Adele~A man who looked old enough to have invented fire leaned forward from the elders’ table, his cane resting against the wood. His voice rumbled low, like distant thunder.“Tell us, Adele Harrington… Before you became a Harrington, who were your people? What ‘blood’ ran in your veins?”I blinked. “Ford’s ‘blood’ ran in my veins. The kids at Tender Care orphanage were my people.”The hall was exceedingly quiet, making me antsy and wondering if I gave the wrong answer. Whatever. I wouldn't lie or fake understanding the old man's question beyond what it sounded like. I wasn't an aristocrat, so I wasn’t taught how to dissect questions like riddles in a philosophy class. My childhood was about surviving. The elder’s eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on his cane. “So… you were an orphan.” He said it like the word itself was sour in his mouth.“Yes,” I said, lifting my chin. “I was an orphan who grew up and found her way here, standing in front of two hundred Wests without fainting. Wh
Adele~Apparently, the West family’s tradition is that every person who marries into the family must meet all its members—yes, even the infants still drooling on bibs.So, today was that day.The grand ceremonial hall had been opened, the kind of space that looked like it belonged in a history book. Three rows of impossibly long tables stretched from one end to the other, each able to sit a hundred people. Two rows were already fully occupied, and the last was nearly full. My jaw almost dropped when I realized just how many Wests existed in one room.Two hundred and five. That was the number Silver said the last time. However, she didn't add that the number excluded sons and daughter-in-laws, the babies born after that day, and those who died over the years. I stared at the sea of faces, feeling my pulse climb. “Wow,” I gasped. “This is more than I expected.”Detroit, as usual, stood beside me with his hands tucked neatly in his pockets, looking like he owned the air itself. “Mm,” h
Adele~Who would have thought that after everything, we could still go through the rest of the wedding like nothing happened?The reception was epic. I wore the dress Emily got me for the first half, and the one I chose – under Detroit’s unshakable command – for the rest of the night.The thing I hated about events like this, was how much people wanted to connect. Heavens, it was exhausting! Even with Detroit holding my hand and dragging me everywhere, people still wanted to peel me away from him, especially madams and heiresses. Royals, politicians, heirs and whatnots lined up like dominoes waiting to fall, each one with their polished smiles and perfumed words. Apparently, marrying Detroit also meant marrying into an endless parade of handshakes and empty compliments.I tried. I really did. I smiled until my cheeks ached, nodded until my neck stiffened, and laughed at jokes that weren’t even remotely funny. But every so often, I caught Detroit watching me out of the corner of his e
Ryan~“Enough!” His roar rattled the living room walls. Julia flinched, her words dying in her throat.Ryan could feel his pulse thundering in his ears, every nerve in his body screaming to release the tension curling around his bones. So, he paced. He paced like a caged animal, his fists clenching and unclenching. His mind was a storm, replaying Adele’s face, Adele’s voice, Adele’s smile. He couldn't let her go. No, especially not now that she had the world under her feet. Certainly not now that his own empire was crumbling. He needed her – her name, her money, her heart, their child… he needed them. And then it hit him.Ryan stopped dead in his tracks, his chest rising and falling, eyes widening as the realization crashed into him like lightning.“I didn’t divorce her yet…” he whispered, lips curving into something dangerous. Julia blinked, confused. “What do you mean? Your divorce was finalized.” He lifted his head, meeting her stunned gaze, and repeated louder, firmer, “I did
The world wasn’t simply watching, the drama at the wedding was devoured.Screens lit up everywhere: from billboards in the Capital city to neon boards in Greenville, from radios in the South to giant café screens in the North. Even the smallest corner shops had the scene replaying on muted televisions. The story wasn’t just news; it was history in the making –all over the world. Trendle had already crashed thrice under the weight of hashtags and live reactions. Millions of users were refreshing frantically, desperate not to miss a single update.The top global hashtags trended in less than five minutes:#TheRealMrsWest#SilverIsNotAMistake#CEOWestKneels#AdeleTheHeiress#BrideSwitchScandal#FromDiscardedDivorceeToDestinedQueenPost after post exploded across timelines:@Lyla:“This is BETTER than any drama series I’ve ever watched. Are you kidding me? CEO West KNEELED. The man who doesn’t bow to God himself just kneeled to his woman and his daughter. I’m crying!”@My_boyfried_cheate
Adele~My jaw flexed, tears trailing down my face. My trembling hand slid from his hair down the side of his face, my thumb grazing the corner of his trembling mouth.“Tell me,” I whispered, voice frayed, “how do I not want you?”My knees obeyed me as I sank down in front of him, kneeling with the man who’d hurt our daughter more than anyone else.I should be hating him for what our daughter went through under his roof, but I couldn't. God, I couldn't seek justice for our child. I locked foreheads with him, skin to skin, breath to breath. His lashes fluttered shut, like he was afraid to open his eyes and find me gone.“I can’t,” I choked out, my hands on his cheeks. “I can't even hate you. I want to hate you. But I can’t.”His eyes opened. His hands quivering on my arms. His breath hitched. “Adele…”I drew back just enough to see his face. His eyes were glittering with tears that didn't dare to fall just yet, as they fixed on mine with a kind of naked devotion that seized my breath.