Lahat ng Kabanata ng Love, Luxury and Lies: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 8

LucyThe smell of burnt toast woke me before my alarm did. I groaned and rolled onto my back, staring at the cracked ceiling above my bed. It was 7AM in the morning. Too early to deal with life, and too late to pretend my problems didn't exist.For a brief moment, I allowed myself to enjoy the silence.No phone calls, no emails, no overdue notices, and no creditors looking for my father, just silence.Then my phone buzzed on the nightstand. I didn't need to look at the screen to know it wasn't good news. Good news never arrived before breakfast.With a sigh, I reached for my phone. My stomach sank instantly. Payment Reminder. I deleted the notification without opening it. Cowardly?Maybe. But I wasn't mentally prepared to start my day with another reminder that my bank account was hanging on by a thread. Swinging my legs off the bed, I forced myself upright and headed downstairs.The scent of burnt toast grew stronger. It was Sophia. I walked into the kitchen to find my younger sister

Lucy"I work for Mr. Albert Craig."For a second, I was convinced l'd heard him wrong. The name echoed in my head. Albert Craig.The billionaire CEO whose company dominated headlines.The man whose name had appeared on the guest list Chloe had sent me only hours earlier. The same man I had never met. The same man who should have had absolutely no reason to know who I was. Yet somehow his assistant was calling me. Specifically me.I tightened my grip on the phone. "I'm sorry," I said carefully. "I think you have the wrong person." "We don't." The confidence in Liam Brooks's voice made my stomach knot. "I assure you, Ms. George, we contacted the correct individual."My pulse quickened. That wasn't reassuring. That was terrifying.I swiveled my chair toward the window, watching rain streak down the glass. "What exactly is this about?""I'm afraid that's not something I can discuss over the phone." Of course not. Because apparently, normal conversations were too much to ask for. "What can

Lucy"Ms. George. I've been expecting you."The voice was deep, calm, and controlled. The kind of voice that commanded attention without ever needing to raise itself. My entire body went rigid. Slowly, I turned around. And for the first time in my life, I came face-to-face with Albert Craig.For a moment, I simply stared. Not because he was a billionaire. Not because his face had appeared in magazines and business journals. But because he looked... normal. Well, a billionaire was normal. Tall, impeccably dressed, with dark hair and a sharp jawline.The kind of confidence that couldn't be bought or faked. His gray eyes settled on me with quiet intensity. Studying, observing, and evaluating. It felt as though he could see straight through me. I immediately hated that feeling.Albert stepped aside. "Please come in." I remained where I was. Suspicion won over manners. "You know, most people introduce themselves before inviting strangers to private meetings."Something flickered across hi

LucyThe call ended, but the words didn't. They echoed inside my head like a nightmare I couldn't wake up from."Your father survived the first time." "He won't survive the second."My hand trembled around my phone. I stared at the dark screen. Waiting and hoping. Praying it would light up again and reveal this was some kind of sick joke. It didn't.The room felt suffocatingly quiet. Albert was already on his feet. His expression had transformed completely. The calm, controlled billionaire I'd met earlier was gone. In his place stood someone colder, sharper and dangerous. "What did they say?" I looked up.For a second, I couldn't speak, couldn't think, and couldn't breathe. The fear sitting in my chest was too heavy and too heavy."Lucy." His voice softened slightly. Just enough to break through my panic. I swallowed hard. Then repeated every word, exactly as I'd heard it.The moment I finished, something dark flashed across Albert's face. Anger, not ordinary irritation, not frustrati