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Lahat ng Kabanata ng A Girl Can Only Dream : Kabanata 21 - Kabanata 30

30 Kabanata

Ch 21: The fishy hotel

The hotel was breathtaking in the way only old money new how to be.Everything smelled faintly of citrus and another scent I could not quite pin down. Victoria took it all in with the ease of someone who just didn't belong here but like she owned the place. Wouldn't be surprised if she did."This hotel," she said as we were led to our table, "is one of my favourites. Me and the owner go way back." She smiled, a small knowing smile. "I practically watched it grow from renovation disaster to this."Jonah murmured something impressed. I just nodded.Before we even sat properly, victoria already had the menu in hand. She barely glanced at it."We'll have the aged salmon," she told the waiter smoothly. "And the house wine. The older bottle. Not the one the tourists gets."The waiter nodded and then quietly disappeared.I hadn't even opened my mouth."You'll love it," she said turning to me. "It's a simple local cuisine. But people trying to modernize it ruined it. But here they follow the

Ch 22: Who's not ready?

The next day, the castle felt different.Lighter. Louder.Cole had thrown a party with the enthusiasm of someone determined to prove that he could throw one. Music drifted through the halls, glasses clinked, laughter echoed against stone walls.For what felt like a long time, I could finally breathe.Cole was everywhere at once. Laughing, greeting the guests, playing the perfect host. Megan hovered nearby, radiant and relaxed. Seeing them together eased something in my chest.I told myself yesterday was a fluke.Cassian was nowhere to be seen. It felt as if he was avoiding me. Victoria arrived fashionably late.She didn't announce herself. She never needed to. Conversations shifted as she entered, heads turning , attention bending to her direction. She looked unbothered, as if the night had always belonged to her.I had drank more than I should have.One glass had turned into another, then another, the warmth spreading through my veins until the room started spinning. The music was g

Ch 23: How misery looks like

The next morning arrived with consequences.I swallowed the pill dry, wincing as my stomach protested. My period had started sometime in the early hours. It was Late, dramatic, and entirely unapologetic. I stared at the small blister pack in my hand like it had personally betrayed me.As if on cue, Cole knocked and stuck his head in, far too cheerful for someone who had just dragged me out of a half-sleeping haze.“Get dressed,” he said. “We’re heading out. Charity gala."I groaned, pulling the covers over my head. “I don’t feel great.”“Too bad,” he replied lightly. “You’ll be fine.”I wanted to say no. I really did. But the idea of being left alone in the castle, alone with my thoughts, with him, with last night replaying itself on a vicious loop felt worse.I was mortified and the memory of the night made me wince more than the pain did.So I went.Outside, a car was already waiting. The door opened smoothly, and I slid in, grateful for the quiet, the cool leather, the anonymity of

Ch 24: When Tomorrow comes

Hours later, I was still awake.The room was too quiet. Too perfect and yet it felt suffocating. Everything about it from the neatly made bed to the soft, neutral tones felt like it had been designed for calm. But I was anything but calm.I lay on my back, staring at the ceiling, one arm thrown over my eyes as if that could block out the mess in my head. The maid had been polite, too polite, when she’d led me here. She walked fast matching my pace. I wanted to get away from him.I had tried to nap but failed. Miserably.There was no point.My mind wouldn’t shut up, and my body wasn’t helping either. My lower abdomen throbbed dully, the kind of ache that made everything feel heavier, more irritating than it should be. My hormones had clearly decided to join the chaos, amplifying every emotion until it felt just slightly out of control.I exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down my face.What was he thinking?Who gave him the right?Dragging me out here like I was some problem to be manage

Ch 25: Realization of what I almost became

Sleep didn’t come easy. I had tossed and turned for what felt like hours, the sheets tangling around my legs, my mind refusing to quiet. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face. Heard his voice. Felt that same infuriating mix of control and calm that made my blood boil.By the time I finally drifted off, it barely counted as rest.Morning came too soon.I squinted at the sunlight streaming through the curtains, groaning as I dragged a pillow over my face. “Seriously?” I muttered. “Even the sun is cheerful today?”My mood hadn’t improved. I could feel the grimace on my face. And my head was mildly throbbing.The shower helped, slightly. The hot water eased the tension in my body, dulled the edge of the cramps, but it did nothing for the anger still simmering under my skin.When I stepped out, I headed for the dresser. It was stocked with every fancy outfit, a lady would dream of having.I frowned as I opened it. I felt terrible wearing them, maybe they belonged to someone else. But

ch 25: Always a friend

The ride back was not long. I barely registered the roads this time, my thoughts louder than anything outside the window. By the time we reached the castle, I felt calmer and my mind cleared.And that was worse. Now I had to face people. I had to face Cole. I couldn't quite explain my guilt.I found myself seated in the living room between Cole and Megan before I could even think of an excuse to escape.Megan’s hand rested lightly on my arm. “Are you okay?” she asked softly.“I’m fine,” I said automatically.Cole leaned forward, elbows on his knees, studying me. “I was worried about you,” he admitted. “I asked my uncle to drop you by a clinic before bringing you back.”I blinked at him, thrown off. “I’m okay,” I said again, this time slower.Megan frowned slightly. “We tried calling you all night,” she added. “Your phone wasn’t being picked. We were really worried.”“All night?” I repeated.She nodded. “Yeah. But Cassian said you were resting at his place, so we tried not to panic.”I

Ch 26: The party Calls

The corset is too much,” I complained, gripping the edge of the dresser.“Stand still,” Megan said, completely ignoring me.The strings tightened.I gasped, “Megan....!”She gave one final, merciless pull before tying it off with satisfaction. “There,” she said, stepping back to admire her work. “Perfect.”I turned slightly, trying to breathe like a normal human being. “I think my lungs just filed a complaint.”Megan snorted. “You’re fine, your ribs are strong they'll hold.”“I’m not fine,” I argued. “I can hear my heartbeat.”“That’s because you look hot,” she shot back casually. “And your boobs? Incredible. That corset is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do.”I stared at her. “I don’t want to die looking incredible.”“You won’t,” she said, waving me off. “People have survived worse for fashion.”I narrowed my eyes. “Name one.”“…some nameless thin waisted lady, back in the french revolution. You know how hot they looked,.....but that's not the point.”I let out a slow breath, adj

Ch 27: Tequilas and shots

The party was in full blast. Music pounded through the walls, laughter spilled into every corner, and the air was thick with alcohol and excitement.I was definitely intoxicated. Megan was worse. She was currently straddling Cole, laughing into his neck while he tried, and failed to maintain any form of dignity.“Okay… yeah,” I muttered to myself. “That’s my cue.”“Air,” I announced to no one in particular, already turning toward the exit.“......isa.....come back!” Megan shouted behind me.Tequila. That’s where it all went wrong. We’d started with one shot and more kept coming. Then… everything blurred.Outside, the night air hit me hard. I bent forward, retching, gripping onto the nearest surface like my life depended on it.“Okay,” I whispered hoarsely. “We’re never doing that again.”I tried to stand straight, but the ground tilted in protest. My legs didn’t seem interested in cooperating either.“Great,” I muttered.I staggered forward and walked straight into someone.“Oh....sor

Ch 28: pictures and consequences

The next morning felt heavier. Cole was in his study with his brother. I’d only caught a glimpse of them earlier. Their voices low, tense, the kind of conversation that didn’t need to be heard to be understood.A picture had already made its rounds through the media, of Cole and Megan. Inside the club, with her straddling him, looking so carefree and full of life.I wasn’t in it. And somehow, that didn’t make me feel better. Because the problem wasn’t the picture.It was what they were being accused of.After the paparazzi showed up, someone had set off a firework inside the bar. Chaos followed, panic spread and a waitress injured. And now blame.Cole had denied it immediately. Said they were just as shocked as everyone else. That they ran because everyone else did, which was true.But truth didn’t seem to matter once a story started spreading. He was now labelled a reckless prince, around irresponsible company. And it became a royal scandal.I sat in the garden, my phone resting in m

Ch 30: The scandal

Supper was… quiet. The clacking of cutlery on the plate, made it more somber. And our new company, Louise, Cole's new personal assistant, wasn't the best person to have around. He had this permanent scowl, as if he hated being there.Megan and Cole sat across from each other, but there was a distance between them that hadn’t been there before. Not physical, but something heavier. Something the media had carved out and left behind.It was understandable.After everything, there harsh headlines, the names they were branding her. They blamed her of corrupting Cole. Gone far as to accuse her of being a gold digger, ready to milk their taxes.I glanced at Megan. She looked composed, as always. Shoulders straight. Expression neutral. But her silence said enough.The media had gone further too. They’d dug into her past, into things that weren’t meant for public consumption. Things I hadn’t even known. Turns out Megan's mother was Velorian. She was a child actor. But she'd gotten pregnant at

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