ing loud enough to fill the emptiness. She felt hollow, like a part of her had been left behind somewhere b

eartbreak, if only for a few hours. The thought of him lingered like an ember, and for a fleeting moment, she was tempted to stay lost in the memory. But

ck the sting of tears. She told herself it didn't matter-that she didn't need people who could lie so easily, b

p smudged. She took a breath, feeling a pulse of anger push away the pain, like a

he stranger's note tucked into her pocket as a stran

ery moment with Lucas and Mara, dissecting the subtle glances, the small signs she had overlooked. Had their betrayal starte

if it were holding its breath. Inside, she found her parents sitting in the parlor, thei

began, his voice tig

She already knew what this was

ke this?" she snapped, her voice shaking with anger. "Photos of

cked from her

leaving a nightclub with some man. Do you have any id

ow, they knew. Photos. Her night of heartbreak, of escape, had been captured

ld, "we can't have this sort of scandal ass

xpected this. Disowned? She had always been the dutiful daughter, the one who had fol

eaking. "Mom, please... you d

We've heard enough excuses. Pack your thing

their only daughter. She wanted to scream, to tell them the truth, but she knew it w

gs in a daze, shoving clothes into a suitcase as memories of her childhood, her family, and her lost future crashed ov

roken heart, the weight of betrayal pressing down on her. She

de her-an ember of defiance, a spark of strength. She had been cast out, betr

day, she would make them al

Year

, her heels clicking against the pavement. The air was sharp, tinged with the early morning chill, bu

o navigate the world on her own terms. She had built a career, and while it wasn't the life of luxury she had once

ld, her light in the darkness. Every struggle, every sleepless night, had been worth it to see her sm

back with a purpose. To settle old scores, to take back her power, and to make sure