Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 10

In the grand cathedral, basically owned by the Thorn family given their endless donations, the air was thick with expensive perfume and polished wealth. Everywhere Lisa looked, she saw designer brands, diamond necklaces catching the chandelier light, tailored suits that probably cost more than her mother's yearly salary. Even the church itself felt less like a place of worship and more like a monument to the Thorn name. A woman seated near the front glanced at Lisa's dress before leaning toward her companion, whispering something behind a feathered fan. The other woman smirked without bothering to hide it. Somewhere behind her, she heard another voice murmur, "That's the Sterling girl?" followed by a low chuckle. Lisa's fingers tightened around the bouquet. Jake's mother sat in the front pew like royalty upon a throne, posture elegant, expression unreadable. But Lisa noticed the slight narrowing of her eyes, her lips curling into a smile, she had always been kind to her despit

The phone continued ringing through the apartment.James stared at it for a few seconds too long before finally walking toward the kitchen counter.Lisa sat quietly at the dining table swinging her legs while hugging her teddy bear."Daddy, your food is getting cold."James forced a smile."Yeah... one second, honey."He picked up the phone."Kate?""Good morning. Am I speaking with Mr. James Sterling?"James frowned immediately.The voice on the other end was calm, professional, older."Who is this?""My name is Attorney Reeves. I'm calling regarding Mrs. Kate Sterling."James straightened slightly.For half a second, relief hit him.Of course.Kate sent a lawyer because she was angry.She wanted leverage.Money.Space.Something manageable."Look," James said quickly, rubbing his forehead. "Tell her she doesn't need to do all this. We can talk about it ourselves."A brief silence answered him."I'm afraid you misunderstand the purpose of this call, Mr. Sterling."James' stomach tigh

"And suddenly Catherine turned around.'James!'"James looked up from the couch.Catherine stood near the kitchen counter holding her phone awkwardly against her chest."You mind helping me with something?"Her tone was light.Casual.James rubbed his tired eyes."With what?"Catherine hesitated just enough to make herself look embarrassed."My hair appointment is tomorrow and my card declined." She laughed softly. "It's honestly not even that much, I'm just a little short right now."James barely thought about it.After everything she'd done around the house the past few days, refusing would've felt strange."How much?"Her expression brightened instantly."I'll pay you back."James reached for his wallet anyway.Lisa sat nearby coloring silently at the dining table while hugging her teddy bear against one arm.She watched everything quietly.Catherine leaned down and kissed James lightly on the cheek after he handed over the money."Thank you."The warmth in her smile made the house

The emergency shareholder meeting was supposed to begin at nine, but it was nine fifteen, and James still hadn't arrived.Mark sat near the end of the conference table, checking his phone for the fourth time, while impatient voices filled the room around him."Where the hell is he?""We cannot keep delaying this.""If Sterling Group collapses, we're pulling everything."Mark barely listened.Something felt wrong.James's missing meetings weren't unusual lately, but this felt different.He called the office.No answer.Called James directly.Straight to voicemail.Then the house phone.Nothing.Mark stood abruptly."I'll handle this."He ignored the questions following him out and drove straight toward the Sterling estate with a growing pressure in his chest.The gates were already open when he arrived, the house felt wrong the second he stepped inside.Too quiet.No television.No footsteps.Nothing."James?"No response.Mark walked deeper into the house slowly until he reached the k

Lisa stared at him.Not long enough to look shocked.Not short enough to pretend she hadn’t heard it.Just long enough for the words to stop making immediate sense.Then she laughed.A small sound. Not cruel. Not amused either.More like a reflex her body produced when reality didn’t line up properly.“Okay,” she said slowly, leaning back in her chair. “No.”Jake didn’t move.Didn’t react.So she continued.“I have a boyfriend.”It came out clean.Smooth.Practiced.It was also a lie.She knew it the moment she said it.Jake knew it too.He just didn’t interrupt.He waited.Lisa held his gaze for about four seconds before the silence started to feel like it had weight.Like it was pressing back.Her fingers tapped once against the edge of her desk.Stopped.Jake finally spoke.“Lisa.”Her hand stopped moving.Slowly, she put her pen down.The room changed with that small motion.Quieter.Heavier.The lie didn’t dissolve.It just stopped working.Lisa exhaled once through her nose.“Fi