Heading back to the grounds that used to be taken away from me felt heavy.I had poured everything into this place when Papa died, even when I knew people were already starting to edge me out. I continued to build what he left behind even if my position was reduced to nothing—a mere shadow of my former title.The marble floors gleamed like the day I first stepped into Eboncorp as the founder’s daughter. But now, they echoed the sharp staccato of my heels with judgment, not welcome. My throat tightened.The moment the sliding doors of the lobby opened, time seemed to halt.Every eye landed on me.The front desk froze, lips parting slightly in shock. Some whispered. A few of them even gasped. The guards—those same men who once banned me from entry without so much as a word—stood stiff, unsure whether to salute, bow, or raise their radios in alarm.I didn’t flinch. I walked forward, chin high. My hands were steady by my sides, even as the pulse in my wrist raced against my veins.Beside
It was already the dead of night before I came home. The mansion’s gates were still guarded, and I had to bribe the gang members to even let me in. The lights of the mansion were all shut off, leaving the entire structure, even the gardens, engulfed in total darkness.I arrive on the doorsteps, fumbling to get my copy of the keys that Sebastian had given me many nights before. I push the key into the hole, twist and quickly sneaked inside.The sound of the creaking door immediately echoed through the large halls. I head in, trying to keep as much noise as possible. As I neared the living room, the lamp suddenly lights up, illuminating the entire marbled floors. The light blinded me for a while and I see Sebastian on the couch, his knees crossed. His eyes glowed a menacing shade of blue.“You’re late.”“H-Hey, Seb.” I stuttered to greet him back. “You’re still awake.”He raised an eyebrow and stood up, his shadow casting over the walls as he towered me, “Of course I’d be awake. You we
I still cannot believe that after all these years, my mother would still be alive.I never got to see my mother’s dead body. All I knew was that she never returned and my relatives proclaimed she was dead. She never came back to us.I looked for her all my life, did everything in my power to search for her— only to find no answers.So she couldn’t blame me if I were to feel distant around her, and to be confused by everything she said.I pulled Mom into my car and quickly checked my surroundings before leaving. They already knew she was alive.“The Hails are in jail.” I told her. “I don’t understand how they can still do this.”“Even if they’re in jail they still have men.” mom told me. “Darling, where are you bringing me?”“Somewhere safe,” I answered. “To Sebastian’s.”A hint of horror passed through her eyes, “You cannot bring me there, Kierra.”I stopped to think.She’s right.I couldn’t bring her anywhere. “The Noir de Costas will kill me.” she added. “I’m only here for a short
Bellgrave Cemetery was the kind of place where even the wind whispered secrets it shouldn’t.The car’s headlights cut through the mist as I pulled up just past the old rusted gates. A shiver crawled down my spine the moment I stepped out, gravel crunching beneath my boots. Midnight had arrived quietly, but the air screamed with tension—sharp, watchful, as though the dead themselves were holding their breath.I shouldn’t have come alone.But something in that note… something in the way “proof” was written had clawed into me. This wasn’t some petty game. Whoever sent it knew things no outsider should. And if there was even a chance they were telling the truth about my father’s death, I had to know.I pocketed my keys and slipped my phone into my coat. No signal. Of course.“Brilliant,” I muttered, my breath curling in the cold air.Graves stretched out in crooked lines across the hill, some leaning as if trying to whisper into their neighbors. I followed the path illuminated by the moon
Victory tastes like champagne and laughter.The courtyard of the Noir De Costas’ private estate was transformed into a dreamscape. Lanterns floated above us like suspended stars. The fountain in the middle—once dry and cracked from years of disuse—now gushed with violet-tinted water that shimmered under the moonlight. Laughter rolled across the night like music, rising from every corner of the party as the family—our family—celebrated the end of a dark chapter.We’d won.Not just the legal case.We won our names back.Our dignity.Our lives.I stood at the center of it all, in a satin black dress that fit like a second skin. My hair was pinned up, a few curled strands framing my face. I wasn’t used to feeling beautiful, not without a bruise, not without blood beneath my fingernails. But tonight—I let myself be.“Kierra,” Alession called, raising a crystal flute in his hand as he approached with his tie half-loosened. “To justice finally showing up—even if she was late.”I laughed and
The courtroom was ice-cold despite the thick press of bodies. Cameras lined the back walls, media swarmed every bench, and the heavy scent of tension settled like smog in the air. I clutched the edge of the table in front of me, forcing myself to breathe."All rise," the bailiff announced.I stood, heart pounding in my ears as Judge Herrera entered. Beside me, Sebastian didn’t flinch, his gaze steady, locked across the room. On the opposing bench, Damian Hail sat stiffly in a pristine suit, jaw clenched tight. Selene sat beside him, overly composed, hiding behind red lipstick and arrogance. Desmond Hail, their patriarch, held his cane like a scepter.Murderers. Liars. Monsters in tailored suits.Sebastian's fingers brushed mine beneath the table. A silent tether. A lifeline.And in front of us, representing us like a sword drawn at the throat of the powerful, stood Alessio. Calm, focused, voice clear and righteous. Beside him, Alex stood in uniform, files clutched in his hand, face gr