All Chapters of - Familiar Stranger: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Samantha Pov The hall glittered with fairy lights, champagne flutes clinked, and soft music echoed through the laughter of the elite. Samantha adjusted her press badge, letting the camera hang heavily around her neck—a perfect mask for the storm brewing inside her. She had covered dozens of high-society events before, but never one that threatened to break her piece by piece. “Come on, Sanjana. You can do this. You’ve handled so many assignments,” I whispered under my breath. “You’re not Sanjana anymore, thenaive girl from Kashmir. You’re Samantha Blake now.. Leave the past in the past. It’s buried in the snow-peaked mountains of Kashmir.” I was so engrossed that I didn't realise when I reached inside. My colleague nudged me. “There he is. The groom-to-be. Handsome, isn’t he?” I followed her gaze. There he stood. Liam. My Liam. My heartbeat staggered. For a fraction of a second, my pulse quickened. Heat rushed to my face. Butterflies fluttered in the pit of my stomach.

Liam POV The mansion, once glittering with light and laughter, now stood in silence. Rain tapped softly against the windows, the only sound breaking the stillness. Darkness had swallowed the celebration, and the joy of the evening had faded. Only one room remained lit ,my private bar. The clink of glasses echoed as Kabir and I sat on barstools, having drinks. The bar was stocked with every liquor imaginable, but no liquor was strong enough to drown the ache in my chest. “Where were you? I didn’t see you the whole evening,” I asked him, with a glass of scotch keeping my voice low as I didn't want to disturb the stillness of the mansion. “I came late,”. He replied, pouring more golden liquid into his glass. “Don’t ask why. You already know.” Sipping from his glass, he replied. I sighed. “You never liked Rose. You always wanted Sanjana to be my wife.” With those words I downed my drink in a single gulp. The burn in my throat was sharp—but not sharper than the void that Sanjana left

The gut-wrenching scream tore through the eerie silence of the night. The nurse on night duty burst into the room, startled by the sound. Samantha was thrashing in her bed, her legs tangled in the sheets, fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Her face was flushed red, soaked with tears as she screamed in agony, her voice raw and trembling. “Miss Blake! Miss Blake—please, calm down! What’s wrong?” The nurse’s voice rose in urgency. “You’re safe. Please try to breathe.” Hearing someone else’s voice calmed her a bit . Samantha’s screams began to fade, though her chest still heaved with uneven breaths. Her body remained rigid. Before the nurse could do anything , the door slammed open. “What happened? I heard her shouting?” Tom appeared, his steps hurried but unstable. His head was bandaged, a deep cut across his forehead now dried with blood . His face bore small bruises, and his left arm rested in a sling. He limped slightly as he rushed to her bedside. “You shoul

Samantha pov “Following them took more effort than I expected. Every step was a battle, but curiosity outweighed the pain.”" Gentlemen, I appreciate your concern, but my niece isn’t in a condition to answer your questions right now. Give her a day or two, and I’ll personally arrange a more private setting. Thank you for your concern and patience." He dispersed them tactfully. The real question is, am I ready to face them? " Sam dear, what are you doing here? You were supposed to eat your meal?” He asked me." I was curious. Why do they want my interview? I don't want to face them. " I replied with a hesitant voice." You’re a journalist, Sam—you understand this world better than I do.” I nodded." I never wanted you to come here. But you are stubborn. You never listen to me. He is a bad omen. Whenever he is near Something bad happens." There was a concern on his face. "I needed closure. Something to make my heart finally believe he’s really gone." I kept my head on

Samantha’s POV**The rain had finally ceased by the time Uncle Henry brought me back to Hannah’s place. The house was quiet, warm, almost too calm after the stormy chaos of the night. I sank into the couch, exhaustion weighing me down like wet clothes clinging to skin.Aunty entered, her eyes widening the moment she saw me wrapped in a blanket.“Are you alright? You’re trembling. What happened?” Her voice carried the kind of worry that only a mother could summon.“She was drenched,” Uncle Henry answered evenly, tucking the blanket tighter around me. His calm tone contrasted with the storm that still rattled inside me.Aunty frowned. “Don’t tell me the conference was held in an open field?”“Uncle Henry ditched me,” I murmured before I could stop myself. The words slipped out like a betrayal, soft but sharp enough to hang in the air.Henry’s shoulders stiffened. “It’s not like that, child. I would never do that to you.” His gaze turned toward the window, distant, guarded. I looked awa