Liam wouldn’t see it coming. And Karen? She’d probably choke on her wine. A dark smile danced on my lips. Let them gasp. Let them stare. They thought I was buried with Camilla Ryder. Now… I rise as Giulia Bianchi-Vincent, and this time, I’m the nightmare they won’t wake up from because revenge is too simple, destruction is demure ... ...What happened when I escaped the prison as someone framed for killing her step-sister, only to return as someone else's wife?
View MoreCAMILLA RYDER
I stared blankly at the wall, exhaling slowly. From the outside, I had it all—wealth, beauty, a picture-perfect life. But inside, I felt empty. My three-year marriage felt more like a cage than a love story.
Sure, there were moments of sweetness and warmth… but ever since I started sensing something off about Liam, the cracks in our perfect world began to split wider.
I had married him despite my father opposing us but I love Liam Ryder. He makes me happy. But... his heart now seems like the stars that are drifting farther and farther...
“Mrs. Ryder?” Faith, my secretary's voice pulled me back to reality. I turned to her, she was wearing her usual magnetic smile but I had no energy to return her a smile.
“You can drop that, Faith,” I murmured, my eyes settling on the sleek package in her hands. Liam’s gift for tonight’s dinner.
It was supposed to excite me. But it didn’t...
“A card came with it, ma’am,” she added, handing over a silver-wrapped envelope. Her eyes sparkled as though the card was meant for her.
I peeled it open and, just as I expected, it was a reminder from Liam "Be home before 8PM. Happy Anniversary."... A sigh escaped my mouth as I slided the card inside my handbag.
He wanted a grand celebration. I convinced him otherwise. A quiet night at home, just the two of us, was enough. After all, our house was more luxurious than any restaurant he could book.
“Please take my bag to the car,” I said, gathering a few documents. I convinced myself they were work I needed to finish, but really, they were my excuse to avoid another tense night with Liam under the same roof.
Faith followed me silently. As I slipped into the driver’s seat, she passed me a small box with a bright smile.
“I hope you enjoy your wedding anniversary, boss.”
I gave a small nod, took the gift without a word, and sped off.
***
The moment I pulled into the parking lot, my phone chimed. A message from Dr. Mark.
A sigh escaped my mouth as I grabbed my phone. I’d been feeling off lately—nausea, tired, strange cravings. So I’d gone in for a test. I bet Doctor Mark figured out I was too busy to come down to his office to get the result so his best shot was to send them through a text.
I unlocked and scanned the message.
"Two weeks pregnant?"
I read it again. Then again just to confirm my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. But no, the words were still there.
I’m pregnant.
Tears welled up as a disbelieving laugh formed in my lips. "Yes, Liam!… we did it!. We’re having a baby."
Despite the distance that had crawled into our marriage, I was sure this child would change everything.
I stepped out of the car, my heart racing in a mix of joy and nervous hope. As I entered the house, the soft fragrance of roses filled my nose. The living room was dim, except for a spotlight casting a soft golden glow across the center.
On the wall, in bold letters "HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US."
A smile broke through my shock. Just minutes ago, I felt like a prisoner in this marriage. And now… it felt like maybe things could heal.
I glanced at my wristwatch, it was 7:05 PM.
If I hadn’t beaten the traffic, I would’ve walked in at exactly 8PM.I followed a delicate trail of rose petals up the staircase—he’d even used my favorite flowers. He remembered, I smiled to myself.
But as I neared our bedroom, I froze.
A laugh.
A Familiar one...
My breath stopped a second. Karen? No… that couldn’t be right. Why would my stepsister be here...in my house? In my room?
And then, Liam’s deep and Intimate voice followed.
“You tasted different tonight, Karen… almost makes me not want to let you go.”
My heart began to pound profusely. My feet glued to the ground.
Then Karen's sweet and seductive voice.
“Ah, Liam. You’re wicked. You won't be saying the same thing when Camilla walks in any minute now. But I won’t lie, I don’t want this to end either.”
The walls spun around me. No. No. I had to be imagining things...
I moved closer, slowly. I peeked through the tiny space between the door, and there they were.
Liam was on top of Karen... In our bed...
“It’s only a matter of time,” he whispered, “just until I divorce that gullible woman. I wouldn’t have married her if you hadn’t talked me into it.”
My ears rang.
That’s what was off all along… it was her. Karen, my stepsister. That filthy wench!
I swallowed the sob rising in my throat. I refused to cry. Not yet.
Just then, between kisses, Karen murmured, “We just need her to keep being gullible until you’re officially CEO of M-Elite Group. Then… we’re done with her.” She clicked her tongue and pulled Liam in for another kiss.
My hand gripped my phone in pain. I was going to share the good news of our baby only to walk into a nightmare.
I completely lost it and like I was possessed, I bursted in, flinging the door opened in fury.
Their heads snapped toward me, horror washed across their faces... My eyes blazed with fire as I stared at Liam, I could honestly forgive him if he said he was seduced by Karen but that wasn't the case...
They were both enjoying their little play-time...
Liam rushed away from the bed half-naked in just his boxers and Karen groped the duvet like her life depended on it, clutching it over her naked body.
And I stood there. My body vibrating with all the anger in the whole world.
“So this was it?” My voice cracked, though I tried to hold it together.
“You never loved me? All you ever wanted was my money?” I blinked hard, hoping he’d deny it or just make up something that made what I just saw feel less real. “Aren’t you even sorry, Liam?”
For a moment, he was still—frozen like a deer caught in headlights. But then, slowly, he scoffed and turned his face away, like my pain bored him.
And when his gaze finally met mine, it wasn’t the man I married standing in front of me, it was a stranger clothed in something cruel.
"Sorry?” he echoed, letting out a low, mocking laugh. “Oh… you mean for screwing my girlfriend?” He dragged his tongue across his lips like he was proud of it.
My heart dropped.
This was a nightmare I needed to wake up from.
"That whore is my damn step-sister, Liam! You know that” I shouted at the top of my lungs as I trembled.
My heart slammed against my chest as Karen let out a scornful laugh behind him.
I could swear I wanted to snap her neck if I could that instant.
Karen strolled closer to me, snapping her fingers like she was on a fashion runway.
“Let’s get something straight, Camilla. We’re only step-sisters on the family tree not even legally. Your rich, cheating dad disowned me, remember? And kicked me out like trash because I wouldn’t marry one of his wrinkled, moneybag friends in your place.”
My jaw tightened. “That wasn’t my fault, Karen.”
And it wasn’t... I didn’t ask my father to cheat. I didn’t ask him to take her in, and then toss her out when she refused to play along with his schemes. He did that, not me.
“Spare me the pretense,” she sneered. “You got the castle, the crown, all the fame, and now you want sympathy?”
Liam stepped forward, his face hardening like steel. “Let’s cut to the chase, Camilla. I was never yours. I’ve always been hers. You just didn’t want to see it and I played along"
Karen curled her arm around his neck like a snake coiling its prey. “I think it’s time we stop hiding now that you know,” she said as her eyes locked on mine—like she was daring me.
Then—she kissed him... Right in front of me...
Like I wasn't there.
Rage stirred in my heart as I stormed toward her and pulled her away from him with so much force that her body spun midair.
She retaliated instantly, with a striking slap across my cheek that rang through the room like a 50 BMG Rifles.
Without hesitating, I grabbed her by both arms and threw her off to the ground as Liam tried to pull me off, wrapping his arms around my waist.
“Let go of me!” I screamed, twisting out of his grip. “You’re not taking my man away from me! Do you hear me, you whore?”
And then— as she geared at me, I threw my fist at her...
Before I knew it, Karen’s back slammed against the glass-paneled wardrobe, shattering it. A sharp gasp tore from her throat as she crumpled to the floor.
A sharp piece of glass extended out from behind her shoulder.
My hands trembled.
"No… no…” I whispered, backing away. “I didn’t… I didn’t push her...”
Liam’s eyes widened in horror as he rushed to her side to check her pulse.
I just stood frozen.
"Is she dead?" those words left my lips.
DON ALEXANDRO“What do you want, Francesca?” I asked, my voice hard.She pouted, d*mn it. That look. It always had a way of slicing through my armor.I was never the soft type. Never. In this life, love was a rule breaker. The gang code was clear, no love, no weakness. Not even I, the boss, was excepmted. But Francesca? She made me realize love wasn’t just weakness... it was suicidal.I pulled her out of that d*mn club when she was just a stripper, polished her, gave her a new life, by my side. I even planned to marry her. And what did she do? She ran off with that old rag, Antonio.What hurt more wasn’t even the betrayal. It was what she left behind, our daughter, she was still a suckling infant. Francesca took the gold... and left the baby. It still felt like a dream I needed to wake up from.She made my little girl grow up without a mother. And now? She had the nerve to waltz back in, acting like nothing ever happened.She walked up to me slowly, her hand resting on my shoulder, li
DON ALEXANDROThe door to my room swung open with a loud crash as Rocco Vincent stormed in.My head snapped toward him, one brow lifting as I lazily raised a hand, silently stopping the guard who was about to intercept him.I wasn’t in a hurry. I let the last waves of pleasure roll through me as the woman beneath my robe slowly withdrew her mouth from me, her lips and tongue still grazing my skin.A sharp moan slipped from my mouth as release hit, brief but intense.Eyes half-lidded, I exhaled and leaned back as she slid out from under my robe, her mouth wet-looking and her smile wicked.Rocco was standing just a few feet away, his jaw clenched, fists tighter than his words could form. But his expression said it all—rage, disgust, probably urgency.He finally spoke, "You’re busy screwing around while my son’s in the hospital because of your men?" he growled, his voice cracking with fury. "Are you seriously pretending you don’t know?"I stood and tied my robe loosely, giving a nod to m
LORENZO CASTILLOShe gave a stiff smile. I stared at her silently, and unmoved.Then she laughed again, clearly thrilled, like she knew she'd thrown me off with that one.A slow smirk spread across my lips.I stared at Giulia. “I’m sorry, Giulia... but I’ve got to do this, right in front of you,” I thought.Without breaking my stare, I pulled Karen onto my lap. She landed smoothly and effortlessly, as though she’d been expecting it all along. That alone told me I was playing with someone just as dangerous.I leaned closer, making eye contact, my lips brushing the edges of her ear as I whispered,“Now... if you may, would you tell me what you've got? I think we’ll communicate better this way, princess.”A slow smile curled across her lips like she had just tasted the bait... and liked it.I’ve been with enough women to know where Karen belonged.She wasn’t just seductive, she was strategic and calculated too. She knew my every move and just what to do to get me worked up.If I wanted th
LORENZO VINCENTI sat silently beside Giulia, my eyes locked on her unmoving frame. Two days had crawled by, yet she remained lost in whatever mental fortress the doctor claimed her mind had built.Her chest rose and fell in slow rhythm beneath the oxygen mask, her heartbeat a soft whisper on the monitor beside her. Her lips were cracked and pale… but even like this, she was still beautiful.My hand reached out instinctively to touch hers—frail, bandaged, and connected to a drip, but I stopped short, pulling back as guilt surged through me like a tidal wave.“I’m sorry… I should have stopped you that night. I should’ve protected you.”But I hadn’t. I let her walk away, and now here she was, broken, silent, and slipping further into that dark place I couldn't reach.Then, like a ghost tugging at memory, her last words echoed in my head. It was blurry, and in pieces. But one part pierced through the haze in my memory: “My son…” That was the last word I heard slip from her mouth.But why
LORENZO VINCENTTHREE DAYS LATERA dull throb pounded against my forehead as my eyes fluttered open. At first, everything was a haze, blurred edges, soft lights, and then it all came crashing back.The explosion.Giulia’s scream.The unbearable cold of that night.It sank into my chest like a weight too heavy to lift.I tried to sit up, but the ache across my body protested. Mirko was instantly at my side, his arm gently supporting me."Easy, Ren," he said, his voice low and cautious."I can manage," I murmured, brushing him off as gently as I could.Just then, the door creaked open and in walked my father with the doctor. His face wore a familiar mask of disapproval. Of course, disappointment was his signature emotion. One would think a father might show fear, grief... anything but this. But not him. Risking my life didn’t earn me sympathy, just a silent scolding.Yet, his eyes said something his mouth didn't and that hit me hard.He didn’t speak at first. He just pulled a chair besi
LORENZO VINCENTThe moment I jumped into the car, I tossed my phone onto the dashboard where the GPS glowed like a lifeline. Then I slammed my foot on the gas, driving like a mad dog set loose in a storm.One thought hammered in my head: I had to save Giulia. No matter what.The cold night swallowed the road ahead, clouds rolling and rumbling as rain began to fall, thick and stormy.I hated rain—always had since I was a kid. I never willingly stepped into it. But tonight wasn’t about me. Giulia was out there. And every second that passed without her was killing me.I made a sharp turn through a narrow path, weaving through the bush, when something darted across the road. I swerved.Bang!The car jolted as it slammed into a rock. My head smashed hard against the steering wheel.But I didn’t care.Without even registering the pain, I threw the door open and leapt out of the car, glass shattered in my hair. The front tire had hit something sharp—it was done, the engine oozed out smoke th
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