating glow of the crystal chandelier.Julian’s hand was still wrapped firmly around mine, his long fingers broad, warm, and solid over my cold skin. The sheer heat of his grip was an unbroken current running through me, a silent anchor in a room full of predators. I didn't pull away. I didn't care if my father’s eyes lingered on our joined hands, or if Evelyn’s fake composure cracked around the edges. I needed that anchor, because looking across the mahogany table, I already knew everything my father wanted to say.I knew the script before he even opened his mouth. I had lived through the subtle manipulation in my past life, and I could read the sharp, corporate calculation buried beneath his practiced paternal mask. Yet, I decided to let him go on with it. I sat back in my chair, adjusting the strap of my handbag resting against my knee, and allowed him to dig his

Chapter 42Ashley had been gone for a few minutes, but to me, sitting at this godforsaken table surrounded by vultures, it felt like a grueling, agonizing hour.I leaned back in my chair, my broad shoulders tense against the leather, keeping my posture relaxed while my mind calculated every tactical variable in the room. I watched the archway leading out into the grand hallway with an unblinking, bloodshot stare. The air in the dining room was suffocatingly thick, heavy with the artificial pretenses of Ashley’s father and the fake smiles of his poisonous wife, Evelyn. They sat across from me trying to maintain a facade of high-society elegance, but my mind was entirely focused on the floor above us.It hadn't felt as though she had gone to the loo. No, the rigid, defensive line of her spine as she left the room, the deliberate, protective way she had grabbed her handbag, and the quiet, dangerous fire burning in her eyes before she stepped away all pointed to something far more calcula

Chapter 41The heavy mahogany door creaked open with a low, agonizing groan, revealing a room that had been frozen in time for far too long.A thick layer of fine dust coated the dark wooden furniture, reflecting the faint moonlight filtering through the heavy velvet drapes. The air inside was cool, heavy, and smelled faintly of aged paper and lavender, the distinct, comforting scent that had always belonged to my mother. Stepping across the threshold, I gently pushed the heavy door shut behind me, holding the brass handle up until the latch caught with a soft, muffled click that ensured no sound would carry down the carpeted hallway.My heart hammered violently against my ribs like a trapped bird beating against a cage. Downstairs, my father, Evelyn, Lurii, Julian and Marcus were sitting around a sprawling dining table built entirely on lies, with Julian using the massive weight of his presence to keep the wolves at bay. I knew I didn't have much time. Every second I spent away from