LOGINIan raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t drunk last night. I was completely sober.“Sweetheart, I knew exactly what I was doing. I have been aware of my feelings for you for a long time. I just kept holding them back. But last night, when you hired those male escorts and leaned into that man’s arms, I could
Mia’s expression hardened. “Ian, what kind of thing is that to say? Who I date is none of your business.”“Fine.” Ian gave a short, cold laugh. “None of my business.”His face remained dark as he walked out. From that day on, he never returned to the Quinton estate.Mia did not see him for more than
Mia’s relationship with Ian had changed completely. Somewhere along the way, she had become the one doing the bullying.If she was upset, she would pinch or swat him without hesitation, and Ian would only grin and call her “Little Princess” or “Miss Trouble,” never once fighting back.Later, Mia was
By the time Ian was eighteen and in his senior year, his life was too busy with schoolwork to waste time picking on his stepsister. It had been a long time since he had teased Mia.The high school and middle school buildings were close to each other. That afternoon, he and a few classmates walked to
Lester was often away from home.In the beginning, whenever Mia was bullied by Ian, she would run to her mother, Sharon, in tears. But as a stepmother, Sharon felt she had no authority to discipline Ian. For the sake of keeping the household peaceful, she chose to turn a blind eye and never told Le
The first time Mia met Ian, she was only nine years old.Her mother, Sharon, held her hand and smiled brightly. “Say hello to your new brother.”The little girl tilted her head up at the tall boy in front of her, pressed her lips together, and obediently said, “Hi, brother.”The boy didn’t look the
Charlotte ended the call and turned to Mrs. Wilson’s daughter-in-law with a polite smile. “Please come in.”As they chatted, Charlotte learned that the woman’s name was Cora Sanders. She was 47 years old and had a daughter who was two years younger than Charlotte and worked as an elementary school t
Ever since learning Charlotte’s true identity, Quinn had gossiped about Wendy behind her back with their other friends more times than she could count.Of course, she would never say any of this to Wendy’s face.Fake friends knew how to keep up appearances.Quinn patted Wendy on the shoulder, trying
Tears streamed down Vivian’s face as she cried pitifully, her voice trembling. “I’m so sorry, Charlotte. It was an accident. I didn’t mean to bump into you. I’ll pay for the dress. Please don’t be mad at me.”She played her part perfectly. She lowered herself, acting utterly pitiful. But Charlotte s
“I... I...” Vivian stuttered under the weight of everyone's gaze. The pressure was overwhelming.“I was jealous of how close you were with my brother,” she mumbled, her voice shaky. “I just wanted his attention. I'm sorry... I was wrong...”Charlotte's eyes stayed sharp, fixed on Vivian. “That's all







