All Chapters of Selling Myself: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

Harper POVThe light cast a sliver of warm yellow across the door seam. I stood in the deep shadow, fingers resting on the brass handle, hesitant to push. The air inside the house had been suffocating since Father died."Joseph, I've settled it..."I barely managed to push the front door open before my arm was wrenched away. My body slammed against the leather sofa.A dull pain shot through my back, knocking the air from my lungs.When I opened my eyes, Joseph's face filled my vision."What did you talk about with Adrian?!" His jaw was rigid.I rubbed my reddened wrist, my voice a sheath of ice. "Do you honestly think there's another option?"I wanted to tell him that the name on that contract was mine.But looking at the desperate crimson in his eyes, I swallowed the words."Harper, Adrian is doing this purely to humiliate our family.""And he can crush us effortlessly, can't he?"Joseph buried his face in his hands, his voice raw and broken."No. I won't let Aria go..."Aria, th

Chapter 2

Harper POVThe medicine box from the storage closet was gone. Joseph must have taken it for Aria.I gave a grim smile, dragging myself back to my own room. As I passed Joseph's door, Aria's broken sobs drifted out.He was inside, gently applying antiseptic and whispering reassurances. His touch was soft, his tone gentle—exactly the way he used to be with me. Something twisted in my chest. The ache in my wounds deepened.I stood before the mirror and pulled off my dress. The reflection showed raw, red welts and bleeding cuts crisscrossing my body.I remembered how, even the smallest scratch on my finger was enough for Joseph to fuss over. He would clean it himself, wrap it carefully, forbid the maids to take over.And now, I picked up a damp wipe, awkwardly twisting my body to clean the gashes. The sting of the alcohol was sharp. I leaned against the chair back, biting my lip, afraid to breathe too hard through the pain.A few tears fell, and I tilted my head back, swallowing t

Chapter 3

Harper POVOnly two days remained before the departure, and I spent almost the entire time lying in the servant's room. The mattress was hard, the curtains faded and threadbare, and the air was thick with a faint, musty staleness.My cuts were beginning to scab over, but the wounds in my heart, I knew, would never fully heal.Thinking I needed to pack a few changes of clothes, I returned to the main house. A light, cheerful humming sound drifted from my walk-in closet. I paused, stopping dead in my tracks to peek through the door crack.Aria was inside, wearing one of my haute couture gowns. She posed in front of the mirror, shifting angles, as her phone emitted the faint click of the camera shutter."Why should she get to have all of this?"Another click."Send her off to be that pervert's plaything… and all of this will be mine."The doorknob felt ice-cold against my fingertips. I released it and stepped back.As long as she cried in front of Joseph… his choice in the end… would

Chapter 4

Joseph POV "Is this how you treat my woman?" Adrian's words detonated in my mind like thunder.My whole body shuddered; my mind went blank. Aria was supposed to be Adrian's mistress, wasn't she? How in the hell had it become Harper?In the instant she slipped from my grasp and fell, my heart seized in a white-hot vice, the agony threatening to scatter my soul.And now, Adrian was here to take her? My cherished princess, she would no longer be mine? My brain went into overload. For long seconds, I was incapable of rational thought.Harper was held tightly in Adrian's embrace, her face corpse-pale, her body slack. The raw collision of jealousy and protectiveness coiled my hands into fists. I advanced, step by step, ready to tear her back. I didn't care if Adrian fought me—I was utterly fearless."Adrian," I stared into his cold, indifferent gaze. "There's a problem with the previous contract. Let's sign a new one."He scoffed, his voice arrogant. "I'm not interested in the cont

Chapter 5

Harper POVWhen I woke from the coma, the stinging pain in my wrist and the stark white sheets told me I was in a hospital.My vision slowly swept across the room. Adrian was sitting by my bedside, a hint of mild amusement in his eyes.The last anchor point in my memory was him helping me into the car and asking, "Have you decided? You still have a chance to change your mind." My hand had brushed past his waist and touched something cold, hard metal. I gave a bitter smile in my heart. Good thing he hadn't put that thing to my head before asking the question.I answered with my final shred of strength, "I don't regret it." After that, memory was a white blur.This was the second time I'd seen him, and the first time I had truly looked at him. He was handsome, with a high bridge to his nose and sharply defined contours, like a masterpiece.Could a person like this really be a killer and a pervert?My body remained rigid, moving uncontrollably toward the side farthest from him."Wha

Chapter 6

Harper POVThe days settled into a quiet ritual of shared meals with Adrian, culminating in goodnights exchanged at the third-floor elevator landing. Two weeks slipped by in that strange calm.In truth, we didn't talk much. Most of the time, he would simply watch me in silence while I kept my head down, deliberately avoiding his gaze.One day, I suggested to Adrian that I wanted to go out. He readily agreed and arranged for a driver.In the department store, I walked through several floors and lingered in front of mirrors for a long time. It seemed no one was following me. Makes sense. On Adrian's turf, a single word from him, and no one stayed lost.As I walked down a secluded hallway, a hand suddenly grabbed my arm, and I was dragged abruptly into a family restroom. The man clapped a hand over my mouth, voice shaking."Harper, don't scream, it's me—"I froze, instantly stopping my struggle.Joseph.He released his grip, his eyes bloodshot and raw."Harper, I finally found you."

Chapter 7

Joseph POVI ran after Harper, but she was gone. The hallway was deserted, as if the confrontation had never occurred. I stood there in a daze for a long moment before finally heading home in defeat.Every day since she left, I had been staking out Adrian's villa. Father's crew had long disbanded, the men scattered; I had to handle everything myself. I didn't care. For Harper, I would go without sleep, without food, without fear.Finally, on the fifteenth day of staking the place out, I found her. But she refused to escape with me. In that single moment, my world utterly collapsed.I slumped onto the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling.The door suddenly burst open, followed by the clicking of high heels on the floor. Aria walked in, laughing, with three people in luxury store uniforms trailing behind her. They carried bag after bag into the house, piling them up into a small mountain. When the door closed, the air was thick with perfume and the scent of new leather.Aria h

Chapter 8

Harper POV My spine snapped tight, and my heart hammered wildly. I instinctively turned to flee, but Adrian swiftly pulled me back, pinning me against his solid chest."It's alright. It's just me."I struggled on instinct, but his hold was unbreakable."Cry if you need to." His arms tightened, his voice a deep thrum that seeped into my core.His embrace was warm, and I gave up the struggle. The tears I had suppressed for so long broke free. My shoulders convulsed with sobs as I collapsed weakly against him."Adrian… I hate you…" My voice was choked, a tearing pain surging from my chest. Why was this happening? He killed my father, and yet… I was growing to like him."It's alright," he murmured, a slight smile touching his lips. "One day, you won't hate me anymore."A phone vibration broke the brief moment of peace. After a few short instructions, he wiped my tears away. "Perfect. I'm taking you somewhere."The car wound through the streets, finally stopping beside an abandoned

Chapter 9

Harper POV Adrian said he would take me out for a drive. The car had just pulled out of the courtyard when Joseph blocked the hood.I asked Adrian to stop the car and stepped out. Joseph stood before me, his eyes bloodshot and raw."Harper," his voice was hoarse, "I found it… I watched the street corner surveillance video…" "I'm sorry…"My eyes stung bitterly, and my throat felt clogged.Slight footsteps sounded behind me. Adrian's hand smoothed over my arm, pressing down firmly.I let out a cold laugh. "You believed everything Aria told you. The moment she cried, you decided I was the one bullying her."He interrupted me frantically. "I was wrong. I've already thrown her out of the house. Come back with me, Harper, and I'll spoil you like I used to."I shook my head, my gaze chilling by degrees. "It's impossible, Joseph. That obedient Harper died the second I fell off the roof."Adrian's grip tightened further. His scent, his body heat, made me feel a stability I had never know

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP