Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 10

"What are you still waiting for? Get your ass out of here.”I had already changed into fresh clothes and now sat quietly on the edge of my bed, staring at nothing. My thoughts spiraled endlessly, grasping for any way to convince Dad not to abandon me, when Mirriam strode into my room with a contemptuous sneer, arms crossed, eyes glittering with cruel satisfaction. I was used to that look—she wore it whenever we were alone. She never missed a chance to make me feel like an intruder in my own home, an outsider who never truly belonged. And somehow, no one ever saw through her.“Mirriam, please…” I rushed toward her, desperation propelling me forward. “Help me. Please help me convince Dad not to throw me out—”I reached for her instinctively, but she swatted my hand aside as if I were something filthy. I had no choice but to pull back, my fingers curling uselessly into my palm.“Help you?” she scoffed, exasperation sharpening her features. Her eyes stabbed into me like daggers. “Are you

"What’s your problem?” I lunged forward instinctively, fury surging as juice dripped down my clothes—but an arm shot out and stopped me before I could reach her. “You’re the problem,” the customer snapped back. The disdain in her eyes was sharp and deliberate, as if she had been waiting for this moment. I didn’t recognize her at all—I was certain we’d never met—but the hatred she wore was unmistakable. “You’re an eyesore,” she sneered, her lips curling in disgust. Then she turned to my manager, her voice rising, cutting, merciless. “Why would you even hire a thief like her? She seduced her sister’s boyfriend and slept with him. What a shameless bitch.” The words slammed into me one after another, leaving no room to breathe. That was when it clicked. Now I understood why she had been glaring at me since earlier, why her entire group had watched my every move as I served them. They knew who I was. Or rather—they knew the version of me the world believed in, like the other custom

"Hahaha…”A broken chuckle rumbled up from my chest as I stared at the tiny object beside me. The sound didn’t match what I felt—too sharp, too hollow—but it escaped anyway, as if my body no longer knew how else to respond.“I can’t believe this…” I whispered, dragging my palm slowly down my face.I laughed again, softer this time, even as tears spilled from my brimming eyes, carving hot, unrelenting paths down my cheeks. Life had a cruel way of never asking if you were ready before pressing its full weight onto your shoulders.And now, somehow, it expected me to carry all of it.“Cassidy…” I murmured to myself, my fingers threading through my hair as I struggled to breathe through the tightness in my chest—caught between disbelief, fear, and the fragile beginning of something I wasn’t sure I was strong enough to face.“I need to eat.”The words came out shaky but firm. I staggered to my feet, my body protesting as I rummaged through my pocket for money.“I can’t stay hungry like this

"Miss Cassidy.”I had been so lost in my thoughts while waiting for the bus that the voice calling my name barely registered. It took a second—before I looked up.And immediately stood when recognition struck.“Silas.”The elder Pierce butler regarded me with his usual cold, distant demeanor, his posture as rigid and immaculate as ever. Time had not softened him in the slightest.“Madame Carina wishes to meet with you,” he said, gesturing toward the sleek black vehicle parked a short distance from the bus stop.My heart thundered violently in my chest.After the scandal with Ashton, the thought of facing the old Pierce matriarch filled me with a bone-deep dread. Ashton was devoted to his grandmother, and Madame Carina Pierce was not a woman known for mercy—or warmth. She was sharp, perceptive, and terrifyingly intelligent.“I hope you have time,” Silas added, his gaze flicking briefly to the small luggage beside me.“Yes—of course, Silas,” I replied quickly, rising to my feet. I dragg

"Marry me.”The words left my mouth exactly as I intended—steady, deliberate, stripped of even the faintest hesitation.What I received in return was silence.His eyes narrowed, sharp and assessing, as though he were deciding whether I had finally lost my mind—or had simply grown reckless enough to test him.Then—“Hahaha.”A low, disbelieving laugh escaped him. He shook his head slowly, lips curling as if I had just delivered the most ridiculous joke of the century. His gaze slid away from me, dismissive, already done with the conversation.“I don’t have time for this absurdity,” he muttered—more to himself than to me—as he pushed his chair back and began to stand.“A marriage on paper only.”I spoke before he could fully rise.My voice was calm, controlled—loud enough for him to hear, soft enough to remain ours alone. It helped that he had chosen the farthest corner of the café, tucked away from wandering eyes and curious ears. Privacy suited conversations like this.He paused.Inte