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150. Where Is Annalise?
Tanggal publikasi:
2026-09-15 14:21:57
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Don’t Beg for Love 153. Going Down with Her
Didn’t deserve the crown?What exactly was she saying up there?Every face in that hall turned toward its neighbor at once, murmurs spreading through the crowd fast enough that I caught the same words repeating from a dozen different mouths. Even the judges seated near the front exchanged glances, none of them looking any less confused than the rest of us.So my fear had been real after all. She’d never wanted this crown in the first place, and I’d gone and fought for it on her behalf anyway, without asking, without even considering that she might not want it handed to her this way.The silence stretched long enough that I could hear my own pulse in my ears, thick with tension nobody in that room seemed willing to break first.A faint smile crossed her face then, small but deliberate. “I don’t deserve this crown,” she repeated, “not until it’s truly, honestly mine.”I frowned. Where exactly was she taking this.“Two weeks ago,” she continued, her voice carrying easily across the silen
Don’t Beg for Love 152. The Silence
Andrew’s POVI was already on my feet before I fully registered standing up, eyes sweeping the crowd, apprehension clawing its way up my chest after that single shake of Tania’s head.Had Annalise walked away from this entirely? Abandoned the crown without a word to anyone, without even telling me she’d changed her mind about tonight?I’d noticed something shifting in her these past few days, a distance she hadn’t bothered hiding no matter how many times I tried to close it. More than once I’d wondered if she resented what I’d done with the judges more than she’d ever admit out loud, if handing her that win through my own connections had cost her something she valued more than the prize itself. Maybe tonight was her answer to that. Maybe she’d rather forfeit the whole thing entirely than stand up there and accept a victory she felt she hadn’t earned clean, on her own terms, without my name attached anywhere near it.Or maybe I was wrong about all of it, and something far worse had act
Don’t Beg for Love 151. Her Reputation or The Crown
Annalise’s POVThe crown.Whatever careful reasoning I’d built up over the past few weeks, every excuse I’d handed myself not to suspect Aurelia of anything worse than coincidence, started crumbling the second those two words left her mouth.My eyes flicked to the wall clock mounted behind her. Barely minutes left before the winner announcement would begin downstairs. I could already picture the MC checking his notes, the crowd settling into their seats, Tania probably craning her neck every few seconds to watch for me coming back.I kept my voice level despite the tightness climbing up my throat. “Why? You were the one who suggested I take the crown, that we could collaborate afterward. Why change your mind now?”Aurelia’s smile stayed perfectly in place, unbothered, like she’d rehearsed this exact moment somewhere in advance. “Don’t twist things around, Annalise. I know exactly what kind of underhanded trick you pulled to secure this win.”“Underhanded trick.” I shook my head slowly
Don’t Beg for Love 150. Where Is Annalise?
Andrew’s POVThe gala hall hit me like a wall of noise the second I stepped through the doors.Conversations overlapped in every direction, glasses clinked against trays, and somewhere near the stage a string quartet fought a losing battle against the crowd’s volume. I’d never understood the appeal of rooms like this, hundreds of people crammed together under one roof, all of them performing some version of themselves for an audience that barely mattered.Normally I’d have turned this invitation down without a second thought. Tonight was different. Tonight, Annalise was walking up onto that stage to accept the recognition she’d earned entirely on her own, and I wasn’t about to miss it, whatever discomfort the crowd cost me in the process.“Mr. Hale! It’s been far too long.”“Mr. Hale, what an absolute honor to have you join us this evening.”“Andrew, good to see you out and about. Didn’t think galas were your scene.”“Mr. Hale, if you have a moment later, I’d love to discuss a potenti
Don’t Beg for Love 149. The Crown
The grand hall took my breath away for a second before I could even stop it.Crystal chandeliers hung from a ceiling painted in soft gold, throwing warm light across rows of white and champagne-colored chairs arranged before a raised stage draped in silk. Sculptural gowns stood displayed on pedestals along the walls, frozen mid-motion like art pulled straight out of a museum rather than a fashion competition. Servers in crisp black uniforms wove between clusters of designers, critics, and socialites, balancing trays of champagne that never seemed to run empty no matter how many hands reached for them. Everyone in that room had dressed like tonight demanded a level of glamour most people never touched in their entire lives, and for a moment I just stood there absorbing all of it, the noise, the perfume, the low hum of a hundred different conversations blending into one another.Tania let out a low whistle beside me, eyes sweeping across the crowd. “I genuinely cannot count how many peo
Don’t Beg for Love 148. The Crown Collection Gala
Annalise’s POVPhoenix Hotel lit up the entire block like it belonged to some other, richer world.Every window along its towering glass front glowed gold, and a fountain out front sent water arcing up in slow, deliberate patterns choreographed to music I couldn’t quite place. Luxury cars rolled up one after another along the main drive, valets rushing between them in matching uniforms, while photographers packed shoulder to shoulder behind velvet ropes shouted names I recognized from magazine covers and awards shows. Tonight the hotel belonged entirely to the Crown Collection Gala, and it seemed like half the fashion world, along with anyone with enough money or influence to matter, had shown up to claim a piece of it.I stepped out of my car and took it all in for a second, the noise and the lights pressing in from every direction at once.Tania appeared at my side almost immediately, practically bouncing on her heels. “Can you believe this? Everyone’s here just to watch you take th
Don’t Beg for Love 3. Mr. Harrison!
Cassandra pointed at me, her soft voice echoing in the hallway. That was when Aiden peeled his gaze from her, and the tender look on his face was instantly gone.But instead of appearing confused, only fear and frustration flashed in his eyes.He quickly let go of Cassandra, While Cassandra tremb
Don’t Beg for Love 2. Big Sis, Please Come Home
The next day, I discharged myself from the hospital.Standing across the bustling street outside the hospital’s skyscraper, my eyes squinted at the burning sun.For thirty minutes, not a single taxi stopped.Then, suddenly, a convoy of black luxury cars swept onto the street, instantly drawing ever
Don’t Beg for Love 1. The Twentieth Time He Chose Her
“We are sorry, Miss. We tried our best, but the fetus was gone. We had to evacuate it to prevent damage to your womb.”The word “it” echoed through my mind, cutting through my last strand of hope.Yet, the doctor’s words, along with the beeping of the heart’s monitor and every noise inside the hosp
Don’t Beg for Love 5. The Place I Swore to Leave
I only glanced at the device once then went about my morning routine.After I was done, I picked up my phone to find several messages piled up.[Annalise, where are you? Why aren't you answering my calls?][Where did you sleep last night, Annalise?][What is going on between you and Alexander Sterl
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