Chapter Forty One

Amelia’s POVThe first thing I did was scream.Loud. Raw. Repeatedly.Not because I thought anyone would hear me. But because I needed to feel like I hadn’t given up yet.My voice echoed back at me—mocking, empty.I was alone.Still tied, still aching, still freezing in the damp rot of the basement Jacob Flynn had decided would be my prison.I tested the ropes again, twisting my wrists in every direction. They were tight, but not professional—he hadn’t done this before. Not like this. And maybe, just maybe, that was something I could use.I moved slowly, easing my back against the rough stone wall. I needed friction—something to saw against. The rope burned my skin, but I didn’t stop. Pain meant progress.Minutes passed. Or maybe hours. I lost track.Above me, footsteps creaked across the floor again. My heart jumped into my throat.No. Not yet. I wasn’t ready. Not until I got my hands free.The door opened.I went still.Jacob appeared in the doorway, carrying a tray.Food. A bottle

Last Updated : 2025-05-10

Chapter Forty Two

Amelia's POV The name dropped like an anvil between us.My world tilted.I stared at him, shaking my head slowly. “That’s… my father.”“I know,” he said quietly. “That’s why I thought you were part of it.”My chest tightened. “Part of what ?”Jeremy turned to a file cabinet, pulling out a thick envelope. Inside were grainy photos, scans of old letters, even a birth certificate— two of them.“The real Isabella Domitia was kidnapped when she was three,” he said. “The family never went public with it. Someone replaced her with a lookalike, carefully trained to take her place. They thought she was lost forever. Until I started digging.”I stared at the documents in shock. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”“Because I didn’t know who to trust. Then you showed up. At first, I thought maybe you were the imposter. Maybe the original was gone forever. But then I found this.”He pulled out a photo—me as a child.With Michael .It wasn’t staged. It wasn’t taken in secret. It was real.“I found

Last Updated : 2025-05-11

Chapter Forty Three

Amelia's POV I took a step back. “No—I didn’t know who I was. Not until *yesterday*. You have to believe me.”“He said you want money,” my father said. “And that if we want the *real* Isabella back, we’d better pay.”I blinked. “What?”“He has her. The girl you made the deal with. He said he’ll send her home. For a price.”Jeremy stepped forward, furious. “You’re telling me you believe *Elijah Brown*—a known blackmailer—over your own daughter and hard DNA evidence?”“You forged it,” my mother said, her voice sharp and shaky. “You tricked us once. We won’t be fooled again.”I swallowed hard. “Look at me.”My voice cracked.“Please.”My father’s hands curled into fists. His eyes glistened—but not with love. With grief. With betrayal.“We lost our daughter once,” he whispered. “We’re not letting someone *like you* do it again.”They turned.And just like that…They left me standing there.In my own home.Unwanted.We sat in the car in silence for a long time after.Jeremy stared at the

Last Updated : 2025-05-11

Chapter Forty Four

Amelia’s POVJulian didn’t ask questions that night.He didn’t press. He didn’t pry.He just let me be.When we got to his penthouse, he didn’t lead me to the guest room or ask if I wanted to talk. He simply handed me a sweatshirt two sizes too big, pointed to the bathroom, and said, “Take your time.”So I did.I stood in his shower longer than I should have, letting hot water soak through my bruised skin and rinse off the days I couldn’t talk about.When I stepped out, wrapped in warm cotton and still half-fragile, he was waiting in the living room. Sitting on the edge of the couch. Fire crackling low behind him.Two mugs on the coffee table. Tea. Not whiskey.I sat across from him. Our eyes met, and for a moment, we didn’t speak.We just… existed.“Did you eat?” he asked finally, voice soft.I shook my head.He got up, walked to the kitchen, and returned a few minutes later with grilled cheese and tomato soup—simple, warm, nostalgic.I hadn’t eaten something that comforting in years

Last Updated : 2025-05-12

Chapter Forty Five

Amelia’s POVI could feel him standing behind me even before I opened my eyes.The sound of the kettle clicking off. The scrape of a mug on the marble counter. The sharp breath he took before he finally turned and said it.“You can’t stay here.”The words landed with the precision of a scalpel. I sat up slowly on his couch, blanket sliding down my shoulders, throat thick with unshed shame. Sunlight slanted through the blinds, dust motes floating in its golden reach. The room was warm, but the silence between us made it feel glacial.“I just need a little more time,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.Julian didn’t respond. He walked to the window, coffee mug in hand, his jaw set hard enough to crack glass.“I can leave tonight,” I added quickly, heart pounding. “But I—I had nowhere else to go.”Still nothing.He didn’t look at me. Didn’t speak. Just stood there in his crisp white shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows, as if preparing to gut something.“I didn’t come back to manipu