Chapter: Chapter 65VENUSWhen we returned to the table, Andrea was already gone.No dramatic exit. No storming heels or slammed doors. Just her empty wineglass—and the scent of her chaos, lingering like cheap perfume in a velvet room.“She said she had something important to get to,” Rosemary offered with a polite smile.Right. Something important.Like poisoning the air then vanishing before it turned on her.Lunch wrapped fast after that.Connor cracked some joke about the “bloodbath in Bordeaux.” Alanna giggled, bless her naive little heart. Sabine met my eyes with a smirk so smug I wanted to flick her forehead. But Aaron? He was too calm. That dangerous kind of calm. The kind that screams without sound. And when Rosemary stood, her voice soft as silk, announcing dinner would be at seven and that we were free to wander, I swear—every soul in that room exhaled.The storm had passed. But no one was foolish enough to believe the skies were clear.People scattered like leaves.I headed toward the west c
Last Updated: 2025-06-17
Chapter: Chapter 64VENUSThe silence that followed her entrance wasn’t awkward.It was loaded.Andrea stood at the threshold like she knew she was the disruption. Like she’d rehearsed this moment—how she’d walk in, how we’d all freeze, how her name would echo in our heads like a warning bell.And it did.Even Alanna, mid-story about a sandstorm, stopped mid-sentence—her wide eyes fixed on the stranger who now commanded every breath in the room.Rosemary stood, graceful as ever, smoothing her dress and offering a warm, measured smile.“Andrea,” she said lightly. “You’re here?”Andrea stepped inside, heels clicking with surgical precision.“I saw you at the gala yesterday,” she replied, her voice all velvet and smoke. “Thought I’d drop by and say hi. I hope I’m not imposing.”She didn’t sound sorry. Not even a little.I glanced at Aaron. His posture was relaxed—too relaxed. But his grip on the wineglass? White-knuckled. His jaw tight, unreadable.Andrea’s gaze swept the room—Rosemary. Silas. Connor.And t
Last Updated: 2025-06-15
Chapter: Chapter 63VENUSThe dining room was a cathedral of elegance—arched windows kissing the ceiling, a chandelier dripping with crystal like a thousand frozen teardrops, and a table long enough to host a royal inquisition. I took my seat beside Aaron, hyper-aware of the heat still lingering on my lips… and the silence that followed after.The first to arrive was Sabine.She walked in like she owned the floor—the house, even. Her navy silk dress clung to her like it was part of her skin, heels tapping softly against marble, chin high and smile effortless. She didn’t just move through the space… she commanded it."Rosemary!" she called warmly, crossing the room with arms already open.Rosemary lit up like the sun. “Sabine, darling.”The hug that followed was long, familiar. Intimate.“Look at you,” Rosemary cooed, pulling back. “More stunning every time I see you.”"You’re the one aging backwards," Sabine grinned. "Seriously, I need your skincare routine. That serum from France or are you just living
Last Updated: 2025-06-15
Chapter: Chapter 62VENUSAaron led me through the house like he was gliding through a memory—one carefully preserved and painfully untouched. Each hallway echoed with quiet opulence, the air heavy with the scent of polished wood, aged books, and something faintly floral—like a home holding its breath.“This used to be my grandfather’s room anytime he visited,” he said, nodding toward a room with a door slightly ajar, its shadows untouched by light. “No one goes in there now.”I didn’t ask why. Some silences are sacred, too brittle to touch.We passed five—maybe six—guest rooms, a sprawling library that looked like it belonged in a Gothic manor, and a sunroom that still smelled faintly of lavender and dust. Every detail was flawless. The home was alive, yes… but frozen. As though time had chosen this place to stop and never restart.“Your mom really keeps it together,” I murmured, fingers trailing the curved wooden rail as we ascended the staircase.“She does,” he said. But something in his voice tighten
Last Updated: 2025-06-14
Chapter: Chapter 61VENUSThe next day, we drove toward the wealthier end of New York City—the kind of neighborhood that whispered old money and high gates. It was a private community, the kind where names mattered more than numbers, and silence was stitched into the lawns.When we finally pulled up to the house, I had to blink twice. It was massive. A sprawling driveway curled like a ribbon across the estate, leading to a fountain and a collection of luxury cars that looked like they’d never seen a red light."You grew up here?" I asked, wide-eyed.“Most of the time, yeah.”“It’s beautiful.”“My mom keeps it alive.”We reached the front doors—towering, regal, and carved with patterns that probably had a story behind them. Even from the outside, the house pulsed with elegance. I hadn't stepped inside, and yet it already felt like a museum wrapped in warmth.A maid answered the door, but she didn’t even get a full greeting out before—“Ronny!”A little girl came flying through the glass doors, arms flung
Last Updated: 2025-06-13
Chapter: Chapter 60VENUSStanding behind me was the Rosemary Carter—Aaron Sinclair’s birth mother."You didn’t tell me you were back. We spoke just yesterday,” he said, rising to his feet.Her smile was soft, voice softer. “I thought I’d surprise you.”I stood too, instinctively taking my place beside Aaron.“Mom,” he said, one arm gently guiding me closer, “this is Venus. My wife.”He turned to me. “Venus, my mom—Rosemary Carter.”I’d expected... more. She was elegant, yes—but not the intimidating kind. Her posture was easy, her aura warm. Stunning without trying, and not at all the fragile woman people had whispered about.Why the hell were they calling her sick?“Good evening, ma’am,” I said, offering my hand. Sue me—I panicked.She ignored it and pulled me into a hug. “Ma’am? Do I look that old?”I blinked, startled—then laughed, a little breathless. “Sorry. Habit.”“You’re beautiful,” she said warmly.“Thank you,” I murmured, cheeks heating.“Call me Rose. Makes me feel young again.”“You’re not ev
Last Updated: 2025-06-12
Chapter: Chapter 128EMILIOThe report comes in just after two a.m.—short, frantic, and laced with fear.She’s alive.Of course she is.I sip my coffee slowly, the bitter liquid grounding me in the stillness of my hotel room. The lights are off, except for the eerie blue flicker of monitors in front of me—security feeds, social media threads, encrypted messages looping in real time. All eyes on Morretti’s estate, and none of them mine. Not directly.The man I sent wasn't supposed to kill her. That was never the plan. Death is final. It ends things. And I'm not interested in endings. Not yet.He was meant to scare her. Shake her. Remind her that she isn’t untouchable, no matter how many armed guards Luca wraps her in. Just a ghost in the night, a whisper of threat she’d carry with her into the altar.But the idiot panicked. Let his hand slip. Collateral damage, they’d call it. A shallow stab wound that could’ve been deeper, blood spilled that wasn’t meant to be spilled. Unfortunate, y
Last Updated: 2025-05-10
Chapter: Chapter 127ISADORA The estate’s marble floors gave way to dewy grass, soft beneath my bare feet but too cold, too damp—like even the earth wanted to warn me off. The night air hit sharp, slicing through the silk of my gown and skin like a blade dipped in memory.I needed to breathe. But all I could do was burn.My fingers shook. My chest felt too tight to hold air. So I went to the only place that had ever felt real here—the garden.Fairy lights still shimmered in the trees, soft and gold, like they hadn’t witnessed death wrapped in photo paper hours ago.Near the fountain, Laura and Rafael stood close—too close. Their heads bent toward each other like a secret was dangling between their lips.Laura saw me first. Her mouth parted, eyes wide. Rafael’s jaw tensed. But I didn’t stop. I didn’t give them the dignity of a nod, not even a glare. I walked past them like smoke—drifting, shapeless, done with being held.I collapsed into one of the garden chairs. Cold iron met my spi
Last Updated: 2025-05-10
Chapter: Chapter 126LUCAShe looked like vengeance dressed in silk. Wrath with a pulse. My bride, my ruin, standing there in the golden light of dawn like she'd been forged in it.And I’d done this.I’d let her find it.Not because I wanted her to hurt—God, never that—but because I underestimated the one thing I should’ve worshipped from the beginning: her will.“You weren’t supposed to see that photo,” I’d said like a damn fool.And she shot back, “Yeah? Well, I did. And now I want the truth.”Of course she did.Isadora never begged for peace.She took it.Or burned the world down trying.I stepped forward, but she held her ground like a queen on her battlefield. No flinch. No fear. Her eyes were wild, red-rimmed, furious—and alive.“You want the truth?” I asked quietly. “Fine. I’ll give it to you, Princess. But once I do, there’s no crawling back into the dark. There’s no pretending you can unsee any of it.”Her voice didn’t waver. “I’m not the one pretending anymore.”
Last Updated: 2025-05-10
Chapter: Chapter 125 ISADORA The rehearsal dinner was golden. Candlelight kissed the rims of wine glasses, soft music floated like silk through the garden, and laughter echoed in the air like the world had never broken me. For the first time in weeks, I let myself breathe. No suspicion. No shadow. Just tonight. Luca kissed my shoulder before the toast, leaned in and murmured, “You’re glowing, Princess.” And for once, I didn’t roll my eyes. I let him touch me. I let the warmth soak into my skin like I hadn’t been cold for days. Tomorrow, I’d be a bride. Tonight, I was free. I danced with my mother. Took tequila shots with Laura—yes, even she managed a smile that wasn’t forced. Rafael spun me once beneath the fairy lights and said, “You’re trouble,” with that crooked grin of his that made me laugh like I hadn’t buried pain under my ribs. For two hours, I let it be real. No questions. No weight. No doubt. But the moment I walked
Last Updated: 2025-05-10
Chapter: Chapter 124LAURAThe rooftop bar was closed at this hour, but Rafael didn’t need permission to occupy a space. He owned every room he entered, even one perched above a city still asleep.He was already there, leaning against the railing like it might collapse under the weight of what he was holding back. Hair tousled, black shirt rolled up at the sleeves, that brooding, unreadable look on his face that used to piss me off—and now made my mouth dry.“You’re late,” he said without looking at me.I didn’t rush to close the distance. I took my time, each step a silent declaration.“And you’re still a control freak,” I replied, coming to stand between his legs as he pulled me in, no hesitation. His hands slid to my waist like they belonged there. Because lately, they did.He kissed me—not softly. Like he needed to forget what we were doing. What we were risking. Like I was the only place he could breathe.When he finally pulled away, he kept his forehead against mine. “She s
Last Updated: 2025-05-06
Chapter: Chapter 123ISADORA Luca laughed at something Rafael said, the low rumble of it curling around the hallway walls and crawling under my skin. I paused at the archway, watching the two of them with narrowed eyes. The study was awash in golden light—books, whiskey glasses, the faint scent of cigars and secrets. Luca’s posture was relaxed, his hand sweeping casually as he poured a drink. Rafael leaned against the desk, arms crossed, smirking. Like nothing had ever shifted between them. But I remembered. I remembered Luca storming into that garden, face thundercloud-dark. I remembered Rafael's stare—tight-lipped, unreadable. Whatever truce they’d shaken hands on, it wasn’t clean. So why did they act like it was? The door creaked as I stepped back. I didn’t want them seeing me. Not yet. Not when my head buzzed with questions they both refused to answer. Later, when we were alone in the bedroom, I tried to press him gently. “You and Rafael seem... good ag
Last Updated: 2025-05-05
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