Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 10

I hung up the phone and forced myself to calm down, my fingers trembling as I slid the mouse across the pad.Aside from the wallpaper, the desktop was almost too clean, with just a single folder named "My Treasure" saved.Zane Lockhart had once made me a folder like that, too. It was filled with photos of us growing up together.My heart hammered against my ribs as an absurd thought exploded in my head. Was he having an affair?The thought barely lasted a second in my mind before I crushed it. I knew that even if every other man in the world cheated, Zane would be the only exception. We were childhood sweethearts, and the entire neighborhood had watched us grow up together.He loved me so much that he remembered my monthly cycle and prepared dark chocolate and heating pads ahead of time. He loved me so deeply that the passcodes to his phone, laptop, and all his social media accounts were my birthday.Besides, our wedding was barely two weeks away. This had to be a misunderstand

My stomach churned violently again, worse than when I had seen the photos.Cassie tilted her face up to ask for a kiss, and Zane didn't push her away. He just smiled helplessly and tapped her forehead. "Stop playing around. Someone might see us."Still, she continued swinging his arm and cloyingly whined, "So what if they do? Your fiancee loves you so much that even if she finds out, she'll just assume I'm the one seducing you."Zane's expression turned cold, and his voice hardened into an icy warning. "I made things clear before we even got together. I have my responsibilities and boundaries, and Sadie is the woman I'm going to marry. That will never change."Cassie pouted and pulled out an exquisite velvet box from her bag before holding it out to him. "Fine… Don't be mad. I promise I won't go near her. "Look at the gift I got you instead. Let's call our ring 'Adored' too, okay?"For a split second, his expression stiffened. He looked at her, and in the end, he smiled. "You

When Zane burst into the ballroom, the giant screen was frozen on an image of him and Cassie locked in a deep kiss.He saw his parents' ashen faces and heard the guests' hushed whispers. Every pair of eyes felt like a knife stabbing into his skin.He instinctively wanted to explain, but his throat felt blocked. Grant's raw, stinging slap still burned on his cheek.He stared at the screen in a daze. The man on it was him, yet he felt like a stranger.When he turned to Lydia, her eyes were red and swollen, but she only gave him a cold glance before looking away.Grant's chest heaved as he pointed at Zane, too choked with rage to even say a single word.Zane opened his mouth, but ended up swallowing every explanation he had.He looked around at the room full of friends and family, people who had once offered us their warmest blessings. Now, only contempt and shock were written all over their faces."Look at what you've done!"Grant's voice trembled, not from anger, but from overw

Zane's harassment became routine. He appeared under my office building, at the gates of Renee's complex, and even outside my parents' apartment. Time and again, he tried to intercept me and dropped to his knees to beg for my forgiveness in a raw, horse voice."Please, Sadie. Just give me one chance."I can't live without you. I'm so sorry, and I know that I've messed up."But his tragic act only made me sick. All I wanted was to escape as soon as possible.I changed my flight to Portia to tomorrow. My suitcase was packed, so all I had to do was wait for morning.…Night fell. Renee had gone to bed, while I sat in the living room doing a final check of my suitcase bound for Portia.Suddenly, a frantic knocking shattered the silence. My heart clenched as I assumed it was Zane again.Renee was jolted awake. She threw on a jacket and stormed out of her room, ready to launch a tirade. But I motioned for her to stay back and looked through the peephole.It wasn't Zane standing out

I stared at the digital tablet Landon held out, at the blaring numbers and evidence on the screen.Deep down, I knew that this wasn't just a simple love affair anymore. It was an undercurrent that threatened Dad's reputation and our family's interests.Knowing that I couldn't run from this anymore, I looked away from the screen and tightened my grip on Landon's business card. This wasn't about revenge; it was about taking back what belonged to Dad and me."I'll work with you, Mr. Rothschild."My voice was calm and carried an unwavering resolve.Landon smiled, not with smugness, but with the quiet confidence of a man in total control."Ms. Holden, you'll soon realize that we're the perfect allies."He handed me a folder and continued, "This is our preliminary partnership proposal, along with details on an important project Zane's company is currently bidding on. This is where we start to make our move."My fingertips felt chilled as I took the document.Landon's plan was meticu