The year I was at my poorest, I impersonated my sister to take care of her blind fiancé in exchange for one hundred thousand dollars. On the day he regained his sight, I left without a word. When we met again, it was during a business interview. I was a nameless intern reporter. He had returned to his rightful status as the heir of the influential Hughes family. During the interview, the host asked, "We’ve heard that during your illness, your fiancée, Miss Dawson, stayed by your side through thick and thin. The two of you are about to get married?" He lifted his hand slightly, revealing a ring, and his lips curled into a faint smile. "Yes, we’re getting engaged soon." Yet, his gaze, through the lens of his glasses, landed—intentionally or not—on me, standing in the corner.
View MoreThe case involved a high school girl who endured relentless bullying from a group of wealthy students for over a year.In the end, she jumped from the school rooftop."Their families are powerful. No one dares to go up against them."My supervisor hesitated, clearly debating whether to say more."If you’re not comfortable taking this on…""Of course, I’ll take it."I accepted the file without hesitation."Actually, I’m already working on an anti-bullying advocacy campaign. I’ll send you the proposal this afternoon for review."It wasn’t often that someone with Liam’s power stood behind me. If I had his influence on my side, I wasn’t going to let it go to waste.Between the interview and planning the awareness campaign that followed, I barely had a moment to breathe for nearly two weeks.Liam and I hardly saw each other.He’d send twenty messages; I’d manage to respond to one with a single emoji in between bites of toast while checking media coverage.Then, one night, he sent me a mess
A man with a history of petty theft, in and out of jail more times than I could count.He cleared his throat and spoke, voice shaky."That incident back then… Rachel Dawson ordered me to do it. Miss Burns was completely innocent. Her own daughter tricked her into attending a gathering at the Dawsons’ estate. “She was given too much to drink, and when she was too intoxicated to stand, I was told to take her to a room and slip a wad of cash under the pillow."Rachel had orchestrated everything, ensuring the authorities received an anonymous tip at just the right moment.Before my mother even had a chance to wake up, before she could even realize what was happening, officers burst through the door under the guise of a vice raid."Even now, it’s easy to ruin a woman’s reputation. Spread a little gossip, slap a label on her, and suddenly, she’s a pariah. And back then? It was even easier."I tightened my grip on the microphone."I didn’t study journalism just for this one case."I will spe
The headlines painted the Dawsons as the perfect family—devoted husband and wife, accomplished children, a model of success among the elite."What a joke… My mother weighed barely ninety pounds when she died, her hands covered in bruised needle marks. She should have lived a long life."And the Dawsons? Their business is far from clean. After all the lives they’ve ruined, do they really deserve to be called a model family?"I pressed a hand over my eyes, forcing back the flood of emotion threatening to break free."Liam, I used you. I knew you would never forgive betrayal, so I led her straight into breaking your trust."If that hurts you, if you hate me for it, I can live with that. But I need to be the one to drag her to hell myself."I pushed everything else down, burying it beneath cold resolve as I met his gaze.But then Liam reached for my hand, the one I had clenched behind my back.He lifted it gently to his lips and pressed a kiss against my trembling fingers."Chloe, your han
"I was never really afraid of dying. When my cousin was forced to give up his shares, he lost it and stabbed me. It should have hurt, but I didn’t feel a thing. "At that moment, all I could think about… was you." …The parking garage was silent. Under the dim glow of the headlights, Liam shrugged off his suit jacket and slowly unbuttoned his dress shirt. One button at a time until the scar over his chest, dangerously close to his heart, was fully visible. "The Hughes family is a mess. It was never going to be easy to take control. But after tonight, Linda and the last of the people who backed her will fall."And the entire Hughes family, including me, can be yours." He leaned in, closer and closer, his gaze locked onto mine. For years, his eyes had been clouded, unfocused. Now, they burned, sharp and piercing, filled with the kind of brilliance that seemed to hold the entire universe. I swallowed hard, my voice barely above a whisper. "But you and Linda—" "I never
He spoke, his tone carrying a hint of displeasure."You told me that when I regained my sight, you'd be the first person I saw. You broke your promise."…I didn’t hear the rest.Pain surged through me, so overwhelming it felt like it would swallow me whole.From the very beginning, in Liam’s world, the person who had stayed by his side for those two years was Linda.Not me. Not Chloe Burns.Linda’s bodyguards dragged me into a nearby lounge.A few minutes later, she walked in, heels clicking against the floor.Her makeup was flawless as always, except for the smudged lipstick on her lips.She smirked as she casually touched up her makeup."Liam kissed me. He really loves me. He can’t live without me. You took good care of him these past two years."But as far as he’s concerned, everything you did was my doing. Someone like you, who is so insignificant, will never, ever be a part of his world."…"Where are you headed? Home?"Liam’s voice suddenly pulled me out of my thoughts.I lower
The perfectly made-up face, bearing a six or seven-point resemblance to mine, was filled with impatience and disdain.The silk dress draping her frame, the diamond necklace resting against her collarbone, the crocodile leather handbag hanging off her arm—any one of these accessories were worth more than I could ever imagine.She took a slow sip of coffee, savoring the moment, before finally getting to the point."But since we are sisters, if you need money, I suppose I can give it to you. One hundred thousand dollars. You take my place and look after someone for me."The press conference had turned into a spectacle, spiraling into a complete farce.People’s gazes shifted toward Linda, their expressions growing more skeptical by the second.Even the cameras and microphones began turning toward her."Miss Dawson, is there any truth to what Mr. Hughes just said?""Was it really Miss Burns, not you, who stayed by his side when he lost everything?""Does that mean all your accusations just
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