Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 10

Maplewood was a neighborhood stitched together by ancient oaks and the quiet hum of suburban life, where secrets were as common as hydrangeas in June. It was here, on a street that smelled like coffee that Lisa Chen first saw Greyson Vale. The encounter happened on a Tuesday, under a sky bruised purple with the promise of rain. Lisa was wrestling a rebellious grocery bag, its plastic handle biting into her palm, when she turned the corner and collided—not physically, but with the full, disorienting force of his presence— a man who seemed carved from the very storm clouds gathering overhead. He was leaning against the wrought-iron fence of the old Victorian house at number 42, a cigarette dangling from his long fingers, though he wasn’t smoking it. His eyes, the colour of wet slate, were fixed on the horizon, lost in a thought so deep it seemed to pull the world into its gravity. He wore a simple white t-shirt that clung to the hard lines of his torso, and his dark hair was tousled b

The moving van arrived on a deceptively cheerful Saturday morning, its engine rumbling like distant thunder against the backdrop of chirping sparrows and rustling oaks. Lisa watched from her kitchen window as boxes were unloaded from the truck and carried into number 40—the house that had stood empty for nearly a year. She felt a flicker of curiosity, nothing more. But when the woman stepped out of the cab, Lisa’s coffee cup froze halfway to her lips. She was tall and willowy, with honey-blonde hair that caught the sunlight like spun gold. Her sundress was simple—ivory cotton with tiny embroidered daisies, but it draped her figure with an elegance that felt almost cinematic. She moved with a confidence that bordered on performance, as if every step were choreographed for unseen audience. And then she turned, scanning the street with clear, guileless blue eyes that landed on Lisa’s window. Lisa quickly stepped back, her heart thudding for no reason she could name. Just a new neig

The motel room smelled of stale cigarettes and industrial cleaner, a far cry from the jasmine-scented sanctuary Lisa had shared with Grey. She lay on the stiff bed, staring at the water-stained ceiling, her mind racing through a labyrinth of betrayal and unanswered questions. Two days had passed since she’d left. Grey had called—once, then twice—but she hadn’t answered. His voicemails were terse, laced with a frustration that felt more like panic. “Lisa, please. We need to talk. It’s not what you think.” But what was it, then? A financial crisis? A secret meeting? Or something far more intimate? She needed air. Not the recycled, chemical-tainted air of the motel, but the real thing. Against her better judgment, she drove back just after dusk, parking a block away so her car wouldn’t be seen. She told herself she was only there to collect a few things—a favorite sweater, her sketchbook—but the truth was deeper, more desperate. She needed to see him. To look into his eyes and know, onc

The silence in Grey’s living room was heavier than the darkness outside. The digital glow of the phone screen faded, leaving them in the dim amber light of a single floor lamp. Grey sat on the edge of the sofa, his head in his hands, the posture of a man whose reality had been dismantled brick by brick."My father," Grey murmured, his voice rough. "He borrowed money against client accounts to keep the firm afloat during the recession. He paid it back—every cent—before anyone noticed. But the paper trail exists." He looked up at Lisa, his eyes haunted. "If Tessy releases that, it’s not just a scandal. It’s disbarment. It’s fraud. It destroys his legacy and my future."Lisa sat beside him, taking his cold hand in hers. "That’s why she waited," she reasoned, her mind working furiously. "She needed you desperate enough to sign, but she needed the blackmail in case you resisted. It’s a pincer move.""I have to sign it, Lisa." Grey’s voice cracked. "I can’t let them destroy my dad’s name. I

Lisa grabbed the drive, her heart hammering. It felt heavy in her hand—the weight of careers destroyed and lives ruined. "Thanks""Be careful," Arthur called out as she turned to leave. "The encryption is heavy. You’ll need a key to read it."Lisa paused at the door. "What’s the key?"Arthur’s face twisted in a grim smile. "It’s a date. The day Elias Thorne jumped."Back at Number 40, the air in the study was stifling. Grey had read the same paragraph of the contract five times. "You're stalling, Grey," Tessy said. She was standing behind him now, her hands resting on his shoulders. Her touch burned through his shirt. "Are you having second thoughts?""Just being thorough," Grey said, forcing his muscles not to recoil. "The indemnity clause is... complex.""It's standard." She leaned down, her cheek brushing against his ear. "Stop fighting it. Imagine what we can build together. No more financial stress. No more sc