로그인Chapter 8At the hospital, Bryce sat beside Victoria's bed, staring at her beautiful, calm face. She looked peaceful enough to be sleeping, but she was still pretending to be in unbearable agony.Every now and then, she would wince dramatically and shift beneath the blankets, as though even the slightest movement sent waves of pain through her body.Then she slowly reached for Bryce's hand and squeezed it weakly."Bryce..." she whispered, her voice trembling with feigned pain. "You have to make sure Alina pays with her life for doing this to me!"Her fingers tightened around his hand as she stared at him through tear-filled eyes."Do whatever you have to do, Bryce. I don't care how far you have to go. Even if it means wiping her entire family off the face of the earth, make sure they pay for what she did to me tonight."Her voice grew colder despite the weakness she was pretending to feel."Make her regret the day she ever crossed me. I want her to lose everything, her family, her rep
Chapter 7 Ashford ended the call without another word. "By the time she realizes what she's lost," he murmured as he walked away from the balcony, "she'll learn that carrying the Ashford name is a privilege, not a birthright.” Alina's cheeks burned with unbearable shame, but she forced herself to hold back her tears as she took a step forward and held out the small velvet box. "I... I bought this for you, Bryce. Happy birthday," she whispered, her trembling hands carefully holding out the gift. A faint, hopeful smile touched her lips despite the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. But Bryce didn't even spare the gift a single glance. His expression remained cold and indifferent, as though she were nothing more than a stranger standing before him. "I don't accept gifts from women I don't love," he said flatly, his emotionless voice slicing through the ballroom like a blade. The words struck Alina harder than a slap across the face. The smile on her face vanished in
Chapter 6 The grand ballroom sparkled beneath magnificent crystal chandeliers. Every polished floor, golden decoration, and expensive piece of furniture reflected wealth and perfection. A soft melody filled the room as influential businessmen, celebrities, and wealthy families enjoyed Bryce Damian's birthday celebration. Then Alina and Raya walked through the entrance, holding hands like inseparable lovers. Almost immediately, every conversation stopped. Alina looked around with a hopeful smile and noticed that all eyes immediately turned toward them, guests staring with their mouths slightly open. At first, Alina thought they were admiring her outfit. She wore a simple, elegant navy-blue dress that fitted her curvy figure perfectly. Her matching heels, handbag, and jewelry blended perfectly with the dress. As a talented excellent stylist, she had always known how to dress elegantly to steal glances in every gathering she walked into. But it wasn't her dress the
Chapter 5Raya turned and walked over to the door as Alina began searching her wardrobe for a dress.Normally, Raya would be right there beside Alina, throwing clothes around, pulling dresses off the hangers and helping her pick the perfect outfit.They always laughed together whenever they got ready for an event. But tonight, she looked like she didn't give a damn.Alina noticed her friend's distant mood, but she quickly brushed it off again. Raya was always lazy when it came to searching for things anyway. She hated digging through clothes.Maybe she's just tired, she thought.Meanwhile, as Raya stood by the door, her thoughts were spiraling out of control.“Bryce has a place in his heart for Alina?” Raya asked herself under her breath, her eyes burning with hatred. “He sent her flowers and wrote a love letter to apologize? He even said he loves her and called her sweetie!?” Raya clenched her fists,the muscles in her face tightened. “No…” she muttered, running her fingers through
Chapter 4Later that evening, Alina sat alone on her favourite seat in the balcony outside her bedroom, rested her arms on the railing and stared at the darkening sky as countless thoughts filled her mind.Her marriage to Bryce was over. No matter how much Beatrice Roth begged her to fix things with him, she had already made up her mind she was done. For five years, she had always been the one apologizing, forgiving, and fighting to keep their relationship alive. Bryce had never done the same for her.She was tired of begging him to love her.She was tired of trying to prove that she was enough.After everything that had happened at the church, she finally accepted the truth.Bryce had never loved her. And he was never going to love her anyway.His heart had always belonged to Victoria Ashford, his beautiful childhood friend. An actress a lot of men were dying to have in their life.Alina knew she could never compete with her in Bryce's heart. She thought about running away to an
Chapter 3Alina slowly dropped to her knees."I'm sorry, mother, " she whimpered softly, lowering her head. She could not bring herself to look into Mrs. Roth's blazing eyes.Whenever Mrs. Roth was angry, the heavy makeup on her face only made her look more frightening.“Sorry, you say?” Ava scoffed, releasing her folded arms as she looked down at Alina with disgust. “So that's all you have to say?”Ava had always hated Alina ever since they were kids. She used to believe she was close to becoming the sole heir of the Roth family. But after Mrs. Roth adopted Alina, who turned out to be brilliant and very attentive to details just the way Mrs. Roth wanted Ava to be, everything changed. Ava saw Alina as a threat who ruined all her chances. Although Mrs. Roth constantly insulted and punished Alina in front of everyone, she often praised Alina's intelligence behind her back. Alina had saved the family's business several times with her brilliant ideas, while Ava spent most of her t







