LOGINTrapped in a loveless marriage with the cold and calculating Lorenzo, Zia's life is a constant struggle. But when she discovers she's pregnant, everything changes. As she navigates her complicated relationships with her husband, his family, and his stepbrother Raymond, Zia must confront the secrets and lies that threaten to destroy her. Will she find a way to break free from the toxic cycle and find true love, or will she be forever trapped in this loveless contracted marriage?
View MoreChapter 68The estate was unusually quiet that night, as though the air itself braced for the shift coming.Outside the balcony of the east wing, the city lights blinked lazily in the distance—innocent and unaware.Inside, Gabriel stood near the bar pouring himself a small glass of whiskey. His expression was drawn, eyes low, a thousand thoughts stirring behind them. The fire in the hearth danced quietly, throwing gold across the walls like a memory trying to burn itself into the future.Grandpa Edward Audrey entered the study, slowly but with a presence that made the room shrink into silence. He wore a long ash robe, simple, soft. But the weight of his decisions cloaked him heavier than armor.“You wanted to speak?” the old man asked, sinking into the armchair near the fire.Gabriel turned. “Yes, sir.”He came to sit across from him, swirling the glass once before speaking.“You really plan to announce the CEO tomorrow?”Edward nodded. “Yes. It’s time.”Gabriel hesitated, leaning fo
Chapter 67: The Birdie New LoungeThe Birdie New Lounge wasn’t just another uptown spot trying to sell champagne dreams in plastic flutes—it was that rare kind of hush-money luxury, Mira walked in first, in a burnt-orange silk blouse that hugged her soft in all the right ways. Nia followed, her black leather pants tight, her shirt sheer just enough to tease—but not too much for the cameras hovering in corners.“Reservation?” the host asked, tone snobbish, eyes skimming their intertwined fingers.“Under ‘Nia,’” Mira said, sharp and confident.They were led to a corner booth wrapped in velvet and mystery. It faced a stained glass window of a bird mid-flight—free, untouchable.“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Nia muttered, smoothing her hands down her lap.Mira smiled, almost mischievous. “Doing what? Dating like real people?”Nia looked around. “I mean… this place. Us. You. After everything.”Mira leaned in, voice sultry. “Say it plain, babe. You mean after Zac.”Nia tensed, jaw tw
Chapter 66: The Rats in the BasementThe safe house wasn't safe anymore. Not with the weight of secrets cracking its walls and the smell of betrayal thick in the air like mold. It was a rundown warehouse on the edge of the city, hidden behind a row of forgotten shipping containers. A perfect place for ghosts like them—Raymond, Henry, and now, Pigo.Pigo stepped inside like a man stepping into a lion’s den with raw meat strapped to his chest. His black hoodie was damp from sweat, despite the night’s cold. His eyes scanned every shadow, every creak, every dark corner.Raymond stood by a table, nursing a half-empty bottle of whiskey, his gold wristwatch loose around his tattooed wrist. Henry leaned against the far wall, arms folded, face stony, jaw twitching.“You’re late,” Raymond said, not looking at him.“No, I’m not,” Pigo answered, shrugging off the hood. “You’re just desperate.”Raymond finally looked up—eyes bloodshot, smile dry. “We pay you. Watch your tone.”Pigo snorted, walke
Chapter 65: Family ReunionThe scent of disinfectant still lingered in the air. Not from a hospital, no—but from the scrubbed-clean warehouse Gabriel’s people raided just hours ago. The place where they had found her. Where a mother had been kept like she was a number. A warning. A pawn.Nia’s hands were trembling even as she stood still, like her body knew something massive was coming and couldn’t decide whether to run or fall to its knees.Zia, however, didn’t wait. She stepped forward the second the back doors of the SUV opened and the woman in the red shawl stepped down. A woman whose eyes had seen too much, whose bones carried secrets carved in silence. Her mother. Their mother.“Mom?” Zia breathed, voice cracked, like her throat had dried up with the years.The woman looked up. Time had done things to her face. Lines like rivers carved from pain, but her eyes… those eyes were mirrors. Zia saw herself. Nia. All the years. All the longing.“My baby,” the woman whispered, before
Grandpa Edward Audrey's OfficeAudrey Co-opLorenzo, Nia, and Zia sat in the assistant’s reception, the air thick with tension. The receptionist at the desk barely spared them a glance, her perfectly manicured fingers clicking away at the keyboard.Nia huffed, arms crossed. “Can’t the damn receptio
Raymond stormed into his office, slamming the door shut so hard the glass panel rattled. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, jaw locked so tight it could crack a damn tooth. He’d spent the last thirty minutes arguing with his father, and the bastard had the audacity to tell him to back off?
AfternoonHospitalRaymond sat in the hospital room, his posture sharp, calculated, like a man who never let his guard down. The patient in front of him—Mr. Tade, mid-fifties, a little too thin for his age—watched him with tired, expectant eyes. The steady beep of the heart monitor filled the silen
The morning sun filtered through the tall windows, casting golden streaks across the dining table where Zia sat. A plate of toast, eggs, and a half-empty glass of orange juice sat untouched in front of her. She idly swirled the juice, staring at the table like it held answers to questions she hadn’












Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.
reviews