LOGINWe sat down in the chairs, and I went back to trying on dresses. Dress after dress got rejected because nothing caught my eye. Until I pulled on one specific gown and stepped out of the fitting room. The whole room went silent.It was a breathtaking white ballgown made of layers of delicate silk organza and subtle glitter tulle that caught the light with every move. The bodice was fitted with sheer corsetry and covered in intricate floral embroidery threaded with tiny silver crystals that sparkled softly. A dramatic sweetheart neckline framed my collarbones, and a cascading, chapel-length train pooled out behind me on the floor, paired with a long, sheer veil edged in matching lace. It made me look straight out of a royal fairytale.Elena covered her mouth with her hand the second she saw me standing there, her eyes going wide. Grandmother actually wiped a quick tear from her corner of her eye, while Ella and Bianca just stared at me with huge grins.I looked down at myself, "I think
As the afternoon wound down and the sun started to dip, I grabbed my bag, met up with my security detail, and headed back to the Valteri estate. On the drive home, I stared out the window and thought about all the wedding planning waiting for me at the house. I let out a long sigh, knowing I couldn't dodge it forever. Eventually, I was going to have to give in to the endless planning and actually choose a dress.When the car pulled up to the house, I could already see lights blazing through the windows and hear people talking inside. They were right back at it. During dinner that night, everyone was buzzing about the schedule again. I looked across the table and finally gave in. "I'll choose a day this weekend and we’ll go dress shopping." I said. Elena's face lit up instantly, a huge smile spreading across her face. Ella and Bianca let out loud squeals of excitement from down the table, and Grandmother smiled softly, nodding at me."We ladies will make it a whole day," Grandmother s
I stopped a few feet away, looking down at her with a calm, chilling smile. "Oh, my dear Nysa. Did you actually think kidnapping me would be easy? Did you really think you could hurt me?" I tilted my head, letting a mock-sympathetic look cross my face. "How sad. Tell me, did you have fun? Did they treat you well while you were with them?" I asked and I guess hearing those words, something in her snapped.With a wild, desperate cry, she jumped up off the floor and lunged straight at me, her hands clawing toward my face. I waited until she was right in front of me, I raised my hand and cracked the back of my palm straight across her cheek. The sharp crack of the slap echoed off the walls. The force of the blow knocked her sideways, sending her crashing back down onto the floor with a sharp cry of pain, clutching her burning cheek."You little bitch" she screamed, tears streaming down her bruised face as she glared up at me with pure with unadulterated venom. "Why? Why are you always be
The next morning I was already up before the sun had even come up, I laid still for a moment, listening to the quiet, steady rhythm of Dario's breathing beside me. Then, my phone vibrated on the nightstand, lighting up the dark room.I reached over and picked it up, unlocking the screen. It was a text message from an Unknown number, the same men Nysa had hired to carry out her sick, twisted plan.UNKNOWN: We released her as promised. Send the balance.I didn't hesitate. I opened my banking app, navigated to the secure transfer portal, and typed in the routing and account numbers they had provided. With a quick tap of my thumb, the full remaining balance was sent straight to their account. The transaction cleared instantly.I locked my phone and tossed it back onto the nightstand, pulling the blankets back and slipping quietly out of bed so I wouldn't wake Dario. I walked over to the window, watching the morning fog roll across the lawns.Barely ten minutes later, my phone started vibr
I leaned my head back against the leather headrest, watching the manicured lawns blur past the tinted windows. I shifted my gaze toward the front, catching the eyes of the head of security in the passenger-side mirror."I want you or someone else to keep an eye on them," I said, my voice steady and cold. "Make sure they pack up and leave this city by the end of the week and make sure they don't reach out to a single soul before they go." I said.The man gave a sharp, professional nod in the mirror. "Yes, madam. Consider it handled." he replied. I looked back out the window, letting out a long, slow breath as the miles ticked by. The pieces were falling into place. Carlton knew the truth, my fake grandparents were packing their bags, and Nysa was sitting in a dark room with one day left before the final trap snapped shut.When our convoy finally turned up the winding drive of the Valteri estate, another black car was just pulling through the gates ahead of us. It was Dario. His car par
I stared at them across the coffee table, watching the sweat bead on my great-grandfather’s forehead."What did Caroline tell you about me?" I asked, my voice cutting through the heavy silence of the room.They looked at each other, exchanging a panicked, silent debate but neither of them said a word. I asked again, letting my tone drop into something cold and flat. When they still refused to answer, keeping their lips tightly sealed, I didn't waste another breath arguing with them. I picked up my phone from my lap and dialled Dario’s number.He answered on the second ring, his low, smooth voice coming through the speaker. "What can I do for you, kitten?" he asked."I want Lorraine and Alden to become homeless in ten minutes," I said calmly.On the other side of the room, Lorraine let out a sharp, ragged gasp and burst into tears, leaning forward in her seat. "Wait! We'll talk! We'll talk!" she stared stuttering. I held the phone a fraction of an inch from my mouth. "Hold on a second,







