Todos los capítulos de married for show : Capítulo 111 - Capítulo 120

​VALERIE​The air-conditioned chill of the Pacific Place shopping mall usually had a way of calming me down, but today, every fluorescent light felt too bright, every echoing footstep too loud.​I swept through the high-end boutique floor with a sleek shopping bag hanging off my forearm, doing my absolute best to project the image of a Thorne heiress who wasn't currently falling apart at the seams. Beside me, Maya was practically bouncing, holding a tailored pastel dress against her frame and glancing into the full-length mirror of the designer storefront.​"I’m telling you, Val, this color is going to look insane for the summer gala," Maya chatted blithely, her voice floating over the soft instrumental music playing from the ceiling speakers. "You need to get the beige one to match. We can coordinate."​"Yeah," I forced out, giving her a small, practiced nod. "It’s really pretty, Maya."​My voice sounded hollow, even to my own ears. Beneath the light makeup and polished exterior, my

The dining room had never felt so small. ​The grand crystal chandelier threw sharp, polished light across the long mahogany table, illuminating the formal dinner spread my mother had spent all afternoon coordinating. The clinking of silver cutlery against fine china echoed like small gunshots against the high walls. ​I sat near the middle of the table, clutching my wine glass so tightly the stem was practically bending. Every nerve in my body was stretched to a violent breaking point. ​Sitting directly across from me was Elena. ​She wore a simple, elegant navy dress, her long brown hair pulled back into a soft velvet ribbon. Every time she reached for her water glass, every time she tilted her head to smile, every time the candlelight caught her dark brown eyes—it was Ella. The exact same posture. The exact same delicate shoulders. The exact same girl. ​Beside her, her parents sat, looking older, worn down around the edges, but putting on a brave face for high-society pleasantri

VALERIE​The coastal sun had already dipped below the horizon by the time our chauffeur pulled the SUV into the sprawling, cobblestone driveway of the Thorne beach estate.​The house was massive—a modern glass-and-cedar compound cut directly into the ocean cliffs, illuminated by warm, glowing outdoor lights that reflected off the dark, crashing waves below. Nathan and the others were already here; three sports cars were parked in a sleek line near the multi-car garage, and loud music was faintly pulsing through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows.​Ben stepped out of the back seat first, effortlessly grabbing my two heavy leather duffel bags along with his own luggage before I could even reach for them.​I pushed through the grand double glass doors of the entrance, the cool air conditioning hitting my skin. In the main lounge, the entire crew was already sprawled out on the white sectional couches—Nathan, Elena, Maya, her sister Jade, and Nathan’s varsity friends, Luke and James.​Jam

VALERIE​The morning sun had barely crested the pine trees, casting a pale, silver light across the mist hanging over the ocean.​I couldn't sleep. The suffocating weight in my chest had dragged me out of bed before seven, sending me down to the private wooden dock behind the beach house just to breathe in the biting sea air. The wood beneath my bare feet was cold and slick with morning dew.​The sound of heavy, rapid footsteps breaking through the tall grass behind me made my blood freeze.​I didn't even have to turn around.​"What the hell was that last night, Valerie?"​Nathan’s voice sliced through the silence like a jagged blade. He grabbed my shoulder, spinning me around violently to face him. His eyes were bloodshot, his jaw clenched so hard the muscles were twitching, and the sharp scent of stale scotch clung to his skin. He hadn't slept either.​"Let go of me, Nathan," I said, my voice surprisingly steady despite the cold panic clawing at my throat. I shoved his hand off my s

BENEDICT​The rain had just started to fall when the Thorne family chauffeur pulled the sleek black sedan through the wrought-iron gates of the estate.​Behind us, the chaos of the beach house was miles away, but the ghost of it lingered in the heavy air of the car. The ambulance had already sped off toward the regional medical center, sirens wailing into the morning fog, taking Nathan with two fractured ribs, a shattered jaw, and his shattered ego. Valerie, Maya, and Jade had followed right behind the paramedics in the SUV. Luke and James had taken off separately, driving Elena back home.​I sat in the back seat, staring out at the blurred green trees passing by. My right knuckles were bruised purple, skin split and raw, but I didn't care about the sting. My mind was entirely consumed by the memory of Valerie’s terrified, bloodless face in that kitchen, and the way she had buried her head in my chest, sobbing like her world was ending.​When the car pulled up to the grand front entra