Chapter: Chapter 5: Let the Games BeginCeline’s POVMy bedroom was exactly how I remembered it. Small. Plain.I stood in the doorway and stared at the miserable little space. It had a single bed pushed right against the far wall. The thin gray sheets were washed so many times they felt like rough, cheap paper. A basic wooden desk with one wobbly leg sat in the dark corner. The ugly paint on the walls was peeling near the small window. The floorboards squeaked loudly every single time I took a step. It felt like a dirty prison cell.I walked over and opened the tiny closet door. Six boring outfits hung inside. Every single one of them was bought on clearance from a cheap mall store.Meanwhile, just down the hall, my brother Marco's room was a completely different world. He had a massive king-sized bed with thick silk pillows. A huge seventy-inch flat-screen television covered his entire wall. He had a custom gaming setup that cost more money than most people's cars. His giant walk-in closet was stuffed full of expensive des
Last Updated: 2026-08-20
Chapter: Chapter 4: Welcome Home, StrangerCeline’s POVThe big black car finally slowed down. The heavy iron gates of the Blackwood estate swung open slowly, making a loud, scraping sound.I looked out the dark window. The long, winding driveway was lined with massive, old oak trees. At the very end of the smooth road sat the main house. It was a giant stone mansion, easily big enough to fit three normal families inside it. The tall windows glowed with warm, yellow light against the evening sky. From the outside, it looked like the perfect home. It looked like the kind of place where rich people were happy and safe.What a complete joke.Lucia was already waiting at the front door when our car pulled up. She wore a tight red dress and too much expensive diamond jewelry. She had her thin arms open wide. A giant smile was stretched across her face. It was stretched so tight it actually looked like her skin hurt.But that warm smile was not for me. It was never for me."Jia!" Lucia cried out before the car doors even fully opene
Last Updated: 2026-08-20
Chapter: Chapter 3: Seven Years BackCeline’s POVI opened my eyes and everything was wrong.The terrible, blinding pain was completely gone. No hot blood dripping down my face. No broken bones piercing my skin. No hard, cold asphalt scraping under my back.I was sitting right in the back seat of a car. A very familiar car. I smelled the heavy, sweet scent of Lucia's expensive perfume hanging in the cool air. I heard the quiet, smooth hum of the big engine driving on a long highway. Black leather seats pressed cold against my bare legs.And sitting next to me, with wet tears rolling down her soft cheeks like some abandoned little kitten, was Jia.I went completely still. My heart stopped in my chest.She looked so much younger. Her face was softer, rounder at the cheeks. Her dark hair was shorter, falling just past her small shoulders. And she was wearing the exact same cheap, faded cotton dress she wore the day the Blackwood family brought her home for the very first time.My stomach dropped so hard I thought I was goin
Last Updated: 2026-08-20
Chapter: Chapter 2: The Truth Behind the SmileCeline’s POVHis car was gone.I stood right in the middle of the empty street. I was completely barefoot because I had kicked off my high heels two long blocks back. My feet were bleeding from the sharp rocks on the road. The thick bottom of my heavy wedding dress was torn. It dragged heavily through the dirty gray dust. Hot, sticky blood had dried on the side of my face. My lungs were burning like fire with every fast breath I took.I looked around wildly. Nothing. Just empty parked cars and tall, quiet buildings.And then I saw her.Jia.She was leaning against a shiny silver car parked right on the corner. Her arms were crossed tight over her chest. She was watching me with a little, cruel smile playing on her bright red lips. She looked completely perfect, exactly as she always did. Not a single hair was out of place. There was not even one tiny wrinkle on her tight black dress."Jia!" I yelled. I stumbled toward her, my tired legs shaking badly. "Did you see Kyle? Where did he g
Last Updated: 2026-08-20
Chapter: Chapter 1: The Wedding That Never WasCeline’s POVI stood in front of the massive, gold-framed mirror and turned very slowly. I watched the thick white silk catch the soft light of the bridal boutique. The dress was absolutely stunning. It was everything I had dreamed about since I was sixteen years old. I ran my shaking fingers over the hand-stitched lace on the bodice. A long train pooled behind me on the velvet floor like fresh, untouched snow. Every single tiny bead was placed by hand. It was a true piece of art.Tomorrow, I was going to marry Kyle Steel.We had spent an entire year planning this perfect day. The expensive flowers, the live music, the massive cake—everything was finally ready. Tomorrow, I was going to be his wife.So why did my chest feel so painfully tight? Why was it so hard to breathe in this beautiful room?"It fits you perfectly, Miss Celine," the young salesgirl said, smiling at me through the mirror. "You look like an absolute angel.""Thank you, Lily," I said. My voice sounded thin and hollow
Last Updated: 2026-08-20
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