ANMELDENCassia stepped out of school, and like always, the bodyguards were already there waiting for her. People had been talking about her more and more these days, like she was something strange they could not stop watching. Everyone knew she was not from a normal family, and the expensive car that came for her every day made it even clearer.She walked toward the guards with a small smile, but everything broke in the next second. One of them grabbed her fast and pulled her close. A gunshot rang out.My whole body went stiff like I forgot how to move. Before I could even react, the other guards moved around me, blocking me from every side as they rushed me into the car. They pushed me inside and followed right after, still shielding me.I turned my head. Two of them had been shot. One was already on the ground, not moving at all. My hands would not stop trembling, and I could not control it.“Calm down, Miss. We are getting you home,” one of them said, trying to keep his voice from breaking
ZariaI did not care that no one remembered my birthday today. That kind of thing had stopped mattering a long time ago. What mattered was this… being able to cook for people who treated me with kindness that felt real. My eyes stayed on Darren’s back as he walked ahead of me toward the dining room.The walk from his work room to the dining area took a bit, and I followed him without thinking much. Then he stopped out of nowhere, and I walked straight into him. My body bounced back, and I lost my balance, landing hard on the floor. Before I could even react, he turned and reached for me, helping me up.I wanted the ground to open and swallow me right there.My face got so hot it felt like I was standing under fire.“I am sorry, Darren,” I said fast.“It is fine. Come,” he answered, already moving again.This time I stayed close beside him.“Do you feel uncomfortable living in my house?” he asked.“I feel safe here. I really like it,” I said, and I meant every word.He gave a small nod
Zaria’s days inside Darren’s house had become quiet in a way she never thought she would enjoy. He did not allow her to leave, but he never treated her badly either. That alone already felt different from the life she used to live. There was no pressure, no hidden demand, no hand reaching for her when she did not want it. He gave her space, and that confused her more than anything.People used to call her beautiful all the time. The word had been said so often that it stopped meaning anything. It became just another sound people threw at her without thinking.She stood inside the glass house, watering the plants one by one. Darren never limited where she could go inside the estate, except for one place. His laboratory. That room stayed locked, and no one was allowed near it.Zaria never tried to step in there. Darren spent long hours working, and she had no wish to disturb him. Instead, she filled her time with small things. Gardening. Taking care of flowers. Watching something grow u
Zella no longer woke up feeling weighed down the way she used to. Rowan treated her with care, and now he was taking her to an expensive restaurant. He called it a date, and that word stayed with her.Her belly had grown bigger, and her body moved slower now, all because she carried his child. Rowan kept a close watch on her health, always making sure she was fine.She wore a blue dress with a low neckline. It bothered Rowan, but he said nothing. He knew if he spoke, she might cry, and he did not want that. A pregnant woman’s feelings could change fast, and he had learned to handle her with care.They sat in the car on their way to the restaurant. As always, security followed them. Rowan had tightened protection around his family. His eldest daughter had five bodyguards who stayed hidden while watching her from behind. Cassia had eight, two close to her and the rest keeping watch from a distance. Dante, his son, was guarded even more closely by a trained team because he was the heir.
Now, only Rowan and Zella remained in the room. Rowan looked at her with a soft smile. He had missed her more than he wanted to admit. If anything had happened to her that day, he knew Silas would not have stopped with him. Zaria would have been dragged into it too, and none of them might have survived. Thankfully, Micah’s plan had worked, and Zella was back in his arms, safe.Rowan pulled her close and held her tightly, as if she might disappear again if he loosened his grip.“I love you, and you should never doubt that,” he said.Tears filled Zella’s eyes.“Since when?” she asked.“From the first time we met,” Rowan answered.“But that was Zaria,” Zella whispered.“No, that was you,” Rowan said. “The woman who spent that night with me was still untouched.”Rowan remembered that night clearly. The drug in his body had weakened his control, pushing him towards something he did not want to become. But when he looked into those brown eyes, he found it difficult to walk away. The woman b
Zella slowly opened her eyes and let out a soft breath as she looked around. She soon realised she was in Rowan’s room in the Cristopher house. After Micah’s team rescued her, they brought her back to the base, where she saw Rowan again. He took her to his private room, and the moment she lay down, exhaustion took over, and she fell asleep.There was so much she needed to tell Rowan, especially about her twin sister, Zaria. She did not want Rowan to hurt her. Zella wanted Zaria to see their parents again. But she was also worried about her parents. Silas was still out there, and he could go after them at any time.The door opened, and Zella’s face brightened when she saw Rowan carrying Dante. These two were the only reasons she was still holding herself together. Dante was her son, her own child. She stretched out her arms, wanting to hold him close.Dante smiled and quickly turned to Rowan.“Papa, Dante wants Mama,” he said.Rowan walked to the bed and sat beside Zella with Dante in
Zella “I know, Ma,” Dante said, looking at me with his wide eyes.I reached out and touched his cheek.“You want Mama to stay this time?” I asked.He nodded at once.“I know you are not really my mama,” he said, honest in a way only a child can be. “But I like you better.”I did not expect that fr
Zella I kept my eyes on the road, but my thoughts were far from it. Today was the day I had to face the Cristopher family. The day I had to step into my sister’s life and pretend to be her.For the past two days, I had done nothing but study Zaria. The way she talks. The way she walks. The way she
Zella I knew something was wrong the second I heard my mother’s voice trembling on the phone.“Zella… come home. Now.”The call ended before I could ask a single question. For a few seconds, I stood there in my apartment, staring at my phone like it could explain what was happening. Something felt
Zella POVI walked out of the room with Emalia and headed toward the dining hall. This place still does not feel real to me. The Cristopher house is too big, too perfect. Every part of it looks like it belongs somewhere else. The design feels European, elegant in a way that makes everything look ex







