Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 10

Chapter 2 Last Summer The beach house in Miami was supposed to be Sienna’s escape. Two weeks away from the city. Away from expectations. Away from the quiet pressure of her future being decided in rooms she was never invited into. Her mother said she needed time to find herself before serious marriage discussions began. If only she knew. The house sat high on a cliff overlooking the ocean, all glass and white stone. Beautiful in the distant, untouchable way expensive things always were. But tonight, Sienna did not want beautiful. She wanted real. That was how she ended up walking barefoot toward the bonfire burning on the public beach below. She had watched it from her bedroom window for over an hour. The orange glow against the dark sky. The sound of laughter carried on the wind. People her age moving freely, loudly, without permission. People who were living. After midnight, she slipped out quietly, trading silk pajamas for jeans and a thin t shirt. If the security guard h

Chapter 4 Landon I told my father no when he asked me to come back home after five years that i left. He asked once. Calm. Polite. Like he was asking me to come home for dinner, not to sit through Noah’s engagement like a trained dog. I said no. He asked again two days later. His voice heavier this time. Said it mattered. Said family showed up. I said I was busy. Which was true. I always was. Somewhere else. Anywhere but there. Then he sent the picture. Noah. Smiling. Perfect. Golden. His arm around her waist like he owned the ground she stood on. Sienna. Her hair pulled back. Her face calm. Too calm. The kind of calm that came from practice. The kind people learned when they were taught not to break. Something inside me cracked when I saw her. Not loud. Not clean. Just a slow, ugly split. I booked the flight that night. I told myself it meant nothing. Told myself I was curious. Told myself I was bored. Lies stacked on lies, thin as paper. The truth sat deeper. I wante

Chapter 6 The text arrived before dawn. Family brunch today. Everyone will be there. Including Landon. Be ready at 11:30. Sienna’s body reacted before her mind did. Her stomach clenched. Her throat tightened. She lay still, staring at the ceiling as pale light crept through the curtains. For one weak second, she had forgotten. Then it all came back. The dinner. The note. Landon’s voice outside in the cold. You were nothing special. Her chest felt wrong. Like something inside her had been twisted and left that way. She pressed her palm against her ribs, hard, until pain bloomed and grounded her. Her father’s voice rose in her head, sharp and familiar. Don’t ruin this. The Callahan money is our lifeline. She sat up slowly. The mirror reflected a woman who looked thin and drained, like she had already given too much of herself away. Her phone buzzed again. Noah. Good morning, beautiful. Can’t wait to show you off today. Show you off. She swallowed and typed back. Can’t w

Chapter 8 The restaurant was everything Noah loved, expensive, elegant, the kind of place where powerful people made decisions over thousand-dollar bottles of wine. Crystal chandeliers hung like frozen constellations, casting light over polished tables set with silver and porcelain. Sienna sat across from him, watching his every movement, noting the focus in his eyes as he studied the menu with the same intensity he gave to business deals. Her engagement ring caught the candlelight, sparkling, heavy, a symbol of the life she had agreed to play along with. “The lobster looks incredible,” Noah said. “Or maybe the wagyu. What do you think?” “Whatever you want,” she said automatically. He glanced up, smiling. “You’re being very agreeable tonight. I like it.” Agreeable. Like that was her purpose. To be easy, quiet, pretty, a decoration that never caused problems. The word sank into her chest like a stone. “So I was thinking,” Noah continued, reaching for her hand, “maybe we should mov

Chapter 10 The ocean breeze hit her face, supposed to feel like freedom. But it felt more like punishment. Sienna stepped onto the balcony, escaping the master bedroom where Noah was unpacking their clothes with the same careful, perfect method he applied to everything. After hours in the car, after polite smiles and careful words, she could finally breathe. Or at least try. The sun was low, painting the sky orange and pink. The infinity pool sparkled below like liquid fire. And there he was. Landon. Shirtless. Cigarette between his lips. Golden skin glowing in the sunset. Tattoos that seemed alive as the shadows shifted across his arms. He held a phone to his ear, speaking in a low voice Sienna couldn’t hear. Then he laughed. Sharp. Cold. Cruel. Nothing like the warm laugh she remembered from the beach. Their eyes met. Her stomach twisted. Her hands trembled. For a moment, neither moved. Smoke curled from his cigarette like a ghost. His gaze was cold. Mocking. Like she was some