Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 31 - Chapitre 40

Ariana’s POVI learned something important that night.Silence in the Sterling mansion never meant peace.It meant something was waiting.The house was unusually still when I returned from campus, the kind of stillness that pressed against my ears until my thoughts grew loud and restless. My heels echoed on the marble floor as I stepped inside, my heart already uneasy. Victor’s car was in the driveway. So was Ethan’s. Luca’s motorcycle leaned against the side wall like it had been thrown there in a hurry.All of them were home.I hadn’t planned for that.I closed the door quietly, slipping off my shoes, moving like a guest in a house that had never truly accepted me. Ever since the contract rumors started circulating online—anonymous posts hinting at “improper relationships” within a respected medical family—the tension had tripled.And somehow, all fingers pointed at me.I made it halfway up the stairs before Victor’s voice stopped me.“Ariana.”Just my name.No anger. No warmth.Tha

Chapter 33 – The Truth They Chose to HideAriana’s POVI didn’t sleep.Every time I closed my eyes, Victor’s voice came back—Tomorrow, the truth comes out.Morning arrived anyway. It always did. Cruel and indifferent.I sat on the edge of my bed as sunlight crept through the curtains, my phone clenched in my hand. No new messages. No explanation. Just that threat hanging over my head like a loaded gun.Downstairs, the house was too quiet.Mom had already left for work. The staff moved carefully, like they could sense something was wrong but didn’t dare name it. Even the air felt heavy.I poured myself coffee I didn’t drink.Then the doorbell rang.Once.Twice.Three times.Sharp. Insistent.My heart slammed into my ribs.When I opened the door, I wasn’t prepared for who stood there.Emily.My former best friend.She looked different—older somehow. Harder. Her eyes flicked past me into the house, like she expected to see someone else.“You shouldn’t be here,” I said.She laughed softly

Chapter 35 – The Lie Beneath Her NameAriana’s POVI didn’t sleep.Every time I closed my eyes, Victor’s voice echoed in my head—calm, controlled, dangerous. And beneath it, the message burned itself into my thoughts.Including why your mother was chosen.Chosen.The word felt wrong. Like my life had been a decision made in a boardroom, not a bedroom.Morning came too fast.My mother brought breakfast I didn’t eat. The doctor talked; I nodded. Ethan didn’t come back, and that somehow hurt more than if he had.By noon, I was discharged.Victor drove us home.The silence in the car was thick enough to choke on. My mother stared out the window, fingers twisting in her lap. Victor’s hands were steady on the wheel, like nothing in the world disturbed him.I watched him from the corner of my eye.This man had raised me. Paid for my schools. Smiled at birthdays. Called me princess when I was younger.And now I didn’t know who he was.The moment we got home, I went straight to my room and loc

Chapter 37 – What She Was Never Meant to KnowAriana’s POVThe house was lit when we arrived.Every light.That alone told me something was wrong.My mother never left the lights on like that. She hated waste, hated attention, hated anything that made the house feel exposed. But tonight, the Sterling mansion looked like it was waiting for an audience.Or a confession.Ethan parked but didn’t turn off the engine immediately. His hands stayed locked around the steering wheel, knuckles pale.“Whatever happens in there,” he said quietly, “you stay close to me.”Luca snorted softly. “Since when do you give orders?”Ethan didn’t look at him. “Since this stopped being a game.”That shut Luca up.I opened the car door before either of them could stop me. My chest felt too tight, my thoughts racing ahead of my body. My mother’s message replayed over and over in my head.Something about you.I pushed open the front door.“Mom?” I called.My voice echoed.No answer.The air inside felt wrong—too

Chapter 39 – The Silent WarAriana’s POVI didn’t sleep.Not even for a minute.Every sound in the house felt amplified—the creak of wood, the hum of electricity in the walls, the slow, measured footsteps that passed my door more than once. Each time they stopped outside, my breath locked in my chest.Victor never knocked.He didn’t need to.I sat on the edge of the bed with my phone clutched in my hand, staring at the screen like it might save me. No signal. No messages. Just silence.Control dressed up as calm.That was his favorite weapon.When morning finally came, it didn’t bring relief. Only clarity.I was alone here.And he planned it that way.The lock clicked.I flinched as the door opened.Victor stood there, already dressed, composed, like this was just another ordinary day. Like he hadn’t ripped me out of my life the night before.“Bathroom’s down the hall,” he said casually. “Breakfast in ten minutes.”I didn’t move.He studied me for a moment, then smiled faintly. “You’r