LOGINCHAPTER NINETY-EIGHT: THE PRODICAL DAUGHTERCAMILLE“Are you going to tell me where you’re taking me, or do I have to ask you a thousand times?” I asked Alex, arching a skeptical brow as I sat in the passenger seat.He glanced at me with a small, teasing smile before turning his eyes back to the road. “You’ll see.”That was the same answer he had given me five times already. I shot him a sharp death glare, then gave up and slumped back against my seat, folding my arms tightly across my chest.“Fine. But just know I fight dirty if you’re planning on kidnapping me.”Alex let out a short laugh and kept driving.It was my day off, and he had shown up at my apartment this afternoon, telling me to get dressed because he had a surprise for me. I had slipped into this mid-length sundress, expecting a simple lunch date at some restaurant. But now that he was driving past every restaurant in the city, I knew he had something else in mind.But what exactly could it be?I glanced down at my ou
CHAPTER NINETY-SEVEN: THE GHOST I REPLACEDCHRISTIANChuck’s eyes sparkled with dark amusement as he stared up at me. “Not happy to see me?” His voice dripped with mockery. “You look like you’ve just seen a fucking ghost.”I didn’t move. I couldn’t. My body stayed frozen on top of him, lips parted, blood turning to ice in my veins. I just stared down at my worst nightmare. My best friend. Even though I had known somewhere deep down that the Chuck I’d been dealing with was an imposter, seeing the real one like this felt like a nightmare clawing its way into reality. A horror movie that had stepped off the screen and grabbed me by the throat.I wanted to demand answers. To ask what the hell happened? Why was someone else wearing his face all these years, deceiving everyone who knew him? Where had he been all these years? But no words came. Fear had stolen my voice.“Christian!”Zoey’s voice cut through the night from somewhere behind me. My heart slammed against my ribs. The color
CHAPTER NINETY-SIX: THE REAL ONECHRISTIAN————After Dad and I finished honoring Mom, I moved behind his wheelchair and pushed him slowly away from the grave.We didn’t go far before he raised his hand. I stopped immediately.He didn’t say anything at first. Just stared at Zoey, unblinking, studying her.Zoey stiffened slightly under his gaze, then forced a small, polite smile.“Good day, sir.” She said softly, her voice careful. I gave her a small look, trying to reassure her.Then Dad finally spoke.“So… this is the girl who has you in a chokehold, huh?”Damn.Heat crept up my neck.So he heard that.I had planned to tell him about Zoey properly, not like this. At a cemetery, with him overhearing my private moment with Mom.I cleared my throat and stepped around the wheelchair, moving to stand beside Zoey. I placed my hand gently at the back of her waist.“Yeah,” I said, steadying my voice. “Dad, this is Zoey—”“When are you two getting married?”I paused, my eyes widening slightl
CHAPTER NINETY-FIVE: HIS COLD MOTHERZOEY“We’re here.” Christian said as the car came to a stop.The moment we stepped out, the cool night air brushed against my skin. He reached for my hand and helped me out of the car. Alex handed him a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates he had been holding the entire ride.Quietly, I followed as we walked into the cemetery.It was smaller than I expected. Neat and organized. Not the creepy, horror-movie type where you expected ghosts to start crawling out any second. Honestly, if not for the graves, it could pass for a quiet park.We didn’t walk far before Christian slowed down then stopped.I looked ahead. There’s a tombstone right in front of us: I knew immediately that it was his mother. My eyes moved to the name written on it.Mariane Suzanna Gallo.My chest tightened.So that was her name. Christian’s mother.A soft sadness settled inside me as I stood beside Alex, a few steps away, giving Christian space.He walked closer to the
CHAPTER NINETY-FOUR: NIGHT VISITZOEY’S POV—————-I barely slept that night.I kept tossing and turning like my bed was made of thorns instead of foam. Every time I closed my eyes, that masked man showed up again. That same face. That same strange, eerie familiarity that made my skin crawl, even in my dream.And every time I woke up, I found Christian right beside me.He would pull me close into his arms, and press a soft kiss to my forehead.“Bad dreams?” He asked in that rough, sleepy voice of his.I only nodded, too tired to explain.He would hold me tighter and murmur, “Go back to sleep. You’re safe. I’m right here.”And yes… being with Christian made me feel safe.But not in my dreams. Because the man kept coming back.This time, in the dream, he caught me just as I was about to fall. Again. His arms were around my waist, holding me steady. His face was too close.“Don’t you remember me, Zoey?” He asked.And that was when I woke up again.This time, the bed felt empty.I blinke
CHAPTER NINETY-THREE: TEARS OF A MISTRESSDAISY————I was just about to take a bite of my salad when a loud crash exploded from upstairs.It came from Chuck’s room.I froze for half a second, then rolled my eyes so hard it almost popped out of their sockets. He’d been throwing tantrums all morning. Slamming doors, breaking shit, yelling at the househelps. I’d done my best to stay out of his way, because when Chuck was emotional, he was unstable. And when he was unstable, he was violent.And yet, the bastard could not even let me eat in peace.It pissed me the hell off.I lowered my fork, trying to ignore it and return to my meal, but Josephine’s voice came just then from across the dining table.“Don’t you think you should go upstairs and get Chuck to come down for lunch?” She asked coldly. “He’s been up there all morning.”I slowly lifted my gaze to meet hers.Her expression was stiff and displeased. Judging.I arched a brow.“Are you saying,” I began carefully, hoping I had misun
CHAPTER EIGHTY-SEVEN: The Executive MeetingCHRISTIAN———The board-room went silent the moment I walked in. Every head turned. I took my time, taking long unhurried strides. My eyes locked with Scarlett’s across the table. She was seated at the far head, her expression flat as she watched me cool
CHAPTER EIGHTY-SIX: WELCOME BACK HOMEZOEY———The week sped by like a bullet train, and before I knew it, we were walking into Christian’s house with a recovering Riley and Alex. Christian wheeled Riley through the doorway while Camille supported a limping Alex, her arm looped around his solid ba
CHAPTER EIGHTY-FOUR: SCHEMES UPON SCHEMESZOEY———Outside the operating room, Christian and I sat on the bench with our fingers threaded together. My head rested on his shoulder and I could hear the steady, anxious thump of his heartbeat against my ear. The fluorescent lights hummed and time seeme
CHAPTER EIGHTY-THREE: KITCHEN PROMISESCAMILLE———When my eyes finally fluttered open the next morning, I was wrapped in a pair of strong, muscular arms. Warm, firm and possessive.For a second, my foggy brain scrambled back to last night. To the stranger from the bar. The one who’d tried to force







