All Chapters of Rising From Betrayal : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Chapter 1 ~ Mirabella ~ Loud moans filled the room. Worse, my curiosity got the better of me. I should have knocked. Why shouldn't I stay at my husband's house? Was it a crime to come back early? I stretched my legs into the building, the loud moans growing more intense as I pushed the door ajar. What I saw made my tear glands explode. My heart had fluttered at the thought of coming home to meet my husband. I’d expected many things when I came home early—but my husband entangled in bed with my sister wasn’t one of them. I should have knocked. I wished I had. But it was too late. I was already inside, my eyes wide, trying to understand what was happening, my brain scrambling. My lips parted in a silent ‘o’ as I stared at my husband and my sister in bed, their bodies tangled beneath the sheets. You’d think they would scramble to cover their shame, but they just stared at me lazily from where I stood at the door. I had come home earlier than expected. Why wouldn’t I? I had news to s

Chapter 3~ Ethan ~“Sir, it seems you don’t understand how crucial this deal is to us,” my assistant, Aiden, said, standing in front of my desk.I barely heard him. My focus was on the glass of whiskey I was slowly swirling in my hand, watching the amber liquid catch the light.Crucial deal. Important. Whatever.I knew that already. Robert Enterprises had been aggressively expanding into the tech sector for years, and this merger was our best shot at securing a dominant foothold.We could probably succeed on our own, but without the right software infrastructure, our ambitions were dead in the water. We needed innovation—something that could redefine digital security on a global scale.And we found it.The app was called Haven.Or rather—she had found it.Miss Carter. The mysterious CEO of Haven.Her app had started as a small project—something grassroots and under-the-radar—but it had exploded into a revolutionary tool for women's safety. AI-powered, real-time threat detection. Evid

Chapter 5~ Mirabella ~Two hours later, I sat in the doctor’s office, my foot tapping anxiously against the tiled floor while Theo played quietly beside me, twisting the small teddy bear in his hands.Ethan had agreed to come in for the test. He was currently waiting outside, unaware of Theo’s presence—and I preferred to keep it that way. At least until we were sure.“Mum?” Theo’s soft, hesitant voice pulled me from my spiraling thoughts. I turned to him quickly.“Yes, baby?” I leaned forward, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes.His gaze stayed distant, more focused on the bear than on me—but I was used to that. “Why are we here? You said no more hospital visits.”I pressed a kiss to his forehead, voice gentle. “We’re only here for a few minutes, okay? I just need to grab something.”He finally looked at me. For a moment, those blue-brown eyes locked onto mine with an innocent hope that squeezed my heart so tightly I almost forgot how to breathe.“I… I wanna go back to S

Chapter 7~ Mirabella ~My heart drummed as I strolled out the hallway onto the outside pavement. I stilled and straightened myself when I saw Cole's car parked right outside the building.Even from afar, I could feel his gaze tear my clothes into shreds as I approached. Very nasty of Cole. Normally, it shouldn't bother me, but something else was eating deep into me.Cole leaned over to the other side and, before I could reach the handle, he’d already opened it for me.“Thanks,” I murmured, pressing a thin-lined smile.“Of course. Anything for my lady.”I shut the door as he clicked the central lock and revived the engine—not without giving me that small, genuine smile I’d grown accustomed to over the past few years and had come to love.As his hands moved, reversing out, I couldn’t focus completely on the moment. My mind drifted back to someone. Ethan’s face. The way it dropped when I told him I wouldn’t let him be Theo’s father. And next—my precious, poor son, Theo.I’m really sorry

Chapter 9~ Ethan ~My grip tightened around the wheel, knuckles pale against the leather. With a grunt, I yanked one hand free to loosen the suffocating knot of my tie. What a shitty day—twisted and relentless from start to not even finish yet.But not all of it.Theo’s soft, clogged snores drifted up, pulling my gaze toward him. He slept with his head tilted slightly, chest rising and falling in quiet rhythm. His little nose—high-bridged and struggling for breath—twitched with each inhale.Leaning forward against the pull of my seatbelt, I gently adjusted his head, guiding it upright to keep his neck from straining.He looked so much like me, it was almost eerie. No test was needed to prove paternity—I knew, deep in my bones, this boy was mine.My eyes caught the small birthmark by his nose, and one by his left eye. Same spot as mine. Even if Lena had never confirmed it, Theo's features alone would’ve silenced any doubt. Everything about him screamed me—like some ghost of my past tu