Novels by E. Nuella

The papers were spread across the lawyer's desk again. Chloe sat opposite him, one hand resting on the edge of the folder while the other slowly turned a page she had already read twice.The divorce papers had seemed simple when she first returned to New York. A marriage that had existed on paper long after it had stopped feeling real. She just needed to sign, that was what she had told herself.Now the word divorce seemed heavier than it had four years ago.Her lawyer watched her quietly. "You've reviewed everything.""Yes.""And there haven't been any changes to the terms?""No."Chloe nodded. She looked down at the papers again. Her name sat beside Lucien's. For years, seeing those two names together had felt like a sentence. Now it felt strangely different. Not lighter. Just less certain.Her lawyer folded his hands. "Do you want me to explain anything again?""No.""You seem hesitant."Chloe gave a faint smile. "I am.""That's okay."Chloe looked at her. "I thought I'd come in he

By the end of the week, Chloe's name was everywhere. It started with the flagship collection. What had once been a small idea in the corner of her apartment had become a full collection displayed beneath bright studio lights, surrounded by buyers, editors, designers, photographers, and people who had traveled across the city simply because they had heard about the woman behind it.Chloe stood near the entrance, watching the room fill. Zoe came to stand beside her. "Look at this place."Chloe smiled faintly. "I see it.""No, you don't.""What?""You still look like you're expecting someone to tell you this is temporary."Chloe looked at her. Zoe smiled. "Stop waiting for the floor to disappear."Chloe looked across the room. Her pieces were everywhere. Necklaces arranged beneath glass. Bracelets displayed against dark velvet. Earrings catching the light whenever someone walked past. And in the center of the main display stood the engraved bird necklace.Her mother's necklace the design

Lucien waited until the next morning before telling his parents about his encounter. He had barely slept. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Leah's little hand reaching for his, Leo holding up his sketchbook, and the drawing of four people beneath a yellow sun. His daughter had drawn him into her picture without knowing how much that small gesture meant.By eight in the morning, he was standing outside his parents' sitting room. He knocked once."Come in," Catherine called.Alexander was already seated with a newspaper in his hands, while Catherine was going through several documents on the table. Both looked up when Lucien entered."You wanted to see us?" Alexander asked."I need to tell you something."Catherine studied his face. "Is it about the company?""No."Alexander lowered the newspaper. "Then what is it?"Lucien remained standing for a moment. "I met Chloe's children yesterday."The room went still. Catherine's fingers stopped moving over the papers. Alexander stared at h

Chloe changed her mind days later. She didn't tell Lucien immediately. She spent an entire morning thinking about it while Leo and Leah played in the living room, arguing over a set of building blocks and then laughing together less than a minute later.She watched them from the kitchen doorway. They deserved the truth. Not all of it at once. Not the complicated history between their parents, not the mistakes, the marriage, the years apart. Just the truth that they had a father who wanted to know them.Chloe had spent four years protecting them from uncertainty. She wasn't going to replace that protection with fear.That afternoon, she called Lucien. He answered almost immediately. "Chloe?""I've decided you can meet them."There was silence on the other end. She could hear him breathing. "Are you sure?""No." The honesty made him go quiet again. "I'm not sure about any of this, Lucien. That's why we're going to do it carefully.""I understand.""A calm place.""Of course.""I'm goin

Before Lucien walked away the two of them stood together for a moment, and Chloe could feel the tension before anyone said another word. Evan returned with two drinks, handing one to Chloe before looking at Lucien. "Would you like one?"Lucien shook his head. "I'm fine.""Ok then."The answer was polite, but something about Evan's easy tone made Lucien's eyes narrow slightly.Chloe noticed. She stepped in before the silence could become uncomfortable. "Evan was telling me about the Stone Group's expansion."Lucien nodded. "I heard about it."Evan smiled. "Then you know we're going to need a few good designers." His eyes moved briefly towards Chloe.Lucien followed the look. "I know."Chloe took a sip of her drink. "Are you two competing now?"Evan laughed. "Not at all."Lucien's mouth curved faintly. "Business doesn't need to become personal."Evan looked at him. "Agreed."The words were simple. The meaning wasn't.Chloe glanced between them. She knew exactly what was happening. Neith

The ballroom was crowded enough that nobody noticed when Lucien stopped listening to the conversation beside him. He had been speaking with two investors about a possible expansion when his attention shifted across the room, and saw her.Chloe.She stood near one of the tall windows, a glass of sparkling water in her hand, listening to someone with a small smile on her face then his eyes shifted and his face changed a little.Evan.Lucien's expression barely changed. But his fingers tightened around his glass.Evan said something, and Chloe laughed. It wasn't the polite laugh Lucien remembered from the Grey estate. It wasn't careful. It wasn't restrained. She threw her head back slightly, her shoulders loosening as she laughed, and something uncomfortable moved through Lucien's chest.He had never seen her like that. Not with him. Not around his family. Not during their marriage. Maybe she had never felt like she could."Mr Grey?"Lucien blinked and looked back at the man speaking to

Bianca was arranging cups behind the counter when Tristan walked into the café again.The moment she saw him, her shoulders stiffened.She had barely recovered from his last visit, and now he was back. She glanced at the other workers, hoping none of them would notice the tension on her face, then wiped her hands on her apron.“Tristan, what do you want this time?”He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pulled out his phone and showed her the message.“Do you remember this?”Bianca glanced at the screen.For a second, her expression changed. Her eyes widened slightly before she quickly looked away.“I don't know what you're talking about.”“It's a message sent from your account shortly after Selene's miscarriage.”She folded her arms. “So?”“You told me you didn't know what had happened until the following morning. You said you only came to support me after I contacted you.” He lowered the phone. “This message was sent hours before that.”Bianca forced a laugh.“Maybe I heard somet

Bianca sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the photograph in her hands.The corners had worn thin with age, and a faint crease ran across the middle. The people in it looked younger, their faces captured in a moment that belonged to a life Bianca had spent years trying to leave behind.She knew exactly when it had been taken.It was from the same period as the old clinic photograph, back when everything had been different and she had still believed certain secrets could remain buried forever.Her thumb moved slowly across the surface.A familiar face stared back at her.Bianca's throat tightened.For years, she had kept the photograph locked away, telling herself there was no reason to look at it again. She had almost convinced herself that the past could no longer reach her.Then Selene's name had begun appearing in conversations she never wanted to hear.The hospital records. The adoption file. The missing pages.And now, the other child.Bianca pressed her lips together, trying

Selene was still staring at the message when Zayden returned to the living room.He noticed her expression immediately.“What happened?”She looked up, her fingers tightening around her phone. “Someone sent me a message.”Zayden approached her. “What kind of message?”Without answering, she handed him the phone.His eyes moved across the screen.‘Stop looking for the other child.’The warmth disappeared from his face.“When did you receive this?”“Just a few minutes ago. It came from an unknown number.”Zayden read it again, his jaw tightening.“Did you tell anyone else about the records?”“Only you, Daniel, and the people at the archive who were present.”“Then whoever sent this either knows about the investigation or has access to information connected to it.”Selene nodded slowly.“That's what I thought.”He looked at her. “Are you frightened?”“Of course I am.”Her honest answer made him pause.Selene drew her knees closer to herself, looking down at the phone.“But I'm also angry

Tristan stared at the name on the report long after his investigator finished speaking.Someone connected to Bianca had accessed Selene's hospital records shortly before the documents disappeared.He needed to know who it was.“Have you confirmed the relationship between this person and Bianca?” Tristan asked.“We're still checking the details, but there is a connection. It's enough to justify questioning her.”Tristan folded the report and slipped it into his desk drawer.“Send me everything you have. I want the full access history, not just the recovered name.”“Understood.”When the investigator left, Tristan remained seated, his gaze fixed on the closed drawer.He had spent months believing Bianca's interference explained what happened to Selene. She had lied about Selene not happy about her pregnancy, manipulated his grief, and encouraged him to blame his wife for something she hadn't done.But the missing hospital documents suggested there was more to the story.And Tristan wasn

Selene stared at the nurse, unable to make sense of her words.Your mother didn't give up only one child.The sentence echoed in her mind, each repetition bringing more questions.“What do you mean?” Selene asked, leaning forward. “You said my mother had other children. How many? Where are they now?”The nurse lowered her eyes, rubbing her palms together beneath the table. The café was quiet, with only the occasional clatter of cups coming from behind the counter, but the older woman's nervousness was impossible to miss.“Please, tell me what you know.” Selene's voice trembled despite her effort to remain calm. “I've spent my entire life believing I was alone. If there's someone out there connected to me, I deserve to know.”The nurse swallowed.“I understand, dear. I do.” She glanced toward the window before looking back at Selene. “But I can't give you a name.”“Why not?”“Because I promised someone I wouldn't.”Selene's fingers tightened around her cup. The coffee had gone cold, bu

Selene checked the time on her phone before stepping out of the car.The retired nurse had agreed to meet her that morning, but only after Selene promised she wouldn't bring anyone else. Even Zayden's offer to accompany her had been gently refused.She wanted to hear this directly from the woman.The meeting place was a small café on a quiet street, far from the busy parts of the city. Selene spotted the nurse sitting near the window, her handbag resting on her lap.The older woman looked up when Selene approached."Ms. Whitmore?""Yes. Thank you for agreeing to meet me."Selene pulled out the chair opposite her and sat down.The nurse offered a brief smile, but it disappeared almost immediately. Her fingers moved nervously over the handle of her handbag, and she kept glancing toward the entrance.Selene noticed."Are you all right?""I'm fine." The woman cleared her throat. "I just didn't expect to hear from you again.""You told me there was something else you remembered about my ch