Novels by hfathia608

Arianna’s POVThe morning after the gala, I woke up before the sun had fully settled into the sky. The sheets beside me were cold—Evan had already left the bed.Typical of him.Slipping on a robe, I padded quietly across the room and cracked the door open. The hallway was silent, too silent for a house that claimed to be full of warmth and family. Something about the mansion felt...watchful. Like the walls had eyes.I moved through the corridor with slow steps, retracing my path from yesterday when I had wandered into Evan’s study. I needed to see that photo again. The one with the woman who looked hauntingly like me. Maybe I had imagined the resemblance. Maybe exhaustion was playing tricks on my mind.But deep down, I knew better. Soon, I reached the study and realized it was locked. So now he was being careful.I chewed on the inside of my cheek, already formulating another plan when footsteps approached from the other end of the hallway. I quickly ducked around the corner, hiding i

Evan’s POVI shouldn’t have let her see that album.I paced the length of my room, tugging at my cufflinks like they were suffocating me. She hadn’t said anything yet, but I’d seen the shift in her eyes. She was digging quietly, cleverly, and that wasn’t just curiosity anymore. It was instinct.And Arianna’s instincts? They were sharp. Too sharp.I needed to redirect her focus, steer the narrative back into safer waters. Tonight’s charity dinner wasn’t just about appearances anymore. It was damage control. Before she pulled the wrong thread and unraveled everything.A knock echoed through the room.“Come in,” I called, knowing who it was.Arianna stepped in wearing a midnight blue satin dress that curved along her waist like it was stitched from shadows and sin. Her hair was swept to the side, exposing her throat. Vulnerable, untouchable, and infuriatingly captivating.“Let me guess,” she said, arms folded, eyes narrowed, “you’ve decided that being seen in public with me will improve

Arianna’s POVThe hallway was dark when I slipped out of the guest room. The walls whispered with silence, the kind that hummed just loud enough to unsettle. I tiptoed past the grand staircase, careful not to let the wood creak beneath my feet. The echo of Evan’s father’s voice still rang in my ears—low, guarded, and far too serious.“Just make sure she doesn’t find out anything.”Find out what?My pulse thudded with every step. Something about this house felt… familiar, though I’d never been here before. The long hallway to the left was lined with portraits—faded faces in heavy gold frames. Some bore the same sharp cheekbones and deep-set eyes as Evan carried. Legacy, I assumed. But a few of the women… I paused at one. Something about her expression, the curve of her smile, chilled me.She looked like me.I blinked and shook my head. Maybe it was just a trick of the dim light.I made my way down the corridor, slipping into the study Evan had stormed out of earlier. The door creaked s

Arianna’s POVThe clink of silverware against porcelain echoed through the grand dining room, but I barely tasted the roast on my plate. Evan's mother, Helena, was the only one doing most of the talking, charming, radiant, and frighteningly perceptive. She reminded me of one of those poised matriarchs from an old movie, where the elegance masked a sharp wit."So, Arianna," she said, sipping her wine, "how did you and Evan first meet? He was so secretive about it over the phone."I forced a smile and glanced at Evan, who didn’t even blink. Of course. He wanted to see how well I could lie."We met at a charity event," I said smoothly, swirling the wine in my glass to avoid looking directly at her. "He spilled champagne on my dress and didn't apologize until days later."Helena laughed. "Sounds like him. Terrible with first impressions, isn’t he?"Evan's father, Richard, sat at the head of the table, watching us with sharp eyes that missed nothing. Unlike his wife, he didn't smile. He ba

Arianna's POV. I was not expecting to be pulled into a tight hug immediately we alighted from the car and entered the house. “I knew you were so beautiful, more than he had explained to us about you. Darling, come see the beautiful lady your son brought home for us.” Evan's mother gushed over me. I looked at Evan for help, but he stared at his mother fondly. This was the only time I had seen him without a signature scowl. That man always had reasons to be angry, and sometimes I was pissed that I ever got close to him. A pair of heavy footsteps descended the stairs, and I felt myself waiting in anticipation. There were a lot of things wrong with this scenario, but I couldn't help but go along with it because what choice did I have? A man bearing a striking resemblance to Evan appeared in my line of vision, the only difference being a greying hairline. He pinned me with the same stare his son did before staring at his son again. A silent exchange happened between them, making me won

Arianna's POV.Watching him play the good husband only made me realize one thing. He could act like a responsible person when he was in the mood, but when he was in the mood to be a pain in a person's butt, he wouldn't waste any time, and it was my duty to bring him back to the present. His doting attitude could make a woman think that he was truly in love with them and fall into his hands only to realize that he was only trying to make a mess out of their lives. "He's gone; you can stop the act now," I said with a roll of my eyes, hoping that he listened to me and I wouldn't have to talk to him or do anything besides the usual. A few minutes later we were approaching our landing stop. "Once we get to my parents' house, I need you to be as submissive as you can be. We can always continue our fights later on, but for now, we are the best couple they are ever going to meet. They are sweet people so it's going to be pretty easy for us to pull those stunts. If you are going to be a pain