Semua Bab UGLY SCARS: Bab 51 - Bab 60

VIVIAN POV. I woke up smiling. The sheets still smelled like him—Michael. My hand lazily reached across the bed for his warmth, but the space beside me was cold and empty. He must’ve gotten up earlier, as usual. Probably on the balcony, sipping one of his overpriced whiskeys and pretending he wasn’t addicted.I stretched, the silk of my night robe brushing against my thighs. Today was the day. Finally, the day they would stop pretending Victoria Langston mattered. The day I officially became what I was always meant to be—the CEO of Langston Hotel.They’d delayed the announcement for too long, hoping for a miracle that would never come. Victoria was gone. Dead. Even though her body is yet to be found, it’s been two months now. There’s no way she survived that fall. And if by some weird chance she managed to crawl out of hell? I’d just kill her again—and again. Until she stayed buried.I padded toward the living room, the mansion still quiet. There he was, out on the balcony—Michael. H

VICTORIA POV. “Vivian, why are you bringing up ridiculous assumptions about me?” My voice rang through the boardroom, steady, cold. “Aren’t you happy to see that I—your sister—is alive?”Vivian blinked rapidly. “O-of course… ye-yeah…” Her voice was thin. “I just wanna make sure it’s you, you know? We’ve all assumed you were dead.”I stepped forward. She stepped back. “Then did you kill me?”“What?” she laughed, too quickly. “What are you talking about? Why would I want to kill my own sister?”“Enough!” My father’s voice sliced through the room, the tension splintering. He rose, his hand stretched out in warning. “That’s enough noise for one day.”My mother looked like the whole thing was draining her soul. Her eyes were dull, her shoulders slumped. I wondered if this whole game Vivian played was finally catching up with her.“We’ll settle this right now,” my father said, striding to the head of the room. “Victoria, if you truly are who you say you are, you’ll know the answer to this.

VICTORIA POV.I stood there, frozen. Applause roared around me, but it sounded like a scream in my ears. A betrayal, a cruel joke. What the hell was going on?Had they brought me here just to watch my downfall—to crown someone else in my place? To humiliate me?Jake stood up beside me, just as stunned. “Calm down… Victoria,” he whispered, leaning close. “Don’t react now—just hold it in.”“Don’t tell me to calm down,” I hissed under my breath. “Tell me what the hell is going on.” My voice cracked, and I swallowed hard, pain blurring my vision. “Am I dreaming?”My heart was pounding. I felt dizzy, unwanted, lost. Jake gently tugged my hand, coaxing me to sit beside him again. My legs were weak, but I let myself fall into the seat.Up front, she smiled. The room clapped like fools in a circus. And there she was—Vivian—wrapped in the arms of my mother, my father—my family.“Thank you so much, Mother! Thank you, Father!” she beamed, her voice sweet. “It’s such an incredible honor to stand

VICTORIA POV. “Wake up, Princess.”Jake’s voice came soft against my forehead, his lips brushing my skin. I stirred, eyes fluttering open to the hazy morning light bleeding through the curtains. I yawned, stretched, and blinked twice just to be sure it wasn’t all a bad dream.My mind was still foggy from sleep, but my heart was heavy. So of course, it wasn’t a dream. Vivian had stolen my position as CEO. My own sister. And I still didn’t know how the hell that happened.I sat up slowly, the ache beneath my ribs a dull reminder that healing doesn’t always mean healed. On the small wheeled table in front of me was breakfast. It was simple but made with love—fluffy buttermilk pancakes, topped with whipped cream and raspberries, a side of honey-basted turkey bacon, and a tall glass of iced hazelnut latte, just the way I liked it. Jake must’ve put so much thought into it, down to every little detail. But even love couldn’t sweeten the bitterness in my mouth. I didn’t deserve this kind of

VICTORIA POV. It had been five days. Five long, bitter days since Vivian stole the empire from me like a thief. And I still haven’t returned home.I’d been hiding. First behind grief, then behind Jake’s arms—warm, safe, always there. I ignored every call from Mom and Dad, letting their voices die in voicemails. And when Jake said he had to return to his family today, I all but begged him to stay a little longer. Just one more hour. One more kiss. One more day of pretending everything was okay.But pretending couldn’t last forever. I stood in front of the full-length mirror, dressed in black high-waisted pants and a soft cashmere top. I stared at my reflection, but I wasn’t really looking at myself. I was floating somewhere in my head again—rewinding, replaying, obsessing.Jake’s reflection stepped into the frame behind me, slicing through the fog in my mind. Blue shirt unbuttoned just enough to tease skin, his half-face mask set perfectly, his scent warm and musky—so Jake, so addicti