Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 101 - Chapitre 110

This can’t be.My hands trembled around the photograph. The entire shopping mall seemed to blur into silence, the distant hum of voices and Christmas music fading until the only sound left was my own jagged breathing.The photo in my hand was new. I knew how my mom looked when she died—late thirties. But here, she seemed older, late forties. The strangest part? A dried tear stain at the edge, right where it read, I’m alive, Ali.The woman in the photograph stared back at me.She had my eyes. My face. Older, sharper. But unmistakable. A dead woman doesn’t send letters. A dead woman doesn’t pose for pictures.And yet… I took in a sharp breath, my fingers shaking as I shoved the image back into the envelope. The box from Vivian slipped from my grip, clattering onto the shelf.I needed both hands—I needed to see the rest.Swallowing hard, I yanked out the next paper. It was roughly folded, creased like someone had carried it too long, unwilling to let it go. My pulse hammered as my fin

My hands trembled as I gripped the phone.The kitchen was cold, but sweat slicked my palms. My fingers trembled as I pressed the phone to my ear, my breath coming in shallow bursts. The house was quiet. The kind of silence that made the shadows seem bigger. Then, the voice came. Deep. Low. Controlled, slithering through the speaker.“Hold on to this like your life depends on it." I swallowed hard."I don’t need to remind you of the consequences. You should know them already. But I’ll say it again so we’re on the same page. Throughout this call, I don’t want you to respond or question me. Keep shut and listen to my instructions. It’s clear enough."My blood drained from my face, and I pressed my back against the cold kitchen counter, my body rigid.A chill crawled down my spine. My hand tightened around the phone as my knees threatened to buckle. The warning was unnecessary. I was already tense, and now—it felt like I could just go paralysed.The eerie silence between us was suffocat

I was in bed.My mind reeled. The call—the argument—none of it had happened.It was just a dream.A dream so vivid it felt real—like a nightmare.I turned lazily, my mind spinning. My subconscious was playing games with me, messing with my head. It had been five restless days now—since I agreed to everything my mother’s messenger demanded, just for the chance to see her.Yet he still hadn’t given me her location.Instead, he kept feeding me cryptic messages. Kept mentioning Mr. Blade’s daughter. But never a name. Never a face. I had fallen asleep thinking about how I should give up on her search, but part of me couldn’t do that. And now my subconscious was punishing me.I turned onto my side, my cheek pressing against my phone. Drool smeared the screen.The alarm vibrated against my face.I removed my phone and lifted it. I wiped my mouth, staring at the screen. 4:00 PM.The exact time my mother’s messenger promised he’d call.But there was no call. I stopped the alarm. Ran to my me

Dontrell took a step forward, his entire frame coiled like a predator ready to strike. “You’re not welcome here.” Clayton didn’t flinch. If anything, he looked bored. “You always were quick to anger.” His gaze flickered to me. “Is he always like this, Allison? Or is it just a brother thing?” I stiffened at being dragged into their war. “Don’t,” Dontrell snapped. “Don’t talk to her. Don’t look at her. Don’t—” “You’re acting like I’m the enemy,” Clayton cut in, his voice cool. “When I’m the only reason she’s still breathing after Carter’s attack that day.” Dontrell let out a dry chuckle. “You won’t get a thank you from me if that’s what you’re searching for.”“Oh, come on, brother. Not even a ‘Welcome, Clayton. How did your day go?’ Or maybe a ‘Congratulations on being the new Regent of the Circle?” I stilled. A Regent? Clayton was now the Circle’s second-in-command. That was the position Carter had been meant to fight for—if he hadn’t tried to kill me and ended up being killed by

The elevator doors slid open, and I stepped out into the hallway, moving past the closed doors until I reached the one I was looking for—the kitchen. I wasn’t heading outside—to the foyer or the compound like Dontrell would have loved. I just needed a cup of lemongrass tea and preferred to make it myself.The hallway was eerily silent. The kind that slithered under the skin like an unseen threat, but the moment I entered into the kitchen, its opulence greeted me. The massive white and beige space, with its sleek marble counters, mirrored cabinets, and a long glass kitchen island stretching across the centre, gleamed under the pendant lights. I walked toward the cupboard, reaching for the kettle on the highest shelf. Too high. With a quiet sigh, I climbed onto the counter, stretching on my toes until my fingers wrapped around the handle. As soon as I had it, I hopped down, setting it on the counter with a soft clink.I slid my headphones over my ears and walked to the island table in