❝There was beauty
in the idea of freedom,
but it was an illusion.
Every human heart
was chained by love.❞
— Cassandra Clare, Lady Midnight.
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Autumn Shade only wants one thing: to get away and live her own life. Tired of being forced by her father to take on the business, and follow in his steps, she leaves.
She wanted to show her father that she was capable of making her own decisions and not screwing up.
But just when she successfully leaves her past behind, she's caught up in another whirlwind which threatens to deem everything she's known a lie.
Justin Black and his friends see Autumn and they find that she was perfect for what they were planning, given that it was her father they wanted to take revenge on.
Autumn learns a shocking truth about a scandal involving a murder and her father, and persistently denies it. But apparently they have proof.
All Autumn wants to do is the right thing. If her father is innocent she gets to say 'I told you so' and if he's really a cheating murderer then she does what's right and gets out of this mess once and for all.
But as usual, things get complicated. Actually, feelings get complicated, because the longer she stayed, the closer the broken boy held her.
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THE WIND WAS blowing wildly, seeming almost exuberant as it flew past the city lights. The brightly lit buildings were infinitesimal from where they stood at a distance across the pier. Raymond Black took long strides across the road, away from the taxi he had taken here, his son's little ones hurrying to keep up with him. Raymond was known for being immaculate. His clean-
TIME SEEMED TO dance by its own rules in Shade Enterprises’ conference room.It was a bubble that existed away from the rest of the world, where living in confusion or dying of boredom seemed to be the only two options.I glanced longingly at the offices outside the room through the floor-to-ceiling
DAD WANTED TO talk, and I'd already seen this coming.This would be another one of our long talks about how even though these meetings were boring, they would help me run the business one day, and it would end up a mess because I'd tell him that it wasn't what I wanted.Running a business, wasn't something I wanted to do not because it was hard but because my interests didn't
THERE WAS A soft knock at my door. I blatantly ignored it. "Auttie, please let me in.""Go away, Lola,” I grumbled.I recognize my friend's voice almost immediately. I'd know that calm yet demanding voice anywhere.
MY MUSCLES GOT tired quick enough.I was so out of breath that I suspected having an embolism or complete respiratory failure. The pain from all the strenuous running was catching up as the high wore off.I place
"WHOA, WHOA, WHOA," I said, alarmed. I turned to the guy now sitting next to me. "Personal space, buddy," I told him, to which he scooted only slightly. He had brown hair and a goofy smile on his face, but it did nothing to wipe away my unease.I had learnt basic self
I LAUGHED IN his face.I couldn't help it, I laughed in his face. That's how absurd it was.Justin's serious look didn't even falter once. Drake clenched his jaw, and even Parker looked uncomfortable."Is this some kind of joke to you?" I asked Justin. "My dad would never-""Kill someone?" Justin's words were a snarl. "Guess what? He did.""No," I gritted out. "Someone was already arrested for the murder of your father and-""Those are lies," Justin cut me off. "William Snow did nothing but-""How do you know that my father did it? What proof do you-""I saw it, goddamnit!"I reeled back at force in his voice. "What?""I saw it myself," he grounded out again.I didn't know what to say. If he was saying the truth, it would be horrible. No one should have to live with that. Especially a kid.But if he was lying..."I don't believe you, Justin Black," I whispered. "I don't believe you."There was no way that my father would do something that heinous. I knew that he would do many things fo
THEY LIVED IN the woods.Well, at least that's what it looked like. It was only a few minutes' walk away from Downtown Diner, and behind it were a lot of trees. It looked more like a cabin than anything, but one look inside told me it was much more lavish than that.The house reminded me of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Justin was definitely Grumpy. Parker was definitely Happy. I was still working on Drake.I was sleepy. Not the dwarf sleepy but just sleepy in general. It was probably past one in the morning and I was more than ready to crash.The outside of the house had a small flight of stairs leading to the front door. By the looks of it, it was single-storied. It was a light brown color, and it seemed to be made of wood.It looked beautiful. A few yards to the left of the house, there was a small lake. So small, that it was a pond. The rest wasn't visible because of the dark.Even as Drake fished out the keys from his pocket and started unlocking the door, I stood where I was.