LOGINCHELLEY MORETTI Cierra lunged forward with a feral scream, her handcuffs rattling violently against the steel table as she tried to reach me. Two burly prison wardens were on her in an instant, grabbing her shoulders and slamming her back into the bolted chair with efficiency. She thrashed against their hold, spit flying from her already cracking lips.“You wicked witch!” she shrieked, her voice cracking with raw hatred. “You evil, heartless bitch! Are you here to mock me? To gloat over your perfect little victory? Look at you in your stupid designer dress like some kind of queen!”I stood motionless for a moment, letting her venom wash over me. The harsh fluorescent light buzzed overhead, casting long shadows across the sterile room. A slow, satisfied smile curved my lips.“No, Cierra,” I said softly, my voice calm and cutting through her screams like a blade. “I didn’t come here to mock you. I came here to revel in my revenge.”I turned slightly, and that was when I saw them—Ros
CHELLEY MORETTI “Just a fraction of an inch to the left, ma'am," Rita murmured, her breath warm against my back as her nimble fingers adjusted the structured, silk-faille bodice of my gown.I didn’t move. I stood perfectly still on the pedestal in the center of my walk-in closet, a sprawling sanctuary of marble, mirrored glass, and custom Dior. The dress was a masterpiece of midnight-blue architecture—sharp, structural, and unapologetically dominant. It was a revenge dress in its purest form, designed not to entice, but to intimidate. It was the armor of a woman who had crossed through fire and learned to command the flames.In my hands, I held the small, silver-framed photograph of my mother. My thumb gently traced the soft curve of her smile in the faded image. I told you I would make them pay, Mom, I thought, a quiet, fierce vow echoing in the chambers of my heart. I told you they wouldn't get away with it."The world is finally seeing the truth, Lady Chelley," Rita added, her
CASSIAN MORETTI I woke up early with Chelley still fast asleep on top of me. Her head rested on my chest, one leg hooked over my waist, and her breathing was slow and peaceful. The sheets were tangled around us, and her skin still had faint marks from everything we’d done the night before.She looked so relaxed like this — no armor, no sharp edges, just beautiful.I carefully slipped out from under her, tucked the duvet around her bare shoulders, and kissed her forehead softly.She made a little murmur but didn’t wake up. I pulled on some pants and headed straight to my private study.Jared and Jules were already waiting for me. The silver laptop sat right in the center of my desk.“Report,” I said, sitting down.Jules stepped forward. “The team cracked the encryption pretty quickly. What we found inside was pretty sick.”He tapped something on his tablet and the big screen on the wall lit up with several video files.“These are the original, unedited clips from the supermarket inci
CIERRA KENSINGTON "You absolute, brainless, pathetic excuse for a man!"The crystal vase I hurled didn’t hit Alec, but the sound of it shattering against the mahogany doorframe was a dangerous crash. Shards of glass rained down onto the Persian rug, but I didn’t care. My chest was heaving, my manicured nails digging into my palms so hard they nearly drew blood."Ten million dollars!" I screamed, my voice cracking as I pointed a trembling finger at the French doors leading to the terrace, where the high-society women of the estate had only just scattered. "I had her pinned, Alec! I had Chelley Moretti looking like a child-abusing monster in front of every major media outlet in this country! And you—you drunken, miserable parasite—you walked out there and handed her the knife to cut my throat!"Alec didn’t even flinch. He just leaned against the liquor cabinet, a sickening, jagged grin stretching across his face as he swirled the amber scotch in his tumbler. He looked disheveled, h
CASSIAN MORETTII stood in front of the easel, carefully dragging my brush across the canvas to blend some raw umber into the shadow under Chelley’s collarbone. The painting was my little secret project—kept locked away in my private studio where no one, especially Chelley herself could stumble across it.“Sir,” Jared said from the doorway, eyes fixed firmly on the floor like always. “We got a message from Mrs. Moretti.”I didn’t look away from the painting. “Read it.”She says that the Kensington lady took the bait and she’s ready to move.She wants some digital team sent to the Kensington study right away to grab the silver laptop before Cierra can touch it. Whatever’s on there is worth the trouble, apparently.”A smile tugged at my lips. That’s my girl.“Ten million for a laptop,” I muttered, finally dropping the brush into the turpentine. “But if Chelley says it’s important, then it is. Those Kensingtons aren’t sharp enough to run a smear campaign like this by themselves. So
CHELLEY MORETTII watched Cierra’s throat bob as she swallowed. She was trapped between the image of the "Saint of the Estate" and the reality of the predator I knew her to be. The ladies were leaning in now, their thirst for drama momentarily eclipsed by the sheer scale of the power play unfolding before them.I signaled to Rita, who stepped forward and opened the leather folder, revealing a certified cashier's check. I held it up just long enough for the women to gasp at the number of zeros."I’m not just here to drop a check and walk away, Cierra," I said, my voice projecting with the practiced clarity of a COO. "The Moretti family doesn't just throw money at problems; we invest in solutions. I am prepared to donate ten million dollars to the Kensington Legacy Foundation right now."A collective intake of breath hissed across the terrace. Ten million. It made the combined pledges on Cierra’s ledger look like spare change."But," I continued, my smile sharpening, "given the 'gra
CHELLEY MORETTI “Sister… you must hate me so much for stealing your motherly position.” Cassandra said, and I paused. “It is not your fault… Please don’t call me sister either.” I replied coldly; my heart was shattered. I was mentally exhausted by this outcome… that frightened look of my son thi
CHELLEY MORETTI My face, like everyone else’s, lit up at Cassandra’s sentiment. She spoke with such softness, such calm certainty, that even Cassian’s always cold countenance shifted into one of interest.Shana, not missing a beat, immediately spat back, her voice cutting through the air.“What st
CHELLEY MORETTI Cassian’s arm locked around me, pulling me flush against the hard wall of his chest. His grip was iron, unyielding, almost crushing the air out of me. It wasn’t an embrace. It was a restraint.What?My mind reeled. He wouldn’t let me touch my child. His arm pinned me back, caging m
CHELLEY MORETTI When she said those words about the cat, I knew immediately Shana didn't have the next word to use; she had to leverage this cat, which she claimed was the late heir’s cat. And without asking how it happened, she was immediately giving orders…“This beast went crazy and clawed my







