Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 11 - Chapitre 20

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CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER 11 – Unraveling the TruthAriana's POVI had barely slept. The silence of the house, the suffocating tension between the walls, it all felt too much. Every creak of the floorboards, every whisper in the dark, made my skin crawl. I was no longer just a stepdaughter in this house. I was a prisoner in a game I didn't understand, surrounded by men who desired me in ways that made my blood run cold. And worse, I was starting to feel the pull of their obsession.The events of last night—Victor’s warning, Luca’s declaration, Ethan’s confession—kept replaying in my mind. I had barely processed it before I was thrust back into the madness of my new life.And now, I was supposed to face them again.I stood in front of my mirror, staring at my reflection, but not seeing the girl who once felt innocent and safe. The girl I was before moving into the Sterling mansion seemed like a distant memory. What happened to her? Where did she go?“Stop thinking about them.” I whispered to myself. But

Dernière mise à jour : 2026-01-26

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER 12 – Secrets Behind Closed DoorsAriana's POVThe next few days passed in a blur. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was lurking just beneath the surface of every interaction, every glance from Ethan, Luca, and Victor. It was like I was living in a house of mirrors, each reflection twisted and distorted by secrets I couldn’t quite grasp.After Victor’s warning, I stayed on edge, constantly watching my back. The house, which had once seemed like an oppressive but manageable space, now felt suffocating, as if the walls themselves were closing in on me.The strangest part was the way Victor kept his distance after our conversation. He no longer loomed over me, no longer tried to corner me with his eyes or his touch. Instead, he watched me from afar, his gaze always there, calculating. It was like he was waiting for something.I hated the way he made me feel. But what I hated more was the pull he still had over me. Despite everything he’d said, despite the way he’d manipu

Dernière mise à jour : 2026-01-27

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER 13 – The Unspoken TruthAriana’s POVThe campus was buzzing with the usual morning energy. Students huddled in groups, discussing assignments and weekend plans, while the scent of coffee wafted from the nearby café. I had barely been able to concentrate through my classes, the weight of everything that had happened at home dragging on me like a lead blanket. The tension between Ethan, Luca, and Victor was slowly driving me to the edge, and I couldn’t escape it. I had no choice but to pretend to be okay.But today, I had to face someone I wasn’t sure how to handle anymore.I spotted Maya near the entrance of the library, her usual bright smile in place, though it didn’t reach her eyes. She waved enthusiastically as I approached, but there was something stiff in her movements, like she was afraid to show too much warmth.“Hey,” I said, forcing a smile. “How’s everything?”Maya shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her arms crossed over her chest. “I’m good,” she said, t

Dernière mise à jour : 2026-01-27

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER 14 – The Secrets We KeepAriana’s POVThe moment I stepped into the house, I could feel the shift. It was subtle, but it was there—like a shadow lurking behind the walls, just out of sight. The air was thick with tension, and I couldn’t help but feel like I was walking into a storm that had been building for weeks. The unease from Maya’s words still clung to me, a weight I couldn’t shake.I tried to escape it, tried to pretend that everything was fine, but I couldn’t anymore. The reality of my life, of my place in the Sterling house, was too much to ignore. The brothers were constantly watching me, constantly pulling me in different directions. I never knew what to expect next. And it was suffocating.I closed the door behind me, the silence of the house enveloping me like a suffocating blanket. As I moved deeper into the hallway, I saw Ethan leaning against the wall, his eyes locked on me the moment I stepped into his line of sight.“You’re late,” he said, his voice low and s

Dernière mise à jour : 2026-01-29

CHAPTER Fifteen

CHAPTER 15 – Tipping PointAriana’s POVThe moment I stepped into the Sterling mansion that afternoon, I felt the weight of the air shift around me. There was something different about today. The house felt colder, the silence deeper, and my pulse—louder. I could almost feel eyes on me, even though I knew no one was watching.I dropped my bag on the couch and walked through the expansive hallway. The house was silent, too silent, almost suffocating. Usually, there was at least a hum of activity, but today, everything seemed still. I walked to the kitchen, hoping to find Mom or maybe even a distraction, but the kitchen was empty.I turned and froze when I saw Victor standing at the end of the hall, his eyes already fixed on me. The air between us seemed to crackle with unspoken tension, the kind I couldn’t escape, no matter how hard I tried.“Ariana,” he said, his voice low, almost a whisper. “We need to talk.”I didn’t want to talk. I didn’t want to deal with him, not now. The weight

Dernière mise à jour : 2026-01-29

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER 16 – The Dangerous GameAriana’s POVI woke up the next morning with a sense of dread heavy on my chest. The nightmares hadn’t come last night, but the tension that had built up in the house was enough to make me feel suffocated. The walls seemed to close in on me more with each passing day, and every glance from Ethan or Luca made my pulse race in a way I hated.The moment I stepped into the kitchen, the usual chaos of breakfast was missing. The house felt oddly quiet. I glanced around, unsure of where anyone was, and then saw Victor at the table, his back turned to me as he sipped his coffee. The faintest flicker of his eyes caught mine before he lowered his gaze back to the paper in front of him.“You’re late,” Victor said, his voice carrying an unsettling calm. “I trust everything’s okay?”“I—yeah, I guess,” I muttered, feeling the weight of his stare. I hadn’t slept well, but I didn’t feel like explaining it to him. What was the point?Victor’s lips curled into a faint, a

Dernière mise à jour : 2026-01-29

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER 17 – Lines That Shouldn’t BlurAriana’s POVI didn’t go back inside immediately after Luca left me standing in the cold.I stayed there, wrapped in my cardigan, breathing in air that felt sharper than usual, like it was trying to wake me up. My phone buzzed in my pocket, but I ignored it. Right now, silence felt safer than voices.By the time I finally returned to the house, the lights in the living room were off. The mansion felt like it was holding its breath. I moved quietly upstairs, every step careful, every sound amplified in my head. I didn’t want to run into anyone. Not Ethan. Not Luca. And especially not Victor.I locked my door and leaned against it, my heart pounding.This was getting out of control.The next morning, I escaped early, barely touching my breakfast before grabbing my bag and heading out. College had become my only refuge—the one place where I could almost pretend my life was still normal.Almost.I was halfway across campus when I heard my name.“Aria

Dernière mise à jour : 2026-01-29

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER 18 – When Wanting Turns Into WatchingAriana’s POVI didn’t sleep.Every time I closed my eyes, that message replayed in my head.You think you know who wants you. You don’t.I kept checking my phone, half-expecting another text to appear. None came. The silence felt deliberate—like someone was enjoying my fear.Morning arrived too quickly.At breakfast, the tension was thick enough to choke on.Victor sat at the head of the table, calm and composed, reading the news like nothing in the world was wrong. Ethan barely touched his food. Luca watched me with a lazy smile that didn’t reach his eyes.My mom hummed softly as she poured coffee, completely unaware of the invisible war happening inches from her.“Big day?” she asked me.“Just classes,” I said, forcing a smile.Victor looked up. “I’ll drive you.”My spoon clinked against the bowl.“That’s not necessary,” I said quickly. “I usually take the bus.”“I insist,” he replied, tone firm but polite. The kind of insistence that wa

Dernière mise à jour : 2026-01-29

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER 19 – The One Who Was WatchingAriana’s POVThe first thing I realized was that I wasn’t alone.The second was that whoever it was didn’t want me to know.I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, my phone dark beside me. Midnight had come and gone. I hadn’t gone to the garden. I’d told myself it was fear that stopped me, but that was a lie. Fear had nothing to do with it.I stayed because something felt… off.Too quiet.The Sterling mansion had its own rhythm—footsteps, doors closing, distant murmurs. Tonight, it felt hollow. Like the house itself was holding its breath.A faint sound brushed my ears.Not footsteps.Breathing.I sat up slowly, heart pounding.“Ariana,” I told myself silently. You’re imagining things.Then I saw it.The shadow beneath my door.It shifted.Just slightly.Someone was standing outside my room.My chest tightened so fast it hurt. I slid my hand under my pillow, fingers closing around my phone. I didn’t call Mom. I didn’t text anyone.I listened.The

Dernière mise à jour : 2026-01-30

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER 20 – Familiar Faces, Dangerous TruthsAriana’s POVI didn’t turn around immediately.I couldn’t.Because once I did, there would be no undoing what I’d seen on my phone. No pretending I was paranoid. No convincing myself I’d imagined the shadow in my room or the messages that knew too much.My pulse roared in my ears.Slowly, I forced myself to breathe. In. Out. Then I turned.Third row. Seat behind me.She sat there like she always had—legs crossed, pen tapping lightly against her notebook, expression bored and unimpressed with the world.Naomi.My best friend.The same Naomi who’d held my hand when my parents divorced. The same Naomi who’d warned me in whispers to be careful around Ethan before everything changed. The same Naomi who had once loved him—and never quite stopped.Our eyes met.Her tapping stopped.For a fraction of a second, something unreadable flickered across her face. Then she smiled and lifted her hand in a casual wave.My stomach dropped.No. No, no, no.I

Dernière mise à jour : 2026-01-30

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