Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 11 - Chapitre 20

The ride to college was completely silent, with Mr. Richard not saying a single word to me as his eyes remained fixed on the road. I kept biting my lower lip, shifting slightly in my seat because I couldn't seem to get comfortable. I couldn't understand why he had suddenly decided to drive me to college himself when there was a driver who could have easily taken me. Yes, I knew he was my stepfather now, but the truth was that I wasn't close to him. Even when he was still dating Mom before they got married, I had never really known how to talk to him or what to say whenever we were alone together. Our relationship had always been polite but distant, and now suddenly sitting beside him in his car felt strange.I stole another glance at him as he continued driving, his face calm and relaxed as he focused on the road. Unlike his son, who always seemed to carry that cold expression everywhere he went, Richard looked like the kind of person who could make people feel safe simply by being ar

The four of us ate together while talking and laughing about different things. It felt good sitting there with them. I found myself laughing more than I had expected, occasionally covering my mouth as Mia said something ridiculous, while Damon joined in and Derek kept adding his own jokes to the conversation. I could feel some eyes on us. Whenever I glanced around the cafeteria, I caught a few girls staring in our direction; I didn't bother giving them any attention. I just wanted to enjoy myself. When Tessa and her group eventually walked into the cafeteria, I immediately noticed her. She stopped when she saw us, her eyes moving from me to Damon before settling on my face. I quickly looked away and continued eating, refusing to give her the satisfaction of knowing she could still ruin my mood.“So why did you guys return to London after spending so many years in China?” Mia asked Damon.Damon wiped his mouth with a napkin before answering. “Well, my mother got a promotion in her comp

Elara POVIt was already close to closing time at college, but instead of letting the driver come and pick me up, I texted him and told him not to bother. I wanted to stay alone for a while in the school library before going home because the last thing I wanted was to face that annoying creature. Just thinking about Kael was enough to make my fingers curl around the edge of my book. I was still pissed about what he had done at dinner, especially because I knew he had done it intentionally. He had stepped on my foot and watched the hot water pour over my hand without even flinching, and the memory of the burning sensation still lingered on my skin. I had left the house early that morning because I didn't want to see him. If I had stayed around him for too long, I knew there was a chance I would finally lose control and scream at the top of my voice, telling him exactly how much I hated him. Maybe a part of me wanted to do it, but another part of me was already tired of fighting with hi

Kael POVWhen I saw Elara running to her room with tears in her eyes, my face darkened for a moment before I turned back to my father, who was still sitting there and staring at me. I looked at him with nothing but hatred. This man didn't care about me. Ever since I lost my mother, he had never taken me anywhere for a father-and-son vacation or even made an effort to spend time with me outside hockey. And now, he wanted to take another woman to Paris and call it a honeymoon.Honeymoon my ass.I shot both of them an angry look before standing up and walking to my room. The moment I got inside, I pushed the door shut so hard that the sound echoed through the room. I began pacing back and forth, my fists tightening at my sides as my anger continued to boil. The fact that they were leaving us alone in the house because they wanted us to bond made everything even more annoying. Did they seriously think locking me and Elara under the same roof would suddenly make me see her as my sister?I

When I got downstairs, I saw Kael standing near the door, speaking to a young woman with his usual cold expression. Both his hands were tucked inside his pockets, and he was already dressed to leave. I slowed down a little as I walked down the stairs, wondering who the woman was and why she was here. Before I could reach the last step, Kael finished speaking to her, walked past her without saying anything else, and headed outside.When the woman noticed me, a warm smile appeared on her face.“You must be Elara. I'm Rose. I'll be doing the cooking until your parents come back. I just finished speaking to your brother,” she said.Hearing her call Kael my brother almost made me roll my eyes.Brother, my ass.I forced a smile instead. “Yeah, nice to meet you, Rose.”I studied her for a moment. She was beautiful, with brown hair and a small dimple on her cheek that reminded me of my own. There was something friendly about her appearance, and she didn't have the cold or intimidating presenc