No Longer A Placeholder: I Rise

se of Beverly Hills" who finally tamed the city's coldest billionaire.

three-year experiment until his true love return

watched as my stepmother beat me with a horsewhip, even suggesting she use it to break

to save her, taking the hit himself. His body, shiel

oing to be the villain of their story, I might as well play t

pte

conversation I wasn' t meant to hear. It was a throwaway line, a casual dismissal that

unapologetic confidence, leaving a trail of impeccably styled spaces and intrigued admirers. Men, powerful and charismatic, flocked to me like moths to a flame. I had my pick, always. But I never let them get too close, not really. Ther

r eyes, sparkling with mischief, pointed across the room to Keagan Steele. Keagan. The name alone evoked images of towering skyscrapers and impenetrable fortresses. CEO of Steele Tech, a man whose net worth was measured in a

ouchable, you say? There' s no man I can' t charm." My track record was flawless. Every target, every challenge, I' d met with a triumphant grin.

I stumbled upon him at a charity gala, looking utterly lost, his usual sharp facade replaced by a rare flicker of distress. A technical glitch had sabotaged a major presentation he was supposed to give. My specialty, interior design, might

matic, but there was a crack in his armor. He thanked me, a low rumble in his chest that sent a shiver down my spine. And then, without thought, without a plan, I leaned in and kissed him. It was a

ing me coffee in bed, remembering my exact preference. He'd trace patterns on my skin with a tenderness that belied his cold reputation. We explored abandoned historical sites, designed secret hideaways in remote corners of the world, and shared silent sunrises from his penthouse balcony. I found myself falling, hard and fast, for the man I' d initially set

d left my favorite vintage locket, a gift from Keagan, on his bedside table. "I'll just grab it," I mumbled, heading back to the bedroom. As I approached the closed door, voices drifted out from his

int of amusement in his tone. My breath caug

st clinical. "Bella Dorsey? She's...

Placeholder. The single word echoed in the sudden, ringing silence of m

ed, a snicker in his voice. "Three ye

devoid of any warmth, any emotion. "A temporary distr

love, my vulnerability, reduced to a cold, calculated transaction. My blood ran cold, then boiled with a fury so intense it threatened to c

the other man asked, his voice n

My stepsister. The one person I

ing in his voice now. "And this time, I won't let her go. Bella was... a

he betrayal was so profound, so absolute, it stripped me bare. Every tender touch, every whispered promise, every shared dream – all of it, a lie. I was nothing but a placeholder, a wa