Semua Bab POWERLESS: Bab 11 - Bab 20

Alexander’s voice was smooth, unbothered. “I need to shower.” Before I could react, his fingers curled around my arm, pushing me gently aside. Then, without another glance, he stepped into the bathroom and shut the door in my face. I blinked at the polished wood, stunned at how quickly he went from hot to cold. Oh well. What was I expecting? A heartfelt moment? No touching. That’s what the contract said. And yet, some foolish part of me had almost believed—No. Stop. Shaking off the ridiculous thought, I exhaled sharply. I needed to get out of here. Slipping out of Alexander’s bedroom, I scanned the hallway, my heartbeat picking up. The last thing I needed was to run into Gratia again. I tiptoed across the grand staircase, relief flooding me as I reached my bedroom door— “So, you don’t sleep in the same room as your husband?” I stiffened. That voice. Drew. His tone was silky, teasing, yet something about it felt… off. Slowly, I turned. He leaned lazily agai

“Of course, Celeste, I know that. I’m married to Alex, remember?” I lied, letting out a light, almost amused laugh as I stared into her dumb eyes. Or at least, what I wanted to believe were dumb eyes. In truth, this woman was anything but. There was a sharpness beneath her doll-like beauty, that made me feel like I should tread lightly. I hadn’t known this hospital belonged to Alex, but the revelation didn’t surprise me. What did surprise me, however, was seeing Celeste here. After the strange way I’d been introduced to her, I never thought I’d come across her again. And yet, here she was, standing before me like a ghost I couldn’t shake off. Celeste tilted her head slightly, her smirk never faltering, her gaze sharp and unwavering. “What are you doing here?” I froze. My mind scrambled for a lie. I couldn’t tell her I was here to see my mother. There was something about her that made my instincts scream danger—like she knew Beatrice. And if Beatrice had meant something to Ale

The days after Nadia’s death were the most toxic, suffocating days I had ever experienced. And that didn’t stop the press. They swarmed outside the estate gates, cameras flashing, eager to capture a glimpse of the very window where Nadia had hung herself. The funeral wasn’t what I expected either. It wasn’t like the ones on television, where people wept openly, their sobs cutting through the air. Instead, it was eerily quiet. Only Drew, his mother… who, surprisingly, didn’t cry as much anymore… and a handful of family members attended. I wasn’t allowed to speak to any of them. I stood beside Alexander, feeling the weight of their stares like invisible shackles. We were all dressed in black. A man with jet-black hair, introduced as Mr. Bolivar, Alexander’s new bodyguard stood nearby. Celeste, too. And unlike everyone else, she wore a bright pink blouse and black pants, as if the occasion was a fashion show instead of a funeral. Even now, she went to great lengths to get Alexande

“Girl, you’ve been through a lot.” Candice slurped her ramen noisily, twirling the noodles around her chopsticks with practiced ease. Beside her sat a can of flat Diet Coke just the way she liked it. Don’t ask me why. She’s just weird like that. I sighed, rubbing my temples. “I don’t even know what to say, Candice. The whole thing is just so… bizarre.” Leaning in, I tugged her ear playfully. “Promise me you won’t tell anyone about this, okay? Just between us.” Candice snorted. “Girl, you think I’d go around spilling your Blackwood mansion drama? Please. Everyone already thinks you’re living the dream over there. And honestly?” She jabbed a chopstick at me. “It kinda looks like you are.” If only she knew. Two weeks. That’s how long I’d been trapped in that house since Nadia’s bizarre suicide, suffocating under the weight of grief and secrets I still didn’t understand. Nadia’s sudden death had left a heavy silence in the estate, the room she was discovered in, permanently sea

“Alexander freaking Blackwood.” Candice let out an ear-piercing squeal, spinning on her heel like she was about to launch herself at him. Whatever she was trying to do, gush over him, maybe… went horribly wrong because she promptly lost her balance and crashed onto the ground in a heap, her short skirt riding up to expose black lace underwear. Jake, still processing the shock of everything, blinked before bending down to scoop her up. She slumped against him, mumbling something incoherent, completely oblivious to the tension crackling in the air. Alexander, on the other hand, hadn’t moved. He just stood there, his silver eyes locked onto mine—unblinking, unreadable. He wore a loose brown shirt with long sleeves and matching pants, an almost careless contrast to his usual sharp attire. I was surprised he wasn’t with his bodyguard. And suddenly, I felt it. Embarrassment. No. Humiliation. I was standing in a grimy alleyway, surrounded by drunk idiots, outside a rundown bar