Chapter: Chapter SixRyan walked down the hallway toward Vanessa's room, glancing at his watch.He had expected her to be downstairs by now, or at least somewhere around the house. She had been awake for most of the morning, asking questions and trying to understand everything that had happened to her. He had left her some time ago, expecting that she would eventually come looking for him.But she hadn't.He stopped in front of her door and knocked lightly.There was no answer.Ryan frowned slightly and opened the door.The sight that greeted him made him pause.Vanessa was asleep on the bed.She wasn't even properly lying down. She had fallen asleep in a position that made it obvious she hadn't planned on sleeping at all. Her hair was slightly messy, and her face looked completely exhausted.Ryan stared at her for a few seconds.A small smile appeared on his face."So this is what took you so long," he murmured.He walked over to the bed and gently adjusted her position. He pulled her legs properly onto
Last Updated: 2026-11-10
Chapter: Chapter FiveThe drive to Ryan's house was quiet for most of the journey. Vanessa sat by the window, watching the familiar streets slowly disappear behind them. She had expected to feel sad about leaving, but strangely, she was more curious than anything else. She kept wondering what her new life was going to look like.She had already suspected that Ryan was wealthy. The car that had come to pick them up from her parents' house was enough to wow her . It was far bigger and more luxurious than any car she had expected him to have. Still, she had not been prepared for what she saw when they finally arrived at the estate.Vanessa's eyes widened as they drove through the large gates.She sat up straighter in her seat, looking through the window in disbelief.The estate was enormous.There was a beautifully maintained garden stretching across one side, with flowers of different colours carefully arranged along the walkways. A large swimming pool sat farther ahead, surrounded by neatly trimmed grass an
Last Updated: 2026-11-10
Chapter: Chapter FourVanessa stood in the middle of her room, staring at the half-packed boxes scattered around her. Clothes were folded neatly into suitcases, books were stacked in small piles, and a few of her favourite things were carefully wrapped before being placed inside another box. Everything she owned seemed to be disappearing into bags, and with every item she packed, the reality of what she was about to do became harder to ignore.She was leaving.Leaving the house she had grown up in. The same house where she had taken her first steps, celebrated birthdays, had countless arguments with her parents, cried herself to sleep, and made memories she would never get back. It had always been home. Now, in a matter of hours, she would be walking away from it and going somewhere completely unfamiliar.She didn't know what waited for her on the other side. She didn't know what her life with Ryan would look like, or what exactly her future held. Everything had happened so quickly that sometimes it felt l
Last Updated: 2026-11-09
Chapter: Chapter ThreeRyan stood quietly beside Vanessa's bed, watching her sleep. The room was dim, with only the soft light from the bedside lamp falling across her face. For the first time since he had arrived at the Thompson residence, there was finally some peace. The shouting downstairs had stopped, the relatives had been sent away, and the house that had been filled with noise all evening was now strangely quiet.His eyes remained fixed on Vanessa.She looked so different from the little girl he remembered.The last time Ryan had properly seen her, she had been much younger. He could still picture her running around Richard's living room with her hair tied into two little pigtails, her braces showing whenever she laughed. She had been such a lively child, always asking questions and following her father everywhere. Richard used to complain that his daughter never gave him a moment peace, but anyone who knew him could tell how much he loved it.Richard had adored his daughter.To him, Vanessa had bee
Last Updated: 2026-11-09
Chapter: Chapter TwoVanessa didn't remember falling asleep. One moment, she had been sitting on the floor of her bedroom with her parents' photograph pressed against her chest, crying until her body was completely exhausted. The next thing she knew, she was waking up to the sound of loud voices coming from downstairs.She opened her eyes slowly and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds. Then the memories came rushing back, and the heaviness in her chest returned. Her parents were gone.She turned onto her side and pulled the blanket closer to herself. She didn't want to go downstairs. She didn't want to see those people again or listen to them argue about her father's properties as though that was the most important thing in the world.But then the voices suddenly stopped.Vanessa frowned.The house became strangely quiet for a few seconds before another commotion broke out downstairs. She could hear several voices speaking at once, but she couldn't make out what they were saying.Curiosity got the bet
Last Updated: 2026-11-09
Chapter: Chapter oneVanessa stood beside the graves, staring at the two freshly covered mounds of earth in front of her.Her parents.The only two people she had ever known as family.Around her, people cried, prayed, and whispered words of comfort. Some held handkerchiefs to their faces while others stood in small groups, discussing things in hushed voices.Vanessa looked at them one after another.Strangers.They called themselves family, yet she couldn't remember seeing most of their faces before today.Some of them had arrived with tears streaming down their cheeks, wailing as though they had lost someone they had been close to for years. Vanessa watched them silently, unable to understand where all their grief had suddenly come from.She couldn't cry.She had tried.But nothing came.Maybe the tears were somewhere deep inside her, trapped beneath the shock that had taken over her entire body.Her parents were gone.Just like that.Her mother, who had always kissed her forehead before bed. Her father
Last Updated: 2026-11-09