مكتبة
بحث
بيت / The Day I Stopped Hiding / Chapter 1

مشاركة

The Day I Stopped Hiding
The Day I Stopped Hiding
مؤلف: Snail

Chapter 1

مؤلف: Snail
Nathan Harrison stepped into the bedroom, his eyes locking onto the diamond necklace sitting on the vanity.

He rubbed his temples in frustration. Then, with a rare flash of patience, he offered an explanation.

"Susan is just my business partner’s daughter. Her dad did the Harrison family a massive favor, so I bought that necklace at an auction to thank her. Don’t overthink it, because there’s nothing going on between us.

"Lily, how many times do I have to say it? Susan and I are nothing!" He practically spat that last sentence out.

We had fought countless times over Susan Ferell. The worst one ended with him dumping me on a pitch-black back road on the outskirts of town and speeding off into the night.

A homeless guy had dragged me into an alley that night. I was desperately dialing Nathan's number, but when the call finally went through, it was Susan who answered.

She told me Nathan was passed out drunk right next to her, so whatever I needed could wait until tomorrow.

I stood frozen in the dark. Hanging up the phone felt like all the life drained right out of me. If a police cruiser hadn't passed by and picked me up, I would've died in that alley.

Seeing me staring silently at the floor, Nathan let out an exhausted sigh. "Lily, what do I have to do for you to believe me?"

I looked down at him and kept my voice soft.

"You don't need to do anything. Because I do believe you."

Nathan snapped his head up, total disbelief written across his face. My answer wasn't in his script, and his usual rock-solid composure completely cracked.

"Lily, you're not… mad?"

In the past, even a trace of another woman's perfume on his collar would send me off the deep end, demanding answers. I used to be stuck in this toxic loop, talking myself into believing his smooth excuses every single time.

But after that night? I just didn't care anymore.

"You gave your explanation. It was just a thank-you gift. I'm not mad."

I glanced at my watch.

Time was ticking, and this was one appointment I couldn't miss. I had to get to the courthouse to file the divorce papers.

I grabbed my bag, but Nathan's face instantly went cold.

"You never leave the house this early. Your friends don't even wake up before noon. So where are you heading at this hour?"

I hadn't expected him to care about my schedule. My grip tightened on my purse, right where the divorce filing was tucked away.

"If you're not meeting your friends, and I didn't give you any work today," he pressed, taking another step closer, his eyes scanning me. "Who are you rushing off to see?"

He reached out, going straight to snatch the bag from my hands.

My heart nearly stopped. We'd brought up divorce during arguments before, and his reaction had been way worse than I ever expected.

The first time, he completely lost control.

That night, he put the entire estate on lockdown and cut off every exit. He took my phone, locked away my passport, and by the next morning, the attorney I tried to hire got a heavy-handed warning from the Harrison family.

When I broke down crying and asked why he was trapping me, he just stood over me and said in a bone-chilling tone, "Lily, don't let me hear the word 'divorce' again. Here on Siciamira Island, nobody touches what's mine!"

If he saw what was inside my bag right now...

Suddenly, a custom ringtone broke the silence. It was the unique chime Nathan had set strictly for Susan.

Nathan's hand froze inches from my bag, then pulled back instantly. He turned and grabbed his phone.

"It's my partner, Mr. Ferell. I need to take this."

His eyes flickered with a hint of guilt as he turned toward the balcony. Right before stepping outside, he looked back and said softly, "Don't stay out too long. The custom sapphire earrings I ordered for you will arrive tonight. Whatever Susan gets, I'll get you something even better.

"You're always my number one. See you tonight, Lily."

I froze right before stepping out the door.

Nathan's priority was never going to be me.

"You should take the call," I said quietly. "Don't keep her waiting."

Susan never waited for anyone, and I certainly wasn't waiting around for Nathan ever again.

استمر في قراءة هذا الكتاب مجانا
امسح الكود لتنزيل التطبيق
الفصل السابق الفصل التالي

أحدث فصل

  • The Day I Stopped Hiding   Chapter 8

    Nathan burned through every single connection he had, searching high and low across Alderney to track me down like a man possessed. He mobilized all his forces and called in favors across every tier of high society in Europra, yet he couldn't find a single trace of "Lily".Every empty lead and failed attempt chipped away at the last bit of his self-assured arrogance.He had spent all this time naively convincing himself that I was just throwing a spiteful tantrum and would come running back once I cooled off. He believed that if he just lowered himself to offer a few cheap apologies, I'd forget the past and stand behind him like I used to.But as the days dragged on, he received total annihilation instead of my surrender.With no results in Alderney, Nathan was forced to return to Siciamira to manage the ongoing coup. He thought he still had a grip on the situation, but reality hit him like a freight train.Susan's father kept his word and terminated every single deal with the fam

  • The Day I Stopped Hiding   Chapter 7

    By then, I had already arrived at the Snyder estate in Stepford, Alderney.The Snyder family was a century-old global syndicate holding unmatched capital across every major market. Their influence ran deep, anchoring them at the very pinnacle of high society across Europra.And I was Vera Snyder—the sole heir to it all.I had been kidnapped as a child, ripped away from my parents, and forced to survive on the streets of Siciamira. Later, I married Nathan, spending years hiding in the shadows and walking on eggshells for him.Now, after all those lost years, I was finally home where I belonged.The day I returned, the entire Snyder family pulled out all the stops. It was a massive, grand affair, with every single core family member waiting at the gates just to welcome me back.The moment I stepped out of the car, my parents rushed forward and pulled me into a tight, desperate embrace. Their warm, solid arms wrapped around me, wiping away any trace of strangeness or distance.Even

  • The Day I Stopped Hiding   Chapter 6

    Deep down, Nathan knew Sam was right.Power was the absolute center of his life, the sole purpose behind years of calculated moves, endurance, and strategy. Mobilizing every asset he owned just for a woman was reckless and foolish.He understood the logic, yet the dark obsession in his heart refused to listen. He couldn't accept that I had walked away without a word or that I had used a single sheet of paper to erase every trace of our past.With a cold expression, he spoke into the phone, his voice heavy."I've made up my mind. I will find her. Put family business on hold and do not pull back the search order."On the other end of the line, Sam gave up entirely, his tone dripping with fatigue and anger. "Nathan, you've let your emotions blind you. You'll pay a devastating price for this foolishness."Sam slammed the phone down. Realizing there was no stopping Nathan's reckless obsession, he felt nothing but profound disappointment, leaving the young man to ruin himself.Nathan'

  • The Day I Stopped Hiding   Chapter 5

    The second Nathan stepped out of Susan’s villa, a profound sense of relief washed over him.Every drop of charm, every forced smile, and every moment spent entertaining her had been nothing more than a calculated move to keep her father happy and lock down a game-changing business deal.To the outside world, it looked like he was pampering Susan and taking her everywhere. But no one knew he didn't care about her in the slightest.He had walked on eggshells and played the dutiful partner to Susan's father only because his grip on the Harrison empire was still unstable.Vultures were watching his every move, desperate to catch a single mistake so they could tear him down and take his throne. To protect his power, he had forced himself to endure these meaningless social games over and over again.Now, the deal was locked in, and he could finally breathe. He could clear his schedule, come home to me, and make up for every single moment he had missed.With that thought in mind, he imm

  • The Day I Stopped Hiding   Chapter 4

    Nathan stared at the black screen of his phone, a subtle, lingering unease creeping into his chest.He could tell I had been abnormally quiet lately, but he brushed it off, convincing himself it was just a typical female tantrum. It was just a desperate attempt to grab a little more of his attention.He pushed the thought aside, his gaze landing on the thin envelope sitting at the corner of his desk. A faint smile touched the corners of his lips.I had always been thoughtful and attentive, quietly remembering everything he liked and handling whatever he didn't have time for.Looking at the envelope, he made a guess. It was probably the title deeds to those overseas properties he had been eyeing, or the deed to a rare plot of land he wanted.He picked up the envelope, resolving to make it up to me tonight. However, before he could pull it open, a sweet voice rang out from the foyer."Nathan!"Susan stepped into the living room, a high-end designer handbag hanging from her arm. He

  • The Day I Stopped Hiding   Chapter 3

    I stood up and left the gift box containing the sapphire earrings sitting right on the dining table.For years, I had lost count of how many times I wished he’d remember what I liked or plan a surprise just for me. But now, I left that long-awaited surprise behind without a second glance.As I walked out of the dining room, Carson’s voice drifted over from the foyer, talking on the phone."Don't worry, Don Harrison. The living room layout has been completed exactly to your specifications. The white roses are set up. Ms. Ferell will definitely be pleased."I froze in my tracks.All of this was prepared for Susan?Carson’s voice continued. "Also, the wine and desserts you specified will be prepared according to Ms. Ferell’s taste. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled when she sees it."Every drop of blood in my body went completely cold. So none of this had ever been meant for me.I stumbled out of the estate in a daze when my phone suddenly rang. It was my biological father, whom I had o

فصول أخرى

قد تعجبك أيضًا

استكشاف وقراءة روايات جيدة مجانية
الوصول المجاني إلى عدد كبير من الروايات الجيدة على تطبيق GoodNovel. تنزيل الكتب التي تحبها وقراءتها كلما وأينما أردت
اقرأ الكتب مجانا في التطبيق
امسح الكود للقراءة على التطبيق
DMCA.com Protection Status