MasukIan 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
“Right? She’s not even in the same league as us. Zac was just messing around. Now that Wendy’s back, it’s time for Charlotte to pack up and leave.” Charlotte felt nothing. She knew exactly why Wendy had sent that video—part of it was to stake her claim, the other part was to humiliate her, to ru
The day Sue was discharged, the sky was a clear, crisp blue after a night of snow. Trees on both sides of the road glistened under the morning sun, their branches coated in ice. Desmond drove to the hospital himself to pick her up. The car ride was silent, weighed down by an unspoken heaviness.
After hanging up, Charlotte carefully replayed the night’s events in her mind.Why had Wendy snuck into her room while she was in the shower? It definitely wasn’t just to look around like she had claimed.She was up to something.Charlotte walked around the room, scanning every detail, but aside fro
Dinner was anything but pleasant.No one at the table enjoyed the meal.Charlotte had nothing to say to them, so she finished eating quickly and headed straight to her room.Back in her room, she noticed the gift box on her desk and remembered that she still hadn’t given Sean the watch. She picked







