-

nt door

bout? Victoria? Chloe? I co

Cole w

fat

is face was redder, like he drinks more. He was carrying a Starbucks cup and a Wall Street Journal und

dead when

like he was my husband. His eyes went wide with fear and greed. Because Al

t! What a surprise! What an honor! I didn't know

he sa

ight black dress, red lips, long dark wavy hair, looking

frown as Victoria

this

ur stepdaughter hired to make her wedding dress look innocent. From Paris. Mais

d down. He lingered on my legs, my chest. D

urent... Wait,

shaking, holding my mother's pearls like they would pr

napped at her. "What a

epped forward, her ice-blue eyes locked

is Isabella.

le

that happens before

ed. A short, di

Isabella is... Isabella is skinny, with

. At my eyes - my mother's eyes, dark brown. At the faint scar on my left knee from wh

e spilled all over his expensive marble floor.

ed. And his voice brok

ised myself I would not

d. My voice was steady. Cold. Parisian.

forward. His ha

d... you... you lo

alled me a whore. You said I was dead to you. You said I was no longer a Cole. Remember?

the perfect actress. "Richard, darling

ars, I screamed with my real voice. Not the cold Parisia

one f

owly. My Louboutins clicking o

t with her nursing money. That she gave to ME for MY wedding. You let her wear them whil

didn't know... C

, hot and angry. "Because it was easier to throw me away than to ad

ars again, but better this time

idn't! She is lying!

in the corner like a cowar

ole...

e while he threw me out! You watched! You let her cry and

ed. At least he had the

s scared... Chloe sa

father? He was

the fireplace, arms crossed, like a king watching his queen burn a v

nally

ting through our screaming like a

, desperate, like a dro

n about the loan payments, I just

Your company is worth less than half that now. I could foreclose tomorrow and take

t? Anything

aurent tells you to do for the ne

e looke

hand, smearing my red lipstick. I loo

oe, still shaki

smiling through tears. It was a terrible smile. "

conditions?" C

right now. Three, you will tell everyone - your Instagram, your friends, your wedding guests - th

utched t

ese are mine! Mom

He was desperate to please Alexander. He walked over and ripped the necklace of

om her skin. I held them to my chest.

at my father. "You will tell m

nce

eal estate empire from nothing, who nev

... not here... n

screamed. "LIKE I WAS ON

ep. But it was enough. My father looked at

n on his knees on his marble floor, in

sabella. I was wrong. I should have beli

him. The man wh

o satisfaction. No h

ate,"

holding my mother's pearls,

home," I

und my shoulders, picked me up - literally picked me up off my

ctoria was crying, and my father w

in my ear, "You were magnificent. Now you're going to

irst time, I

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