Chapter 1 Five years into my London assignment, my brother suddenly texted me to say he was getting married. The woman in the engagement photo was the gold digger who’d stolen my first love. She didn’t know my real identity. After stealing my college boyfriend, she’d flipped the script and painted me as the other woman. She got me bullied by the entire campus for four years. I saw red. My brother, Michael, was still rattling on, oblivious. “Hannah! Please, I love her, I really do! She’s not like those other women. She never asks me to buy her luxury crap. I’ve already decided—we’re getting the license!” “Mom and Dad said you handle all the family’s assets, and that we need your approval to welcome Selena into the family. Please, sis, just this once. I swear, she’s the one.” “You don’t believe me? Look, Selena is gorgeous. It was love at first sight. I swear I won’t marry anyone else!” I hung up and went straight to Selena Song’s Instagram. Her latest post was a shot of her Harry Winston custom engagement ring. “Only one in the world,” the caption read. I looked at the identical diamond on my own hand and my blood boiled. I was about to message Selena when I saw her DM from two hours ago. An invitation to the wedding. “Hey, loser. You said someone like me would never land a billionaire. Well, how do you like me now?” “Why no reply? Scared to show your face and admit I won?” “It’s okay to admit you can’t compete. After all… no real man wants an uptight prude.” I actually laughed out loud. “You invited me, Selena,” I texted back. “Don’t regret it.” 1 I booked the red-eye and flew back to New York. The Manhattan penthouse was empty; everyone was already upstate, setting up for Michael’s wedding. Every luxury car from our garage had been sent ahead for the wedding motorcade. I crashed for a few hours. To get to the old family estate, the only car left was the “cheapest” one: our $150,000 Mercedes Sprinter van, the one we used for staff and luggage. When I arrived at the estate, the lawn was already full of guests. A crowd of young women was busy taking selfies in front of the old, dilapidated mansion. I was confused. What was so special about this dump? Years ago, after I’d doubled the company’s size, I decided this old place was too dark. I’d moved us into a glass penthouse with a real view. No one had set foot in this house for a decade. “Selena, you’re amazing!” one of the women gushed, phone held high. “This house must be worth, what, twenty million?” “I can’t believe it. You’re going to be the lady of this mansion!” “I can’t even dream this big! Can we come crash here sometime? Please!” Selena’s chin was in the air. “Of course. I’ll just mention it to Michael. Just use my name at the gate from now on, security will let you in.” My old college roommate practically bowed. “Selena, I always said you and Leo were the better match. If I wasn’t scared of Hannah Gu, I would have totally been on your side!” “But thank God you dumped Leo! I heard his family went bankrupt. Your luck is just insane. You ditch one trust-fund baby and land the son of a billionaire! If you know any other rich guys, you have to save one for me!” Leo. My college boyfriend. After Selena stole him, she’d make a point to make out with him right in front of me. In response, I’d made one call and had my family pull all our contracts with his father’s company. The moment he was broke, Selena dumped him. And now, this opportunistic roach had somehow managed to sink her claws into my idiot brother. I was about to walk over when my old roommate spotted me. Her face soured. “Well, speak of the devil. If it isn’t Selena’s runner-up.” “What brings you here? We all thought you were too busy making your ‘fortune’ to hang out with old classmates.” Another woman chimed in. “Right? She dropped out of the alumni chat right after graduation. Never came to a single reunion. Guess she was afraid we’d laugh at her.” Then, someone noticed the Sprinter van I’d arrived in. They howled with laughter. “Oh, she’s making a ‘fortune’ all right! As a nanny for some rich family! Did you stop by on your way to the grocery store? You better hurry back. You don’t want to get fired for being late with dinner!” “What’s that saying? Champagne taste on a beer budget. After Leo dumped her, she swore she’d make him regret it. Now look at her. This is just sad.” I sighed. “Open your eyes. Yes, it’s a van, but it’s a Mercedes. It costs over 150 grand.” “What? A $150,000 van? Who the hell hires a nanny that drives a car like that?” Selena’s face went pale, then twisted. “Who else? The Gu family!” Chapter 2 “Hannah Gu! You tried to steal my man in college, and now that I’m marrying Michael, you’re shamelessly sinking your claws into his family? Did your parents teach you nothing about basic decency?” “Are you that addicted to being a homewrecker? You are just born trash!” I was so stunned by the accusation I couldn’t even speak. Before I could, Selena was circling the van. “That’s right! This is my husband’s family van! I saw the housekeeper driving it when I stayed over. Back then, it was driven by this fifty-year-old woman who’d worked for the family her whole life.” “I even threw a fit and told Michael they treated their staff too well, and that he’d have to buy me an even more expensive car!” She jabbed a finger in my face. “You steal my boyfriend, fine! But now you’re stealing a poor old woman’s job? How desperate are you to sleep your way into this family? You have no shame!” “That woman has a mortgage to pay! You’re basically murdering her!” A sharp CRACK echoed as her palm connected with my cheek. It stunned me. “Selena, are you insane!” “You need to provide evidence for an accusation like that. I’m calling the cops!” Before she could answer, her friends lunged. “Evidence? Everyone knows you pretended to be a poor, pathetic waitress at that restaurant just to chase Leo!” “You were always bringing food to the guy’s dorm, selling water at his basketball games… you practically had ‘DESPERATE’ tattooed on your forehead!” “Totally! I remember she even hid a love letter in his takeout box!” “If Leo didn’t have high standards and choose our Selena, that bitch might have actually succeeded!” One of them gasped, a look of horrified realization on her face. “Selena! What if she already knew about you and Michael? Why else would she just happen to get a job as the Gu family’s nanny right when you’re getting married?” “You’ve got a stalker, girl! You’ll have to sleep with one eye open! God knows you’ll wake up one night and find her in bed with your husband!” Selena’s face was purple with rage. “I knew someone was stalking my Instagram! It was you! Again!” “There are millions of men in the world. Why do you always have to chase mine? You’re a goddamn infection! Shameless!” She was screaming. Every guest on the lawn turned to stare. As they pieced her words together, their expressions turned to disgust. “I knew rich guys had mistresses, but I’ve never seen one bold enough to crash the wedding.” “My company’s future depends on a partnership with the Gu family. I can’t let this cheap slut ruin this!” A mob started to form, all of them yelling at me, calling me every filthy name in the book, demanding I get off the Gu family’s property. Selena pulled out her phone and dialed Michael. “Fire that new nanny! I don’t like her!” My brother’s voice was tinny, confused. “What? But last time, you said you loved her cooking.” “Well, I don’t like her now! If you keep her, you can forget about this wedding!” “It’s her or me, Michael! Your choice!” I tried to get my phone to explain. My head snapped to the side as one of her friends slapped me. Hard. Another one grabbed my hair, yanking my head back. “What? You gonna tattle? Michael only has eyes for Selena. Give it up, you slut!” “You couldn’t beat her in college. You really think you can win now, as a nanny? Dream on!” “If you make a single sound, I’ll break your jaw.” I couldn’t move. They slapped me over and over, my ears ringing. Then, I heard my brother’s voice from Selena’s phone, resigned and final. “Selena. I choose you.” “Don’t worry, okay? The nanny is fired. Please, don’t be mad at me.” That idiot! Selena hung up and smirked, looming over me. “How does that feel, Hannah? I told you I’d deal with you.” “Now… get the hell off this property.” I shoved my attackers off and spat the blood from my mouth. “I leave,” I said, my voice cold, “and your wedding is over.” As I wiped my mouth, one of them spotted my hand. “Selena! How does she have your wedding ring?” Selena went ballistic. “She must have stolen it! Get it back! Get it off her!” A group of them swarmed me, pinning my arms. My blood was pounding in my head. I roared, “Get off me! This ring isn’t yours! It’s mine!” “The one Michael gave you is a FAKE!” Selena lunged, her nails digging into my already swollen face. “My husband is a billionaire! He would never give me a fake!” “Do you know how much this ring costs? Seven figures! It’s a custom Harry Winston! One of one!” “You could sell your body for a hundred years and never afford this!” She turned to her friends. “What are you waiting for? Rip it off her!” “If she doesn’t give it, chop off her hand! I’ll take responsibility!” Chapter 3 A volcanic rage gave me a burst of strength. I threw them off me and dialed my father. “Cancel the wedding! Song Lingling is not to set foot in our family!” “And get the lawyers. I’m suing her.” My father was confused. “Hanyue? What are you saying? Your brother said this woman was a nice girl. Your mother and I have even met her.” “Nice? She’s about to chop my hand off!” The words ripped out of me. The next second, the phone was ripped from my hand. Selena, holding it, started screaming into the receiver. “Listen up, you old fossil! You must be Hannah’s sugar daddy, right? Do you know your whore is out here trying to sleep with other women’s husbands?” “You better leash your dog! If I ever see this bitch again, I’ll beat the shit out of both of you!” My father’s voice boomed, furious. “Who is this? Give my daughter back her phone!” Selena spat. “Daughter? You’re sick, old man, playing games like that.” “I’ll tell you who I am. I’m Selena Song! The future mistress of the Gu family! You got a problem with that, you come find me. I’ll be waiting!” Before my father could speak, she smashed my phone on the cobblestones, shattering it. Her friends cheered. “Damn, Selena! Badass! Spoken like a true Mrs. Gu!” “That’s nothing! Ten more old guys could show up, and I’d send them all home in an ambulance!” “Nobody messes with the Gu family!” Selena, drunk on the praise, turned her attention back to the ring on my hand. “Why is it still on her? Do I have to do it myself?” She was unhinged. Afraid she’d damage the ring, I pulled it off and handed it to her. She snatched it, but she wasn’t done. “You think you can just walk away after stealing my ring? Not so fast.” My face was grim. “What do you want?” “Hold her down! If she’d steal a ring, who knows what else she’s stolen from the house!” “What belongs to the Gu family belongs to me. You stole from me, and you’re going to pay!” Two of them grabbed me, forcing me to the ground. The others went to the van and grabbed my briefcase. I panicked. “Don’t touch that! Those are vital company documents!” The woman holding it burst out laughing. “You? A company? ‘Vital documents’?” “What company does a nanny have? A housekeeping service?” Another one sneered, “No, stupid. She’s a mistress who climbs into beds. It’s a ‘call girl’ company! Hahaha!” They threw my briefcase on the ground. Selena stepped on it, grinding her heel in. “Important, huh? This must be where you’ve hidden all the stolen goods.” “Open it!” I was seeing black, struggling against the hands holding me down, but it was useless. I watched, helpless, as Selena pulled out the files. My five years of work. The entire plan for our European expansion. Global market research. It was a multi-billion dollar strategy. If it succeeded, it would double our company’s annual revenue. Selena glanced at the papers, her face wrinkling in disgust. “Just a few pieces of scrap paper. You were this worked up over paper?” “Let me show you, right now, what happens when you try to steal another woman’s husband.” And with a smile, she tore my life’s work to shreds. My twenty thousand words of handwritten analysis, gone. I wanted to rip her face off. As I tried to get up, someone kicked me in the back, sending me face-first into the dirt. Seeing me so humiliated, Selena laughed. “You want them? Crawl and get them.” “Get her phone. Let’s see how many other men she’s seducing. I’ll post it online. It’s a public service, really.” One of them picked up my shattered phone and handed it to her. She managed to power it on and opened my work chat.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “385686”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Chapter 1 1 My mother was a high-class escort. She died giving birth to me, so I was raised by her “sisters-in-arms.” Growing up, I was a sponge, soaking up every trick they used to handle men. I mastered the art before I finished high school. My “moms” all said the same thing: with my face, my body, and my skills, no man alive could resist me. Too bad I had a congenital heart defect. The doctors said I wouldn’t live to see twenty. On my twentieth birthday, a woman jumped from a penthouse… and landed on me. She was an heiress, dying from a broken heart. As she lay there, she learned she’d also fatally injured me—a patient who was already struggling. She was consumed by guilt. She insisted her heart be donated to me as compensation. With her last breath, she grabbed my hand. “Please,” she begged, “take my heart… and keep loving him for me.” After I recovered, I found him. I did everything I could to seduce the man she loved. I became his golden canary. He doted on me. I had everything I wanted. Until she showed up. And suddenly, I didn’t feel like playing this part anymore. … I’d already had the housekeeper reheat dinner twice. Julian Thorne still wasn’t home. No answered calls. No replied-to texts. I knew I was just his kept woman, but this had never happened before. Just last night, he’d held me and promised he would clear his meetings to be home for my twenty-second birthday. I scrolled aimlessly through Instagram. A new post froze my thumb. Julian—a man who never posted anything—had just dropped a full photo carousel. The center image: two hands, locked together. The other eight photos were all of the same woman. Playful, cute, sultry, tender. Serena. The woman my heart’s donor had lost him to. Julian Thorne’s “white moonlight”—the one that got away. No wonder he’d ghosted me. I scoffed. Men. You really can’t count on them. But my chest started to ache. An unfamiliar, heavy sadness welled up inside me. It happened every time Julian and I were intimate—this heart, which wasn’t mine, would pound like it was trying to escape my ribs. Sigh. Stupid girl. You’re dead, and your heart is still beating for this cold, worthless man. I picked up my fork. I wasn’t waiting anymore. I was just a canary; I had no reason to be sad just because the boss’s true love was back. But the ache in my chest ruined my appetite. I picked at the food and gave up. I showered and went to bed early. Clearly, he wasn’t coming home. I was just drifting off when the mattress beside me dipped. A familiar, cold embrace. The scent of cedar and expensive gin. It was Julian. He’d actually come back. I jolted awake, spinning around, hooking my leg over his, and pressing my lips to his throat. “You missed my birthday,” I whispered. “Your punishment is seven rounds, and you’re not allowed to leave this bed until morning.” I went boneless, hanging on him like silk. His breathing instantly deepened. “Don’t move,” he growled, ripping at his tie. His voice was a low, magnetic rasp. I smiled, kissing him harder. “Where’s my present? Or… are you planning to offer yourself instead?” My warm lips moved to his ear, the words a sultry promise. I’d been asking for a specific pink diamond necklace, and he’d promised to get it for my birthday. “You little demon,” he muttered, his control snapping. “You’re going to be the death of me.” The next second, I was sinking into the soft mattress, a ship tossed on his waves. I had to admit, Julian looked like a cold, abstinent banker, but in bed, he was a different animal. This past year, he’d kept me well-fed in every sense of the word. In the height of it, he clutched me tight and gasped out one word: “Serena!” The wild rhythm in my chest stopped. The ache turned blunt and heavy. I shoved him off me, hard, and pulled the duvet over myself. He froze, realizing what he’d said. The air turned stiff and awkward. After a moment, he reached for his wallet and tossed his Amex Black Card onto the nightstand. “Sorry. I forgot your gift. Buy yourself whatever you want.” I didn’t hesitate. I reached out, my fingers tracing up his arm, until I could snatch the card. I was a canary. For me, money was always more reliable than a man. As for the feelings of the heart inside my chest… I had no control over that. Seeing that I’d taken the card, Julian relaxed, shifting back into the doting man I knew. He tapped my nose. “You little gold digger.” He leaned in again, his eyes dark. I knew that look. It was the look he got right before he pinned me to the bed again. “I love the way you look in that white dress,” he murmured. “Go put it on. Be good.” It was a dress he’d bought for me. He always made me wear it when he was in this kind of mood. But now, after seeing his Instagram post, I understood. The dress. It was Serena’s style. A chill ran down my spine. Chapter 2 Even a canary has some pride. “I’m tired,” I said, turning my back. His face darkened. He didn’t care. He moved over me, pinning me down. “Jade. Don’t piss me off tonight.” I struggled, and we twisted in the sheets. This was new. He was usually respectful in this one area. If I said no, he’d go take a cold shower. He never forced me. But tonight was different. “You remember what you are,” he hissed, his voice cold. “You’re for sale. When the client wants to play, you play.” The next morning, he realized he’d gone too far. He held me, kissing me, apologizing. “I’m sorry, baby. I was drunk, I lost control. It was my fault.” I gave him nothing. “Come on, be good,” he coaxed. “You told me you’ve never been to an amusement park, right? I’ll take the day off. We’ll go to Six Flags, just us. A makeup for your birthday.” He was patient, trying to charm me. I was still furious, but my brain reminded me of my role. He was right. I was for sale. A good canary knows when to take the win. I stretched, letting out a little moan. “You were so rough… you hurt me. I don’t care. You have to dress me.” He chuckled, pulling me onto his lap. “Fine, you little demon.” An hour later, we were finally ready to leave. And an uninvited guest ran through the front door. Serena. “Julian, help me!” she cried, her perfect face frantic. Julian was by her side in an instant. “What’s wrong?” “My cat, Mr. Bojangles! He’s gone! I’ve looked everywhere, and you weren’t answering your phone. I didn’t know who else to call!” She looked so fragile. Then she saw me. Her eyes narrowed, and she deliberately tilted her head, letting her hair fall back. A pink diamond necklace sparkled at her throat. My birthday present. He hadn’t forgotten to buy it. He’d just given it to someone else. All my interest in Six Flags vanished. I was about to tell Julian to just go, but he was already pulling her toward the door. “Let’s go. I’ll help you look.” He didn’t even look at me. He just left. Wow. He really does forget you exist the second he’s out of bed. My heart ached again. I kicked off the Manolos he’d just buckled onto my feet and slid into a pair of comfortable flats. I dialed Roxy, my favorite of my “moms.” Julian gave me a black card. It would be a sin to let it go to waste. Roxy had been seeing a powerful lawyer, and she’d pulled some strings to get me a scholarship to a design school in Italy. I needed cash. In a single afternoon, Roxy helped me liquidate $250,000 from Julian’s card into my own account. He must have been very busy looking for that cat. Not a single call. I took my moms out for a huge dinner. Roxy told me my flight was in a week. They were all so proud. As the party ended, Julian finally called. “Where are you? I’ll send the driver.” One more week. I could play the part for one more week. I gave him the address. The car was waiting, but it didn’t take me home. It took me to a high-end private club where he sometimes met his friends. The second I walked into the private room, I saw him. Julian, with Serena nestled in his lap, talking to his buddies. “So, I’d like to formally introduce Serena,” he was saying. “The most important woman in my life.” One of his friends, Ben, looked up and saw me standing in the doorway. He smirked. “She’s the most important, huh? Then what about your ‘little treasure’?” Chapter 3 My stupid heart tensed. I was actually waiting to hear his answer. “You mean Jade?” Julian’s voice was lazy, thoughtful. “She’s… effective. Always helps me sleep.” The room erupted in laughter. All eyes turned to me. Julian looked over, his gaze meeting mine. He looked a tiny bit uncomfortable, but he recovered and beckoned me over. Serena, in his lap, just smirked at me. That damn heart. It was twisting again. Whatever. It’s true. I was born from a line of women who got paid for this. I was with him to fulfill a dying wish and to make my exit fund. I never expected love. Thinking this, I plastered a dazzling, sultry smile on my face. I walked forward, deliberately bumped into Serena, and slid right into Julian’s lap, displacing her. “You bad boy,” I purred, “If I take such good care of you… don’t I deserve a little reward?” Serena was stunned by my nerve. She grabbed her arm, “Ow! You pushed me!” Julian, who had been smiling, turned cold. “Apologize, Jade.” I shrugged. “Sure. For fifty thousand.” Julian’s smile was gone. “Jade, you really are a greedy, shameless little tramp.” Serena jumped in. “If Miss Jade loves money so much, why don’t we play a game?” “I’m listening,” I said, lazily twirling my hair. Her eyes gleamed with malice. “How about a striptease? $10,000 an item. What do you say?” Julian was staring daggers at me. He was a prude; he hated it when I even wore a low-cut dress out of the house. He would never let this happen. I didn’t even look at him. I scanned the room. Nine men, plus Serena. All of them watching. “No problem,” I said. “Ten people. $10,000 per person. Per item.” The men looked at Julian. He didn’t move. They all cheered. “Deal! Take it off!” Serena’s face tightened—she hadn’t expected me to include her. “Fine! Let’s see how low you’ll go.” I unzipped my jacket and let it slide off my shoulders, revealing the tank top underneath. I pulled out my phone and opened my Zelle. “One hundred thousand, please. Then we start round two.” The little “ping” of the transfers hitting my account was the sweetest sound. Money is the source of all happiness. Serena, seeing I was only in a thin tank top, couldn’t wait. “Next! Hurry up!” I looked at all the hungry faces, then locked eyes with Julian. His face was black. I just smiled, grabbed the hem of my tank top, and started to lift it. Who cares? It’s just a bra. You see more on any beach in Miami. The fabric had just cleared my stomach when a heavy suit jacket was thrown over my head, smelling of cedar. “Have you no self-respect?” I peeked out. Julian was in his shirtsleeves, his face thunderous. He snatched my phone, opened his banking app, and sent me $200,000. “You want money? Fine! But stop embarrassing me. Put your clothes on and go home.” “Julian!” Serena whined. He just patted her hand, his eyes still on me. “Thanks, Daddy!” I cooed. I leaned up, gave him a loud, wet kiss on the cheek, grabbed my jacket, and walked out.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “385685”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Chapter 1 My mercenary husband saved his poisoned teammate by sleeping with her in the jungle. All night. When he returned, he was carrying her—clothes torn, body covered in marks—and he knelt in front of me. “Nina, Chloe took the hit for me. It was a narco-toxin. I couldn’t just watch her die.” He knew I’d be hurt. As penance, he’d already taken a knife and carved seven deep, bloody lines into his own chest. But the toxin was still in Chloe’s system. Every time it flared up, my husband, Marcus, would go to “save” her. And afterward, he would carve another tally mark into his skin. Six months later, he showed me the ninety-nine scars that covered his torso. The man who was always so cold and hard begged me, his voice broken. “Nina, I’ve paid for my sin with my own body. Chloe… she can’t bring herself to terminate the pregnancy. Please, I’m begging you, let the child live.” “You can’t have children,” he continued, his voice desperate. “As soon as it’s born, I’ll bring it to you. It will be our child. It will call you ‘Mom’ and take care of you when we’re old.” My heart felt like it was being crushed. I forced back the tears and said, calmly, “Okay.” In my pocket, I crushed the sonogram photo I’d been hiding. Later, I tossed the crumpled ball into the fireplace. The flames leaped, and the smoke made Chloe cough. Marcus immediately pulled her into his arms, shooting me a frustrated look. “Nina, she already promised. The baby will be raised by you. You don’t need to threaten her. She’s not going to ruin our marriage.” I poked the embers. The smoke burned my eyes, making them red. “Marcus,” I said, my voice flat. “I want a divorce.” He scrambled forward, reaching for me. “Nina, don’t do this, please! Chloe’s taken a bullet for me. She took that toxin for me. I owe her two lives! One child isn’t too much to ask!” His tone was pleading, but his words were all for her. Seeing my expression, his team, who had been standing silently in the living room, suddenly moved. One by one, the grizzled operators all knelt before me. “Ma’am,” one of them said, “we have to speak up for Chloe today, even if it pisses you off.” “She was a clean kid. She gave up her innocence for the boss. It wouldn’t be wrong for him to marry her, honestly.” “You’re a housewife, ma’am. You don’t understand what it’s like. You didn’t see her shield him. We saw what she sacrificed.” “If you ask me, the boss should give her a proper title, not let her and the kid be shamed!” “Shut up!” Marcus roared, cutting them off. “Nina is, and always will be, my only wife! As for Chloe, I will spend the rest of my life making this up to her.” He looked down at the pregnant woman in his arms, his face softening with a tenderness I hadn’t seen in months. Bile rose in my throat. They didn’t know. But Marcus knew. I used to be on the line with him. I took a bullet for him, right here. It’s why I have a heart condition. I was in a coma for three months. When I woke up, he was the one kneeling by my hospital bed, his eyes red, begging me to resign my commission. He said he would protect me for the rest of my life. Now, here he was, kneeling again. But this time, it was to protect another woman from me. I turned and walked away. Marcus caught me on the porch. He gently draped his jacket over my shoulders and tucked my hair behind my ear. “It’s cold out. You never learn how to take care of yourself.” His familiar, warm scent enveloped me. I put a hand on my stomach. For a split second, I almost told him that I was pregnant, too. But then he spoke again. “Nina, Chloe is… sensitive to the cold now. Let her have the climate-controlled house in the suburbs. You should go to the beach house for a while. Get some rest.” The words died in my throat. He’d built that climate-controlled house for me, because my heart condition made me weak and perpetually cold. The beach house was damp and battered by the sea wind. It was where we’d honeymooned, but we hadn’t been back since. It was practically derelict. He used to give me the best of everything. Now, he was asking me to give it all to her. His heart wasn’t mine anymore. I dropped my gaze. “Okay.” He was so relieved he kissed my forehead. “Nina. You’re always the most understanding.” He turned and went back inside, taking Chloe’s hand and blowing on her fingers to warm them, his eyes full of adoration. I just stood there, my own hands trembling in the cold. Chapter 2 2 I was alone on the operating table. The doctor held my hand. “Mrs. Thorne, I’m glad you came to your senses. With your severe heart condition, a pregnancy is just too dangerous.” The first time I saw that tiny flicker on the ultrasound, my whole world had softened. I’d ignored the doctor’s warnings. This was my baby with Marcus. I would have traded my life for this child. But now… there was no point. The cold instruments moved inside me. I gripped the sheets, pain tearing through me as silent tears streamed down my face. My phone rang. The nurse answered it and held it to my ear. It was Marcus, screaming. “Shen Anning! I am so disappointed in you! How could you do this to Chloe?” I was confused, my voice hoarse from pain. “What… what are you talking about?” “Chloe’s been kidnapped! The kidnappers sent a drop-off location. It’s the beach house, Nina! Our beach house!” He was hysterical. “Only you and I know that location! Who else could it be?” I was in too much agony to speak. I just shook my head, forgetting he couldn’t see me. My silence enraged him. “If anything happens to her or my child, I will make you pay a thousand times over!” The line went dead. I closed my eyes, a cold desolation washing over me. After the surgery, as I was being wheeled out of the OR, Marcus’s team was there. They dragged me off the gurney. Cold iron chains were locked around my wrists and ankles. “The boss’s orders,” one of them snarled. “We’re taking you to the island. If they don’t free Chloe, we trade you.” “Are you insane?” my doctor shouted, running over. “Stop! She just had surgery! She’s bleeding!” One of the men shoved him to the floor. They threw me in the back of an SUV. The rough movement sent a fresh wave of blinding pain through my abdomen. I passed out. I don’t know how long it was before I woke to a splash of icy water. I was on a boat. Marcus was standing over me. He threw the bucket onto the deck and grabbed my throat. “Nina, have I been too good to you? Is that why you’ve become this cruel? You couldn’t even spare an unborn child?” I was freezing, shaking so hard I couldn’t form words. “It… it wasn’t… me…” He didn’t believe me. He dragged me off the boat and onto the sand. Chloe was tied to the old lighthouse, her belly large, sobbing. “Marcus, no! It’s a trap! Don’t come any closer!” When she saw me, her tears redoubled. “Nina! If you hate me, I can leave! Why did you have to hurt my baby?” I just shook my head, helpless. “I didn’t do anything! I didn’t!” “Boss! Clear! Whoever it was, they’re gone.” His team fanned out, cut Chloe loose, and Marcus rushed to pull her into a protective embrace. Chapter 3 3 One of Marcus’s men, Vic, spat at my feet. “Ugh. And we called you ‘ma’am.’ You make me sick.” “Poisonous bitch. You’re not worth one strand of Chloe’s hair.” “Enough,” Marcus said coldly. He looked down at me. “Nina, you’ve gone too far. You’ll stay here and reflect on what you’ve done.” He turned and walked away, carrying Chloe. I collapsed onto the cold sand. Just before they disappeared, I saw Chloe look back over his shoulder. She was smiling. Three days later, I was numb. My lips were cracked and bleeding. I thought I was going to die here. Then, a blurry figure walked toward me. “Help… me…” I whispered. Before I lost consciousness, I heard a familiar sigh. “Nina… what am I supposed to do with you?” I woke up on the floor of a basement. Marcus was staring at me, his expression unreadable. “You’re awake.” He offered me a glass of water. I instinctively turned my head away. He slammed the glass down. “Are you done with your tantrum?” His eyes were full of disgust. “I’m not even holding the kidnapping against you, and you’re still pulling this shit? Can you stop being so goddamn petty?” I let out a dry laugh. He hadn’t even investigated. He just knew it was me. “Marcus,” a soft voice called from the doorway. Chloe. “What are you doing here?” Marcus rushed to her, his hands hovering protectively around her stomach. “I was worried about Nina. Is she okay?” Chloe asked, her eyes wide with fake fear. “She’s fine. She won’t die,” Marcus spat, not even looking at me. “You’ll stay down here until Chloe delivers the baby safely.” The heavy door boomed shut, locking me in darkness. I crawled to the table and drank the water. Then, I went to a loose panel in the corner and pulled out a small, encrypted satellite phone. I dialed a number I knew by heart. “What you asked for… I’ll do it.” The voice on the other end was frantic. “Really? You’re not lying? Nina! Where are you? I’m coming to get you.” “Not yet. I have one last thing to do. Wait for me.” “Okay. However long it takes. I’ll be waiting.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “385684”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Chapter 1 On my wedding day, my bouquet was vandalized. Then a little kid ran down the aisle, pointed at my husband, and screamed, “Daddy!” I was still processing that when the child’s “mother” showed up—a woman who had to be at least sixty. I just wanted to sit down and grab some popcorn. 1 “Oh, my God. Who did this?” My maid of honor, Jess, stormed over, holding my bouquet. The cuts were clean, precise. Every single rose had been decapitated. Someone had taken scissors to it. “What are we going to do? The ceremony starts in ten minutes! Who would be this horrible?” Jess was spinning in circles, scanning the bridal suite like she was going to tackle the culprit. My mom, coming in to tell me it was time, saw the floral carnage and went pale. She thought it was a bad omen. She’d never liked me and Mark being together, but I’d worn her down. “Chloe, we have to go. Everyone’s waiting.” Mark stuck his head in, already looking impatient. He started to pull me by the arm, not even noticing the bouquet was a massacre of stems. Seeing his anxious face, my stomach twisted. Was he hiding something? Was this the work of an ex-girlfriend? Thankfully, my other bridesmaid ran in with the emergency backup—a bouquet she’d made herself from silk flowers. It saved the day. The wedding was back on. As we lined up, my mom fixed my veil. “I just want you to be happy, baby,” she whispered, her eyes already wet. I saw her tearing up in the front row, and I made a silent vow. I was going to be happy. “Chloe, do you take Mark to be your lawfully wedded husband?” Mark squeezed my hand, his eyes locked on mine, looking so sincere. I zoned out. He had to squeeze my hand again to get my attention. From the pews, our friends were already whispering, “Say ‘I do!’” I thought about our life together, a fast-forward of the last four years. He was a good guy. Right? I looked at his expectant face and opened my mouth. “I… I do…” “I DON’T!” A little girl, maybe four or five, burst from the back of the church and sprinted down the aisle. “She’s a bad woman! She stole my daddy! Bad woman!” She was making a beeline for us, but thankfully my brother, Leo, was the best man. He scooped her up just before she could launch herself at my dress. “Whoa, where’d this little one come from?” Leo joked, holding her. “Folks, anyone missing a tiny guest? Better claim her quick before I take her home. She’s pretty cute.” The guests, who had been whispering, all just looked at each other. Minutes ticked by. No one stood up. I felt the hand holding mine start to sweat. I looked at Mark. His forehead was gleaming. He looked utterly terrified. It was the first time I’d ever seen him look anything but confident. “Mark,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. “Who is she?” “Chloe, baby, it’s… it’s not… you have to believe me. I haven’t done anything to hurt you, I swear.” He grabbed my arms, his voice frantic. “Daddy! Daddy, I want Daddy! Put me down!” “Ouch! Kid, you bite?” Leo yelped, setting her on the ground. She immediately scrambled over and latched onto Mark’s leg. “Daddy, why are you marrying this bad woman? Mommy will be so sad!” she wailed, then turned and stomped on my foot before glaring at me. How does a kid that small already know how to hate? “Penny, you’re little, you don’t understand,” Mark said, trying to pry her off his leg. Chapter 2 The second he touched her, she screamed bloody murder. The entire ceremony was grinding to a halt. My parents looked mortified. “Mark,” my dad said, his voice low and dangerous. “You need to explain what is going on, right now. Or this wedding is over.” “Dad, Mom, Chloe… it’s not what you think. She’s not my kid. I can’t explain it right here. Can we just go home? Please?” Mark was practically vibrating with panic. “Dude, what are you trying to pull?” my brother snapped. “You think my sister is just going to be a stepmom to your secret kid? No way in hell.” My stomach dropped. I swayed, and Jess had to grab me. Mark reached for me, but Penny was still screaming and clinging to him. He was trapped, and he clearly wasn’t going to tell the truth. Penny looked at me, then grinned at Mark. “Daddy, Mommy’s here too! She went to get me a lollipop. We can all go home together now, okay?” Her words were like needles. I stared at Mark, turned, and started to walk. “Chloe, wait! Listen to me! It’s not…” I was a runaway bride. I didn’t care how sincere he sounded. It was all noise. “Mommy! What took you so long? I almost let the bad woman steal Daddy!” Penny let go of Mark and ran like a shot toward a woman in the back pew. The woman was… sixty, at least. Dressed in a flowery, ruffled dress that was way too young for her. She looked more like the kid’s grandma than her mom. My brain just… stalled. My CPU was fried. A second ago, I wanted to run. Now, I just wanted to grab some popcorn. “Mom? What are you doing here?” Mom? Mark was calling her Mom? Everyone in the church had the same look of utter confusion. Mark had told me—swore to me—that his parents were dead. I looked closely at the woman. The set of her eyes… they were the same as his. He had lied to me. For four years, he’d lied. “You still have the nerve to call me Mom?” the old woman said, turning her back on him in a pout. “Getting married, such a big deal, and you don’t even tell me? Do me and Penny even matter to you?” This was the gossip of the year. Chapter 3 “Chloe, let’s go,” my dad said, his face red. He’d only agreed to this marriage because Mark was “a good, simple guy with no family.” My dad hates liars. But what happened next was even crazier. “Mom, stop making a scene!” Mark hissed, physically turning her around. “It’s my wedding day. Why are you and Penny here? I told you to stay home! You need to help me explain who Penny is, or your daughter-in-law is going to walk.” “Explain what? If she can’t accept Penny, then she can’t marry into this family.” His mom shot me a look of pure disdain. “Ma’am,” I cut in, my patience gone, “what century are you living in? Just tell me the truth. Whose kid is this?” “Oh, so this is the woman you picked? No manners at all. I’m his mother. You should be calling me Mom. But I’ll tell you this: Penny is my son’s child. If you can’t handle that, you can leave.” “Mommy, where’s my lollipop?” Penny whined. The old woman fumbled in her purse and pulled one out, shoving it in the girl’s mouth. “Wait,” I said. “You say she’s Mark’s daughter. But she calls you Mommy. What is going on?” My head was spinning. My boyfriend of four years hadn’t just lied; he was part of some bizarre, dysfunctional mess. “How dare you?” his mom shrieked. “She’s a child! She gets confused! Only a sick, dirty-minded person would think something’s wrong with that!” “Mark told me his mother was dead. And even if you are his mom, you haven’t paid the bar tab, so I’m not calling you ‘Mom.’ Got a problem with that, ‘ma’am’?” She lunged at me, but Mark stepped between us. “Mom, please, just go home. I’m begging you. I really want to marry Chloe.” He looked like he was about to cry. She just stood there. He gave up and turned to me, dropping to one knee. “Chloe, I lied. I lied about my mom. I was scared. I was scared you’d think… she’s… a lot… and you’d leave me. But the kid… I’ll explain later, I swear. It’s not what you think. I have never cheated on you.” He looked sincere. And, to be fair, in four years, he’d never given me a reason to think he was a cheater. My dad was pulling my arm, but my mom stepped in. “Honey, just… let’s get through the ceremony. You’re already legally married. Don’t throw it all away and be divorced before the reception.” She whispered to my dad, “We’ll keep a close eye. If it’s bad, we’ll get her out.” It was that one moment of softness that sealed my fate. Chapter 4 I trusted him. I finished the wedding. After the reception, Mark had arranged for a friend to drive his mom and Penny back to their (apparently secret) apartment. But Brenda pitched a fit. She’d come all this way, she was going to stay with her son for “a few days.” Later, Mark finally explained. Penny wasn’t his daughter. She was his mother’s. Brenda had her late in life with some man who’d left. To avoid the “shame” in her small town, she’d told everyone the baby was Mark’s. He hadn’t cheated. The boulder in my stomach finally dissolved. But that night, I came out of the shower, ready for my wedding night, and found Mark asleep in our bed… with Penny curled up next to him. It was a “father-daughter” picture. It made my skin crawl. I woke him up. “Mark, can you take her to the guest room?” The second he moved, the kid whimpered and clung to him. He tried again. She started to cry. I gave up. I went and slept on the couch. (Brenda was in the guest room.) “Just a few days, Chloe, I promise,” he said the next morning. “I’ll make it up to you.” I just counted down the days. Finally, the day they were supposed to leave, I got up early, bought pastries, and was ready to drive them to the train station myself. “Mommy, I want milk!” Penny yelled, throwing a croissant on the table. I just slid a glass of milk in front of her. “Not THAT milk! I don’t want it!” She started banging her fists. “That’s the milk you wanted. We also have… yogurt?” I nudged Mark. He went and got it. She threw that on the floor, too. “Mom, you spoil her too much,” Mark sighed. Hearing him criticize her, Penny went nuclear. She grabbed a sausage link and threw it at my head. Before I could react, she dove into Brenda’s lap, hiked up her mom’s shirt, and… and started… My eyes felt like they were going to pop out of my head. She was five. And her sixty-year-old mother… I grabbed Mark and pulled him out of the room. I couldn’t unsee that. I told Mark he could take them to the station. But he didn’t. He came back that evening with flowers. “Babe, you’re a saint. These are for you.” “Thanks,” I said, taking them. “They’re on the train?” “Well…” “What! No! I am not doing this!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “385683”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The TMZ headline blew up my phone: [MEGASTAR FINN WILDER’S STOLEN ID USED IN SHAM MARRIAGE]. That’s how I found out Finn Wilder had forgotten we got married three years ago. The entire internet started digging. They found me, a single mom, and our son, Leo. Finn Wilder himself tagged me in a public statement: [@AnnaHayes I get that fans are passionate, but this is next level. Can we get this annulled, like, yesterday?] I replied: [Okay.] But we scheduled the divorce three times, and Finn never showed. The first time, his assistant called. “Mr. Wilder was held up on set. Pyrotechnics issue. We’ll have to reschedule.” The second time, his publicist texted me. “Mr. Wilder was rushed to the hospital with a high fever. We’re rescheduling.” The third time, my son Leo brought me his iPad, pointing at a news alert. “Mommy, Daddy got a booboo. He hit his head in a car.” 1 Before Finn Wilder was Finn Wilder, we dated. We were young, stupid, and in love. He dragged me to a 24-hour chapel in Las Vegas. His eyes were brighter than the neon strip. “This way, you’re stuck with me,” he’d said, his hands framing my face. “Not even God can tear us apart now.” He’d kissed me, smug, like he’d just conquered the world. “You’re mine. Next life, too.” That same day, he got in a car accident. And he forgot me. His family, who always hated me, saw their chance. They erased every trace of me from his life. So when the [SHAM MARRIAGE] headline dropped, I wasn’t surprised. It had his family’s fingerprints all over it. Since he’d forgotten, his family could write whatever history they wanted. I was recast as a delusional, psycho fan who’d “found” his lost wallet and somehow, magically, married him. It was a clean, believable narrative. I stared at the blurry screenshot of the marriage certificate on the gossip blogs. The ID number was magnified. The internet did its work. Within hours, my crappy apartment building, my name, and grainy photos of me struggling with a stroller were plastered all over Twitter. I’d found out I was pregnant right after he lost his memory. Leo is two and a half. He looks just like me. No one, not even Finn, suspected he was the father. The whole world was waiting for me to break down, to start screaming, to fight for him. My DMs were a dumpster fire of 99+ messages. They called me a psycho. They called me a gold-digging whore. They said I was trash trying to cling to a god. I’ve watched his movies. I watched the reckless, beautiful boy I knew turn into “The Finn Wilder,” an untouchable megastar. I know how this business works. A secret wife and a toddler don’t help that brand. I’d waited three years for him to remember. I gave up hope a long time ago. I stared at his public post for five minutes, then typed: [Okay.] My heart had died three years ago. It was time to bury it. 2 I actually met his older brother, Julian, first. I was the “swapped at birth” cliché. The true heiress to the Landry fortune, raised in a trailer park, and “rescued” at seventeen. I was a country bumpkin who only knew how to get good grades. I didn’t fit in with the prep school kids. To make it worse, I was part of an old “family arrangement” to marry Julian Wilder. Everyone laughed at me. But Julian pulled me aside at one of those awful garden parties. “This arrangement,” he said, “I intend to honor it. Get your grades up. You’ll come to New York with me.” I didn’t have a single friend. His words were a lifeline. My new “parents” were so embarrassed by me they wouldn’t even publicly acknowledge me. The fake heiress, Sierra, told everyone at school I was the new maid’s daughter. My parents didn’t deny it. The whole school treated me like a charity case. They isolated me, they whispered about me. I finally snapped. “I’m not the maid’s daughter. I’m Anna Landry. Sierra is the fake one!” A group of girls cornered me in the bathroom. They slapped me, hard. “You trash. Just because Sierra’s too nice to put you in your place doesn’t mean we are.” The leader pulled my hair, forcing me to my knees. “Look at yourself. You’ll never be one of us.” I went to the principal. He just sighed. “Why do they only bully you, Anna? Maybe you should look at your own behavior. Stop spreading these fantasies. The Landrys are paying your tuition. You should be grateful.” I cried myself to sleep every night. And I studied. I was going to get out. I was going to go to New York with Julian. My SAT scores were high enough. Julian himself flew back and convinced my parents. He was the one who brought me to NewY ork. He was how I met Finn. 3 Julian set me up in a quiet apartment near my new school. He was always the perfect gentleman. “Is the money enough?” “Are you keeping up with your classes?” “Is anyone giving you trouble?” He was five years older. He was at Columbia; I was finishing high school. He was a guardian, a big brother. One evening, he was on my tiny balcony, watching the sunset. “I brought you here to show you a bigger world, Anna,” he said. “Not to trap you with some outdated promise. They laugh at you? Then you become so successful they can’t ignore you. As for the arrangement… it’s a responsibility I take seriously, not a romance. You understand?” I understood. He didn’t love me. He would never marry me. But he was my savior. He’d pulled me out of the mud. I was just grateful. I never expected his brother. Finn Wilder was a hurricane. He blew into my quiet, lonely life and tore it apart. We lived together for four years. 4 It started because I could cook. It was a Saturday, pouring rain. A knock. He was in a baseball cap, trying to hide that ridiculously beautiful face. His arm was in a cast. He looked like a stray wolf, soaked and starving. “My brother says you can cook. I need food. Pot roast. And something spicy. Like, really spicy.” “Who’s your brother?” I asked. “Julian. My actual brother.” He pushed past me, dripping, and started opening cabinets. He was like a raccoon. “I’m calling Julian,” I said. Julian just sighed on the phone. “He escaped from the hospital. I’m on my way.” By the time Julian arrived, Finn was inhaling a plate of my spicy Kung Pao Chicken, practically vibrating. He ate the whole thing, then obediently followed Julian out. Before he left, he grabbed my phone and added his number. That night, he texted: [Tomorrow. I want ribs.] He moved in. His school (NYU) was an hour downtown, but he made the commute every day, just for my cooking. He was loud. He was obnoxious. But he also sat on the couch playing video games while I studied, just so I wouldn’t be alone. “I’m here, what are you scared of?” He was the one who went, mortified, to the drugstore to buy me tampons. “This is so embarrassing, Anna.” And then, one night, everything changed. Julian showed up. He wanted to talk about the “family arrangement” again. “It’s time,” he said. “We’re going home to announce our engagement.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “385682”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Move-in day, first day of freshman year. I’d brought welcome gifts for my new roommates. “Oh my god, is this a Tom Ford lipstick set? This has to be, like, two hundred bucks!” “Seriously, this is way too much.” “It’s fine, really. My family’s in retail—department stores. It’s nothing.” I waved it off, just as our last roommate pushed the door open. I smiled and held out the same gift box to her. She glanced at the box, and her face went cold. “What is this? Trying to buy your friends?” She crossed her arms. “Look, just because I’m on financial aid doesn’t mean I take handouts.” “Is this what you rich people do? You think money solves everything? Flashing your wealth on day one. You feel superior?” “If you have so much money, why aren’t you donating it to a children’s hospital? Why not help people who actually need it? Or do you just get off on showing off in front of poor people like us?” 1 She got more and more worked up, like I’d just committed a federal crime. My own enthusiasm, which had been buzzing all morning, just… died. Was I wrong to try and be nice? “Are you always this much of a bitch?” I’m not a doormat. I pulled the gift back. Her eyes went wide. “You just swore at me!” “You just spent a solid minute ripping me a new one, and I’m not allowed to talk back? It’s day one.” “Fine, don’t take it. God, all that drama. It’s not like I was begging you to.” I turned and shoved the extra set into my desk drawer. “Seriously, she was just being nice. Who cares if her family has money?” Mia, one of the roommates who’d accepted the gift, spoke up. “Yeah, it’s her money, she can spend it how she wants. It’s not her fault other people are poor,” the other one, Chloe, chimed in. “Exactly.” Seeing the three of us united, the new girl’s face went white, then red. She just glared at us. I was done with her. I pulled my wallet out, slapped a hundred-dollar bill on my desk. “I’m exhausted. Whoever wants to make my bed gets this. Think of it as a tip.” In an instant, Mia and Chloe’s eyes lit up. “I’ll do it! I’m amazing at hospital corners!” Mia yelled. “I can do it! Or I can unpack your bags!” Chloe offered. “My lady, I am your humble servant from this day forth!” They were both laughing, completely over-the-top, as they practically fought over my sheets and duvet. I was laughing too, so I pulled out another hundred and tossed it on the desk. I’ll admit it. I was doing it to piss her off. I have a terrible streak like that. You tell me not to do something, I’ll do it twice as hard. The “financial aid” girl, seeing her moral high ground evaporate, looked like she was about to explode. Finally, she just snapped. “You’re both just pathetic gold diggers!” “I will never be a slave to money.” She stormed out, slamming the door so hard our pictures rattled. That night, to get us all on the same page, I offered to take my new roommates out to dinner. I was thinking somewhere nice, but they insisted on a casual place near campus, and we all split the bill. We were already in the class-wide group chat. That night, an anonymous message popped up: [Anon_User_1]: Yo, I heard someone in our year got dropped off in a Rolls-Royce. Anyone know who the mystery millionaire is? Mia and Chloe pounced on it. [Mia]: LOL, she’s in our dorm! And she’s super pretty and nice! [Chloe]: She’s literally the BEST. So sweet, not stuck up at all. We stan! [User_2]: Omg I want to be in your dorm! [User_3]: Crying in my single room. [User_4]: Does she need a personal assistant? I’ll carry her books! I was reading the chat from my bed, smiling. I didn’t say anything, just dropped two $100 Venmo payments into the chat. [Ava W.: Coffee’s on me. Welcome to college. ☕] My phone was still in my hand when Mia and Chloe both shrieked. They ripped open their curtains. “I got the notification! You are a literal angel!” They were bowing. “We’re not worthy!” The vibe was great, right up until a loud, sarcastic “Hmph” came from the other side of the room. A low mutter: “Just buying people. Pathetic.” She didn’t want the money, fine. As long as she kept to her side of the room, we could co-exist. But the next morning, my advisor @-mentioned me in the all-freshman Slack. I had to report to her office. I had no idea why, but I went. When I opened the door, she was already in there: my charming new roommate. Her eyes were red and puffy. My advisor, Ms. Davis, looked at me over her glasses. Her expression was serious. “Ava, this is Sarah. She has filed a formal complaint, alleging that you are leading a campaign of bullying and exclusion against her in your dorm room. She’s requesting a room transfer.” I raised an eyebrow. So, her name was Sarah. I looked at her, and she immediately stared at the floor. “Now, Ava,” Ms. Davis said, “your family’s status doesn’t matter here. This university values an equitable and fair environment.” “I’d like you to apologize to Sarah so you two can move forward.” I laughed. I couldn’t help it. “Ms. Davis, with all due respect, did she tell you what this ‘bullying’ was?” Ms. Davis blinked. Clearly, she had not. “You must be swamped with orientation,” I said, giving her an out. “You probably just forgot to ask for the details.” She cleared her throat, embarrassed. “Sarah, since Ava is asking for clarification, why don’t you describe the incident?” Thinking she had the faculty on her side, Sarah stood up straight. “She came in and started handing out expensive gifts to everyone but me… wait, no, she tried to give me one, to buy my loyalty. When I refused her handout, she insulted me.” “She called me sick in the head!” “And then, to humiliate me, she flashed a wad of cash and paid my other roommates $200 just to make her bed! That’s degrading! It’s… it’s a microaggression against low-income students!” She was so indignant, so genuinely outraged, that Ms. Davis was silent. I, on the other hand, was trying not to snort. Seeing me smile, Sarah’s voice rose. “See! She’s laughing! She doesn’t even respect you, Ms. Davis! She thinks her money puts her above the rules! I demand she be expelled! She’s a toxic presence!” “That is enough!” Ms. Davis finally snapped, but at Sarah, not me. “Sarah, stop causing trouble. A gift is a kind gesture. You are not obligated to accept it, but you have no right to attack someone for giving one. And you call it ‘exclusion’ when you were the one who started shouting?” “I almost filed a formal reprimand based on your one-sided, manipulative story.” Ms. Davis turned to me, her eyes apologetic. “Ava, I am sorry you were dragged into this.” She then dismissed Sarah with a sharp wave. Sarah looked absolutely stunned. As she was pushed out the door, she looked back at us, her face twisting with rage. “You’re all the same! She bought you, just like she bought them! You’re all blinded by her money! But I won’t be!” I just sighed. She was nuts. I left and went to find Mia and Chloe to buy supplies for O-Week. 2 Two days later, freshman orientation (O-Week) began. This being Austin in early September, it was a hundred and five degrees. The university, in its infinite wisdom, had scheduled three days of mandatory outdoor “team-building” and campus cleanup, all run by a terrifyingly loud ROTC instructor. After one hour of marching in the blazing sun, my throat felt like I’d swallowed sand. The air was so thick and humid, every breath was work. The instructor finally called a ten-minute break. The entire platoon just collapsed under a few sad-looking trees. I opened the imported sparkling water I’d brought. The cold carbonation was bliss. I looked over and saw a few kids whose lips were already cracked. One girl looked pale, like she was about to pass out. The student union was a mile away. No one would make it there and back in ten minutes. I looked at a few of the orientation leaders—upperclassmen—lingering nearby. I had an idea. “Hey guys, it’s brutal out here,” I called out. “I’m gonna see if I can pay one of the O-Week leaders to make a run to the market for us. Drinks are on me.” Our whole group, which had been half-dead, erupted in cheers. I was about to stand up when a sharp voice cut through the noise. “Ava, that’s enough!” Sarah scrambled to her feet, swaying a little from the heat. She looked at me with this… this profound hatred, like I’d just suggested we burn down the library. “Are you trying to buy everyone? Again?” “Is this all you know how to do? Flash your daddy’s dirty money?” “I feel sorry for your father, having a daughter who’s this obsessed with being better than everyone!” 3 Her shout was so loud that everyone within fifty yards stopped, including our stone-faced ROTC instructor. The cheers died. Everyone just stared at her. Is she for real? I was so tired of this, I just laughed. “My dad works hard precisely so I don’t have to be miserable.” “And he taught me not to be like… well, like some people, who are so twisted up inside that they see kindness as an attack.” “And for the record? My dad would be thrilled to know his daughter was this popular.” I turned my back on her and walked over to one of the O-Week leaders. He was tall, with gold-rimmed glasses, and had been watching the whole exchange with a small, amused smile. “Hi,” I said. “Could you do us a huge favor?” He pushed his glasses up. “I’m listening.” “Our group is dying of thirst. I was wondering if I could pay you to run to the PCL and grab as many waters and sodas as you can carry? For this whole platoon. I’ll pay.” I pulled out my phone to Venmo him. “That’s not necessary.” He smiled, pulling out his own phone. “Hey, this is Noah, Student Government. I’m at the south field with the new ROTC group… Yeah, can you send a few cases of cold water and Gatorade over? For all the freshman platoons.” He paused, then looked at me. “Oh, and throw in a hundred Häagen-Dazs cups.” He hung up and winked at me. “Student Government sponsorship. Welcome to the university.” I blinked. I knew exactly what he’d just done. “Wow. I… thank you. But I can still pay—” “Ava,” he said, his voice low, glancing pointedly at Sarah, who was fuming in the distance. “Sometimes, just accepting a nice gesture is its own form of kindness.” I got it. I smiled. “Well, thank you, Noah.” Ten minutes later, a university golf cart loaded with coolers pulled up. The whole field exploded. “What? Is this real?” “I LOVE this school!” “I heard it wasn’t Student Gov, it was that girl from the platoon next to us!” “Which one? The really pretty one? Oh my god, an actual angel.” Our platoon was practically beaming. Mia and Chloe flanked me, handing out the goods like bodyguards. “Courtesy of Ava! Everyone grab one!” “Thank you, Ava!” “Ava, you’re the best!” I was a little embarrassed, but it felt good. In this sea of happy, sweaty freshmen, Sarah was an island. She just stood there, fists clenched, watching everyone. She didn’t take a drink. She didn’t take an ice cream. When the instructor blew his whistle, he gave me a long, thoughtful look, then glanced at Sarah. That afternoon, he was noticeably harder on her. “Jones! Straighten that arm! Are you even trying?” 4 After orientation, I was a campus legend. “Rolls-Royce Girl,” “The Ice Cream Angel,” “The Dorm Room Goddess.” People said hi to me everywhere. The cafeteria ladies always gave me an extra scoop. Mia and Chloe were loving the reflected glory. “Ava!” Mia said, waving two tickets. “Student Gov is hosting the Welcome Back Bash tonight. Are you going? Noah personally asked me to invite you.” “Noah?” I pictured the guy with the gold-rimmed glasses. “You have to go!” Chloe said. “He’s, like, the campus king. Student Body President, full-ride scholarship, and he’s hot. The line of girls trying to get his attention is a mile long.” They wore me down. I agreed. In our room, Sarah was at her desk, headphones on, pointedly ignoring the world. We didn’t bother her. The party was huge. Noah had saved me a seat. He wasn’t wearing his glasses, and it gave him a sharper, more handsome look. “Ava. Settling in okay?” he asked, handing me a water. “Yeah, it’s been good. And thanks again for the save during O-Week.” “Happy to help,” he smiled. “But I have to ask. Your roommate… she really has it out for you, doesn’t she?” I shrugged. “I guess I just have a very punchable, capitalistic face.” He laughed, a real, barking laugh. “I’ve seen her type before,” he said, his smile fading. “She’s insecure, so she’s arrogant. Sees the whole world as an enemy. Don’t let her get to you. Just stay away.” I was surprised. He’d read her perfectly.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “385681”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I’ve been officially “dead” for five years. And Julian, the guy I grew up with, the boy I loved, has supposedly been visiting my grave every single year. Which is rich, considering he was the one who told me, five years ago, to get lost and never contact him again. Then I came home. We ran into each other at a club. Before I could even say hello, his bodyguards slammed me against the wall. Julian stared at me, his eyes colder than I’d ever seen them. “Who,” he whispered, “gave you permission to get her face?” He looked at his men. “Ruin her.” Seriously? Did everyone just forget how laws work while I was gone? 1 The second I cleared baggage claim, a black-clad missile hit me. “Zoe! I thought you’d never come back!” It was Maya, my best friend. After five years, I could barely breathe, and not just because she was squeezing my ribs. “Maya,” I gasped. “Air.” “Right. Sorry.” She pulled back, her eyes sparkling. “So, you’re back for good?” I nodded. “Back for good.” A wicked grin spread across her face. “Oh, I can’t wait to see Julian’s face. He’s going to think he’s seeing a ghost.” Julian. My childhood sweetheart. The only person I’d ever loved. Maya had kept me updated. He wasn’t the same guy I’d left. He’d finally taken his seat at the head of his family’s empire. And me? I’d spent five years in hiding, just trying to stay alive. “You didn’t tell him I was coming, did you?” I asked. “And spoil the fun?” Maya scoffed. “No way. Not after how he treated you.” Back then… My mind drifted. We were supposed to get married right after graduation. Then my father’s terminal diagnosis came, and with it, the vultures—the half-siblings I never even knew I had. They planned to cut me out of the inheritance, permanently. A “man-made” car accident left me clinging to life. That’s when my mom shipped me out of the country with Elena, her most trusted advisor. Right before I left, I called him. I told him I was leaving, but I was too scared to tell him about the crash. He didn’t take it well. “Why are you going? I told you I’d help you fight them!” “Or do you not think I can?” I never doubted him. But we were kids. We didn’t have the power. I couldn’t let him get caught in the crossfire. I didn’t even know if I’d survive. So I broke his heart. “My mind is made up.” His voice cracked. “Zoe. I’m begging you. Don’t do this.” I clutched the phone, my whole body aching. “I’m sorry, Julian.” He was quiet for a second. Then, a cold laugh. “Fine. This is the first and last time I will ever beg anyone for anything. If you walk away, we’re strangers. Don’t ever contact me again.” He hung up. The second the call ended, the world went black. 2 I woke up twenty days later on a different continent. The first thing I learned was that, back home, I was dead. Elena explained it. “The moment our jet touched down, your father’s other children leaked the ‘news’ of your tragic death. They wanted to use the press to fast-track the inheritance.” “Your mother,” she said, “decided to let them. She confirmed the story. It’s the only way to keep them off your back while she cleans house.” I understood. But it meant I had to stay hidden. My injuries were… extensive. Especially my face. Mom hired the best surgical team in the world, but I’m not the girl I was. Maya only recognized me instantly because we’ve spent the last five years on FaceTime. I linked my arm through hers. “Good. Let him be surprised.” No one waits for five years. The past should stay buried. 3 First, Maya dragged me to the cemetery. She pointed to a pristine gravestone with my name on it. “He’s a real piece of work, this one,” she said, trying not to laugh. “He says he hates your guts, but he’s been here every year on your ‘anniversary,’ regular as clockwork.” She rolled her eyes. “And then he spends the other 364 days parading around with Claire Vanderbilt. Word is they’re engaged. Don’t worry, I’ll crash the wedding and get you some cake.” I didn’t say anything. I just stared at the bouquet of fresh hyacinths at the base of the stone. They used to be my favorite. This whole charade. The only person we’d fooled was him. What did he think, when he heard I’d died? I shook my head. He has a new life. A fiancée. Claire Vanderbilt. She’s probably perfect. “You’ve been out of the game for five years,” Maya said, pulling me into a cab. “Tonight, I’m finding you some high-quality eye candy.” I started to object. “Relax,” she said, seeing my face. “It’s just drinks. I’m not stupid enough to fall for that ‘true love’ crap anymore.” 4 Maya, true to her word, was an expert flirt. She had two guys wrapped around her finger in minutes. I was worried she’d get too drunk, so I kept my own intake low and made a quick run to the bathroom. Coming out, I was moving too fast and slammed right into a solid, human wall. “Oof. Sorry, man, your chest is like—” I looked up. And froze. Julian. He stared at me. His eyes went wide. He grabbed my wrist, his voice rough. “Zoe?” He recognized me. After all this time, all the surgery, he— THWACK. He shoved me so hard I hit the floor. The shock was colder than the tile. He looked down, his face a mask of pure ice. “Who gave you permission to get her face? Did Claire send you? Is this a test?” He snapped his fingers at the two bodyguards I hadn’t even noticed. “Ruin her.” One of the men pulled a small, gleaming knife. My blood ran cold. This wasn’t Julian. This was a monster. I couldn’t move. I just stared up at him. As the man with the knife reached for me, Julian’s jaw tightened. He closed his eyes. “Stop.” The man froze. Julian opened his eyes, the coldness back, but now laced with something else. Disgust. “Get out of here,” he spat at me. “If I ever see your face again, you won’t be this lucky.” His crew swept past me and was gone. I sat there for a second, my heart hammering. Then I pulled out my phone. “911? Yes, I’d like to report an assault and a death threat.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “385680”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My little brother, Leo, had a thing for secrets. In ninth grade, he found out our cousin Brandon was gay. He was about to blast it in the family group chat. I stopped him. A year later, he found out our Aunt Jenna was cheating. He was about to tell her husband. I snatched his phone. Then, he live-streamed our parents having sex. I called the cops. I told them he was a minor being coerced. I thought I was saving him. Five years later, he got out of juvie. I got him a good, high-paying job. At his welcome-home dinner, he stabbed me. “You stupid bitch,” he hissed, twisting the knife. “You just had to interfere. You cost me five years.” I was dying. I begged my cousin, my aunt, my parents to help me. They just backed away, hands up. “Leo, please,” my aunt whimpered. “If you kill her, you don’t have to kill us, right?” I blacked out. And woke up, back in the private room of a noisy restaurant. In ninth grade. Leo was jiggling his leg, his eyes wide and manic. He held up his phone. “Nora! You are not gonna believe this! Brandon is gay!” … The AC was blasting, but I was sweating. When I didn’t respond, Leo pinched me, hard. “Did you hear me?” The sharp pain on my arm was real. I wasn’t dead. I was back. I forced down the lump in my throat. “Yeah, Leo. I heard you.” He let go, a nasty smirk on his face as he looked across the table. “Just one spot in the magnet school. That’s all we’re asking. And they’re acting like this. Fucking assholes. Serves them right their son’s a…” I looked up. My Uncle Rob was red-faced, jabbing a finger at my dad. “I’m not saying you’re a bad guy, but look at your family. My sister married you, and what’s she got to show for it? You’re all wearing clothes from Walmart. Is that whole outfit even fifty bucks?” Aunt Cindy, his wife, giggled. “And Leo’s grades… two hundred on his pre-SATs? You seriously think you can buy your way into prep school with that?” My parents just sat there, smiling, their backs bent. “We just really appreciate you looking into it, Rob.” Leo seethed. “He thinks he’s so high and mighty. Well, his precious family line is about to end.” His thumb was moving, fast. Tap. Tap. Snap. Last time, I stopped him. I begged him. “We need them right now. Just let it go. Do you want to end up flipping burgers for the rest of your life?” I’d argued until my throat was raw. He finally agreed. He got into the school, hated it, flunked, and blamed me for “forcing” him to be a failure. When he stabbed me, his first words were, “If you’d just let me be, I’d be famous on TikTok by now, driving a Lambo.” So this time, I didn’t say a word. I just quietly ate my stale bread roll. Then came the shouting. “What the hell?” Brandon, my cousin, had thrown his napkin on the floor. “Are you blind? You got sauce on me!” The young waitress was terrified. “I’m so sorry, sir, I’ll get a cloth—” “A cloth? This is a three-thousand-dollar shirt! You’ll pay for it! You know what? You couldn’t even make three grand if you sold yourself on the street.” No one said a word. Aunt Cindy was taking photos of her new nails. I couldn’t help it. “Brandon, chill. It’s a drop of soy sauce.” He sneered at me. “Who are you? You’re just the down payment for your brother’s college tuition. A breeding machine.” He shoved the waitress away. “Don’t touch me! You’re filthy!” The table was silent. Then, suddenly, a cascade of dings. Ping. Ping. Pingpingping. The family group chat. I looked at Leo. His eyes were bright red, a sick, happy red. “Jesus,” Uncle Rob said, pulling out his phone. “The family chat’s been dead for months. What is this?” My parents, always following, pulled out their phones, too. Brandon, looking bored, took out his. The smile melted off his face. The photos were… graphic. Brandon and his boyfriend. The angles were… creative. CRASH. The whole table flipped. Hot soup and glass showered down, covering the stain on Brandon’s shirt. He screamed, “Dad! Are you crazy?” Uncle Rob was hyperventilating, his finger shaking at the phone. “You… you abomination! What is this?!” I just smiled. Leo couldn’t hold it in. “Wow, Uncle Rob. Guess I finally know why Brandon never brings a girlfriend home.” Aunt Cindy spun around and slapped Leo, hard. “You little bastard! You posted that?” “Cindy!” My dad shot up. “We’re family, don’t hit my kid!” She slapped my dad, too. “Family? After this? You’ll be lucky if you ever work in this city again!” Leo jumped up and kicked Aunt Cindy in the shins. “You don’t get to hit my dad!” He was high on the chaos. “You think that’s bad? I’ve got his other account. The stuff on there… you wanna see?” The blood drained from Aunt Cindy’s face. Brandon, in a blind rage, grabbed a chair and smashed it over Leo’s leg. “I’LL KILL YOU! YOU LITTLE PEST! YOU THINK YOU’RE PART OF THIS FAMILY?” Leo screamed. My parents tried to grab Brandon, but Uncle Rob and Aunt Cindy held them back. It was chaos. I just stood by a pillar, watching. Leo was on the ground, spitting blood. He saw me. “Nora! Help me! Nora!” Not this time. The restaurant manager finally called the police. It was too late. Leo’s leg was broken. At the hospital, Mom cried. Dad smoked. “If we sue, he’ll never get into that school.” Mom snapped. “He just posted those pictures! You think they’re gonna let him in anyway?” They both turned on me. Smack. Dad’s handprint stung my face. “You’re the older sister! Why didn’t you stop him? What good are you?” Mom just said, “Peel him a grape. That’s all you’re useful for.” I just stood there. “Do you want your high school allowance or not?” Dad threatened. I took the grape.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “385679”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I was just trying to be polite to my neighbor. “Oh, your grandson is adorable,” I said. “I’d love one just like him.” I came home from college for the summer, and my parents had taken that comment and run with it. They had a baby. “He’s only here because you wished for him, Sarah,” my mom said. “That means you have to take responsibility.” They checked out. Suddenly, my brother’s entire life was my problem. From his homework to his job, and eventually, to his down payment on a house. When I couldn’t afford the house, my brother killed me. I woke up, and I was back in that moment, in my parents’ living room. “Wow, Noah is just so cute,” I said, forcing a smile at our neighbor. “I’d love…” My parents’ eyes lit up. They leaned in, waiting for it. I paused, and smiled. “…I’d love a waterfront mansion.” “And a yacht!” “And to get my MBA at Harvard, all expenses paid!” “And about ten million dollars in a trust fund!” 1 Our neighbor, Mrs. Peterson, was visiting with her grandson, Noah. My mom kept glancing at me, then cleared her throat. “Sarah, honey,” she said, testing the waters. “Look how sweet he is. If you had a little brother that cute… well, I’d just be the happiest mom in the world.” I almost laughed. I knew the truth. It didn’t matter what I wanted; that “brother” was already on the way. This whole song and dance was just a performance to trap me, to pin the lifelong responsibility of a child on me. Last time, I fell for it. Because I said, “He’s adorable, I’d love one,” I became the default parent. As soon as my brother, Leo, was born, my parents became ghosts. They dumped him on me. When he got older, his problems were my problems. Bad grades? I wasn’t a good enough tutor. Couldn’t get a job? I didn’t have the right connections. Couldn’t afford a house? I wasn’t working hard enough. If I ever pushed back, they trotted out the same tired line. “He’s only here because you wished for him, Sarah! You have to be responsible for his life!” My wish could impregnate someone? Their excuse for wanting a son was more creative than my senior thesis. The worst part is, they repeated the lie so often that Leo actually believed it. He failed a test, he blamed me. He got fired, he blamed me. He couldn’t buy a house, he blamed me. The last time, when he came at me with the knife, he was screaming. “Why did you even wish me alive if you couldn’t pay for it?! It’s all your fault! You wanted me, so you pay! You can pay with your life!” The brother I raised. The brother who murdered me. And my parents? They signed a document, forgiving him. Asking the court for leniency. I was the only one who lost. This time, I wasn’t playing their game. Mrs. Peterson, oblivious, nudged her grandson. “Go on, Noah. Say hi to Sarah. Ask her to hold you.” The little boy just stared. “See, Sarah?” Mrs. Peterson cooed. “So sweet. You should tell your mom to get you one.” My mom was literally holding her breath, staring at my mouth. The anticipation was pathetic. I beamed. “Wow, he is adorable. I’d love…” My parents both leaned forward, their eyes wide with victory. “I’d love a waterfront mansion in the Hamptons!” “And a ninety-foot yacht!” “And to get my MBA at Harvard, all expenses paid!” “And about ten million dollars in a trust fund!” The living room went completely silent. Mrs. Peterson’s smile froze. My mom’s jaw dropped. My dad, who was pouring tea, missed the cup entirely, splashing hot water all over the coffee table. “Sarah, what on earth are you talking about?” My mom finally sputtered, her face burning with embarrassment. My dad’s face was dark red. He slammed the teapot down. “That’s not funny, Sarah. We’re talking about something serious.” “What’s serious?” I asked, all innocence. “Mrs. Peterson asked if you’d like a little brother. What do you think?” I widened my eyes. “You mean, if I want one, I can get one?” My parents nodded eagerly. “Of course. We’d do anything to make you happy.” “Awesome,” I said. “I’ll take the mansion first. Then the yacht. Then the Harvard MBA, and the ten million. Which one are you getting me first?” My parents just stared. I raised my voice. “I SAID, I want the MANSION! I want the YACHT—” “That’s enough!” my mom shrieked. The fake smiles were gone. 2 Mrs. Peterson mumbled an excuse and practically ran out of the house. The moment the door closed, my mom was in my face. “Sarah, be serious. Do you want a little brother or not?” “No,” I said, flatly. “I’m thinking of you,” she insisted. “You’ll have someone to look out for you!” “I have friends. I have a boyfriend. I don’t need a kid to take care of.” I crunched loudly on an apple. My dad jumped in, trying the “man of the house” routine. “You don’t know anything. When you’re married, you’ll be weak if you don’t have a brother at home to back you up.” “Oh, well. Then I just won’t get married,” I said around a mouthful of apple. “Date, sure. But marriage? No thanks. Too much paperwork.” “That’s even better!” my mom blurted out, forgetting her script. “Then your brother can take care of you when you’re old!” And there it was. The real reason. They didn’t care about me. They just wanted a son. “Rely on a brother to take care of me?” I laughed. “I’d rather just die now.” “You have to think about us,” my dad snapped. “We’ve been looked down on our whole lives for not having a son. It’s our turn to finally hold our heads high.” “Don’t worry,” I said. “By the time your ‘pride and joy’ is grown, you’ll be eighty. Nobody will be looking down on you. They won’t even see you. You could fall on the sidewalk, and people would walk right over you.” My dad’s face turned purple. He slammed his fist on the table. “You ungrateful brat! It’s our right to have a son! We’ve fed you, clothed you, put a roof over your head! It’s not your place to question us!” Finally, the truth. I tossed my apple core into the trash. “Should have just said that from the beginning. Why’d you have to try and pin it on me? What…” I leaned in, staring right into their shifty eyes. “Were you planning on just having him and dumping him on me? Forcing me to be your free nanny and your family ATM for the rest of my life?” Their faces crumpled. I’d hit the nail on the head. “You… you… ungrateful…” My dad was sputtering, pointing a shaking finger at me. “I am the man of this house! I will have a son to carry on my name! And you’re the sister! It’s your duty to help him! That’s just the way it is!” I threw up my hands. “My only ‘duty’ is to stop him from being born. We’re already broke. You have no retirement savings. Why would you bring a kid into this mess?” My mom saw the direct approach was failing, so she switched tactics. She put both hands on her flat stomach, her eyes welling up with fake tears. “Sarah, I’m not young anymore. This baby… he’s already four months along. I can feel him kicking. An abortion… it’s so dangerous at my age. Can’t you just think about my health?” “Your health?” I laughed, but it was a cold, sharp sound. “Did you think about your ‘health’ when you were having unprotected sex? You didn’t bother with a two-dollar condom, but now that you’re in a jam, you want me to worry about your body? You made this mess. You clean it up. Don’t you dare try to guilt-trip me.” Their faces were a masterpiece of shock and rage. My dad finally exploded. “We are HAVING this baby!” 3 There it was. The real, ugly truth. Seeing them, cornered and furious, I knew it was time. I whipped out my phone and hit ‘record,’ pointing the camera straight at their stunned faces. “See? That’s all you had to say. It was your idea, not mine.” “And future-baby,” I said, pointing the camera at my mom’s stomach. “You see this? I am 100% against you being born. Your parents are doing this against my advice. So when your life sucks, you go to them. Your sister has nothing to do with it.” “You’re not inheriting a throne, kid. You’re inheriting credit card debt and a broken-down Ford. You’re being born into a world that will chew you up… Good luck. We’re all just trying to survive out here.” I hit ‘stop’ and calmly saved the video. My parents’ faces were ashen. “You… you devil!” my dad finally choked out. “You won’t let us? Fine! We’ll have him just to spite you!” I shrugged. “Go for it. Just remember what I said.” I had my evidence. Last time, every time Leo’s life hit a snag, he’d take it out on me. My parents would just watch, or worse, egg him on. “You’re the big sister, Sarah. Be patient.” “If you hadn’t wished for him, he wouldn’t even be here.” “He’s just frustrated. You need to absorb that.” This time, when they became his punching bag, I wondered if they’d be so “patient.” When I got back to school, I started a new routine. I posted my workouts everywhere. I’d finish a three-mile run, sweat dripping, and snap a selfie. [Video: Sarah doing burpees] “Crushing that workout! Got to stay ready for finals!” [Photo: Sarah’s reflection in the gym mirror, showing off new abs] “Progress! #fitlife #junior-year” My roommates thought I was nuts. “Sarah, you’re already tiny. Who are you trying to impress?” They didn’t get it. This wasn’t about impressing anyone. It was about creating an iron-clad, public alibi. Last time, my mom’s pregnancy was a “secret.” I came home for the summer and—surprise!—a baby. When I was sitting outside with him, an old high school friend walked by and stared. “Oh my god, Sarah… you had a baby?” My mom, who was right there, just smiled. “Oh, we just tell everyone it’s her little brother.” She wanted people to think he was mine. No one believed my denials. This time, I had a semester’s worth of digital receipts proving I was nowhere near pregnant. The semester ended. My abs looked great. My dad called the day after my last final. “It’s been two days. Why aren’t you home?” “I just wired you $100 for a bus ticket. I want you home tomorrow.” Right on cue. They needed their free nanny. I accepted the $100 and immediately booked a ticket south. [Text to Dad]: Got a summer job at an Amazon warehouse. It’s great! They provide housing. Can’t make it home, gotta save up for senior year! My parents were cheap. I knew they’d never pay for a nanny. And my dad? He couldn’t make toast without setting off the smoke alarm. This was going to be fun. 4 My phone rang instantly. I let it go to voicemail. A second later, it rang again. I answered, holding the phone an inch from my ear. “SARAH JENKINS! YOU GET YOUR BUTT ON A BUS RIGHT NOW! Your mother is about to POP! We need you here! What is this nonsense about a job?” I waited for him to take a breath. “Hi, Dad. The job’s great. Pays $18 an hour, and I don’t have to pay rent. I’m saving for tuition. Isn’t that what you always wanted? For me to be responsible?” “Responsible? Your mother is your responsibility! You can’t just abandon us! This is desertion!” “Dad, I’m not abandoning anyone. I’m being an adult. You’re the husband. You’re right there. It’s your job to take care of her. I’m sure there’s YouTube videos on how to change a diaper.” He was quiet for a second, probably from shock. I didn’t give him a chance to recover. “Anyway, I signed a contract. If I break it, I have to pay a penalty. Can’t talk, my shift’s starting.” I hung up and blocked his number. The warehouse was hot, the work was mind-numbing, but I’d never felt so free. I made friends, we’d go out for cheap beer and pizza after our shifts. I bought a new phone with my first paycheck and threw the old one in a dumpster. My mom tried texting me from my dad’s phone. [Mom]: Sarah, the baby is so big, I can’t sleep. Your father is useless. [Mom]: Sarah, I miss you. When are you coming home? [Mom]: The doctor said my blood pressure is high. I’m so scared… I read them, felt nothing, and deleted them. Sometime in late July, a number I didn’t recognize called me. I let it ring, but they called right back. I picked up. “Is this Sarah?” It was my dad, his voice cracking with a manic joy. “Your mom had the baby! A boy! Seven pounds, six ounces! Mother and son are perfectly healthy!” “Oh. Congrats,” I said, sorting packages. He was furious at my flat response. “Oh, congrats? That’s all you have to say? That’s your brother! Get home. Now! Your mom needs help, the house is a mess!” “Can’t. Busy.” “I don’t care! You get on a bus, or I’ll come to your school and tell everyone what a horrible daughter you are! I’ll get you kicked out!” Same old threat. “Go ahead,” I said, smiling. “Come to my university. I’d love for you to tell the Dean how you’re trying to ruin my future to force me to be a free nanny. Oh, and I’ll be sure to post that video I took—the one where you admit you were always planning to have him—to the school’s social media page. We can let the entire student body decide who’s the bad guy here.” “You… you wouldn’t!” “Try me. My life is my own now. I’m not paying for your mistakes. I’m not giving you a dime, and I’m not lifting a finger. Your son, your problem. Don’t call this number again.” I hung up and blocked that one, too. I made eight grand that summer. I used it to pay for my driving test and put the rest in a high-yield savings account. For the next two years, I was a ghost. I worked, I studied. I got straight A’s, won scholarships, did internships. I got into my school’s graduate program. And I met Mark. He was a law student, a few years ahead of me. He was kind, smart, and saw right through all my walls. When I finally told him the whole story, he didn’t judge me. He just held my hand. “Sarah, you did the right thing,” he said. “Your first duty is to yourself. You’re not responsible for them.” His validation was like oxygen. 5 I graduated with my Master’s and landed a great job at a tech firm in Seattle. Mark passed the bar and joined a good firm. We rented a small apartment downtown. Life was good. Until my phone rang. I was in a meeting, so I missed the call. But they kept calling. Fifteen missed calls from the same unknown number. I had a sick feeling in my stomach. I stepped outside and called back. A shrill, unfamiliar voice answered. “Sarah Jenkins?” “Yes, who is this?” “This is your brother, Leo!” The voice was dripping with an arrogant, childish rage. “I’m warning you. You have one hour to send me $100,000. Or I’m coming up to your office and telling everyone what a psycho bitch you are.” Leo. My god. He’d be… seven. He was seven years old. “Where did you get this number? And why would I give you $100,000?” “Because you owe me!” he shrieked. “Mom and Dad told me everything! It’s your fault I was born! You wished for me, and then you abandoned me! You ruined our family! You owe me, and I’m here to collect!” The same lie. They had spent seven years poisoning him, turning me into the villain of his life. “Leo, listen to me,” I said, my voice ice. “One: I’m not your mother. Two: I don’t owe you anything. Three: If you come near my office, I will have you and your parents arrested for extortion.” “You can’t scare me! I’m right downstairs! You better pay up, or I’ll tell all your fancy coworkers that you abandon your own family!” I walked to the window. Sure enough, on the sidewalk below, a small, skinny kid in a dirty t-shirt was pacing back and forth, holding a phone to his ear. And behind a nearby oak tree, I saw them. My parents. Hiding, watching, like two pathetic stage directors. My blood boiled. I hung up on Leo and dialed my company’s security desk. “Hi, this is Sarah Jenkins in Marketing. There is a minor in front of the building who is being used by his parents to harass and extort me. He’s threatening to enter the building. Yes, the boy in the blue shirt. His accomplices, an adult male and female, are hiding behind the tree to the left. Please detain all three and call the police.” “Right away, Ms. Jenkins.” I hung up and watched the show. Two security guards came out and calmly surrounded Leo. He started screaming and kicking. My parents burst from their hiding spot, wailing. “What are you doing? Let go of our son! You can’t just grab a kid!” “We’re just here to see our daughter! Is that a crime?” The head of security, a no-nonsense guy named Mike, just pointed. “We’re holding you on suspicion of extortion at the request of Ms. Jenkins. The police are on their way.” “Extortion?!” My dad panicked. I sent a quick text to Mark. [Me]: They’re here. At my office. With the kid. I called security and 911. [Mark]: On my way.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “385678”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

1 My boyfriend, Julian, kissed his childhood best friend at my birthday party. He turned to me, Chloe’s lipstick smeared at the corner of his mouth, his expression annoyed. “Can you not be like this?” “It’s just a game. Why do you always have to be such a buzzkill?” Everyone was staring. I was frozen, the humiliation washing over me. Julian always got weird whenever Chloe was around. But normally, he wouldn’t even say a harsh word to me. I tugged on his sleeve, trying to pull him aside. His friend, Chloe, just rolled her eyes. “This is so lame. I shouldn’t have even come.” She tossed her hair. “If she’s this upset over a little kiss, what would she do if she knew we used to sleep in the same bed?” I went rigid. That familiar, icy feeling of being the outsider crept up my spine. I balled my fists, but instead of running off in tears like I usually did, I looked right at Julian. “Since it’s just a game, that means I can play, too… right?” Julian stared at me, then shrugged dismissively. “Yeah. Go ahead. Play.” He was so confident. All the guys here were his friends. He knew none of them would dare make a move on me. And he was right. “C’mon, Ava, don’t be mad at Jules. It’s just a game,” one of his buddies said. “Yeah, we’ve all known each other forever. It’s purely platonic.” Just like that, they brushed it off. I could feel my eyes burning with angry tears. Julian grabbed my wrist. “That’s enough. Don’t be childish and embarrass me. Sit down…” Before he could finish, his twin brother, Liam—who had been silent in the corner all night—stood up. He walked over, sat right next to me, and held up the “Kiss” card that Chloe had drawn. “Are you game, Ava?” 2 The room went dead silent. I’d heard Julian had a twin, but this was the first time I’d ever met him. The face was identical to Julian’s. But up close, they were different. Julian’s eyes were cold, always looking down on people. Liam… Liam just looked polite. Almost sweet. When I didn’t answer, he leaned in, his polite expression still in place. “My brother was,” he added quietly. “He seemed pretty game.” The dig was so obvious that I felt Julian tense up beside me. And in that split second, a crazy thing happened. A little text bubble, like a caption, flashed over Liam’s head. [LOL, he’s not even pretending. Bro, turn around and look at your brother’s face.] [This is gold. The girl he’s been looking for for seven years becomes his sister-in-law, and his brother treats her like crap. He’s about to lose his mind.] [Ava, if you nod right now, tonight he’s going to be knocking on your door pretending to be his brother.] …What the hell? I glanced at Julian’s thunderous expression. On pure impulse, fueled by the captions and a sudden rush of spite, I nodded. 3 I admit, I was doing it to get back at Julian. I wanted him to feel that suffocating, helpless anger for a change. But I didn’t think Liam would actually do it. Not right in front of his brother. He leaned in. The room gasped. I stopped breathing. He got closer, his eyes locked on mine, and then… he stopped, just an inch away. He held my gaze for two long seconds, then pulled back. The spell was broken. Julian yanked Liam away from me by the collar and then grabbed my wrist, dragging me out of the room. The hallway was quiet, but he was radiating anger. “Are you done?” he hissed. “First you target Chloe, and now you’re using Liam just to make me mad?” The cold air from the hall hit my face. I looked up at him. “So you’re allowed to be upset, but I’m not? You can, but I can’t?” Julian sighed, rubbing his temples. “Chloe was right. I shouldn’t have brought you tonight.” My stomach dropped. “So this wasn’t a party for my birthday. This was just your regular get-together, and I was just… a tag-along.” It wasn’t a question. “Whatever,” Julian said, already pulling me back toward the room. “I’ll take you home.” “Don’t bother,” I said, yanking my hand away. “Go take Chloe home.” His face darkened. “Are you really going to do this tonight?” 4 I walked back into the room, grabbed my coat, and headed for the door. Julian was right behind me. But as I stepped out, Chloe’s voice, suddenly weak, called out. “Jules… can you take me home? I think…” She hunched over, wrapping her arms around her stomach. I turned and looked at Julian. “She’s calling you. Go.” “Can you stop talking to me like that?” he snapped. “I said I’d take you.” He started to get his phone out to call her an Uber, but she grabbed the hem of his shirt. “Jules… my pants,” she whispered, her voice full of shame. “I think I… I really messed up.” Julian froze. Three minutes later, Chloe was sitting in his passenger seat, wrapped in his jacket. He looked at me, his jaw tight. “I’ll be back. Quick.” He chose Chloe. Again. The car’s taillights disappeared into the night. I stood there in the cold, the reality of it settling over me. I wasn’t surprised. But it still hurt. I stood there for a long time, just breathing in the cold air, finally accepting that he just didn’t like me as much as I thought. I was about to leave when I realized I’d left my purse inside. I waited a few more minutes, figuring the party was over. But when I got back, the door was cracked open. I heard voices. “…I don’t get it, man, why her?” “She’s your brother’s girlfriend!” “And you need to stop pulling stunts like that. You know what Jules is like. He’s not going to let this go.” I froze. Through the crack, I saw Liam leaning back on the sofa, his expression cold. The sweet, polite look was completely gone. “Ava deserves better,” he said flatly. “He doesn’t deserve her.” His friend threw his hands up. “Deserve, don’t deserve, that’s his business! Besides, if he doesn’t, who does?” Liam took a long drink, then set the glass down. “I do.” “What?! Bro, you can’t…” “Wait… is that Ava?” His friend had spotted me. He instantly shut up and nudged Liam. Liam, holding his glass, went still. Then, slowly, he looked up. Our eyes met in the silence. “…” 5 I had to be drunk. This night was getting too weird. My brain was chaos. Liam looked just as chaotic. He opened his mouth, “I…” I pretended I hadn’t heard a thing, grabbed my purse, and bolted. I was home before I could even process what he’d said. My mind just kept replaying that last, lonely look he gave me. He’d actually followed me out of the club. I didn’t want to get in the middle of… whatever that was. When he insisted on walking me home, I shut him down. “Thanks, but stay out of things between me and Julian.” His face paled. He just stopped walking and said, “Oh. Right. Sorry. It won’t happen again.” … The text bubbles in my living room brought me back. [Aaaand he’s crushed. Rejected by his dream girl.] [Don’t worry, he’ll be back. He can’t stand anyone else taking care of her.] [Here it comes… the famous ‘Open up, it’s me, your boyfriend’ scene!] I was still reading that last one when my doorbell rang. I paused. No way. I opened the door. And just like the caption said, there was “Julian.” 6 If it weren’t for the text bubbles, I would have been fooled. He’d even changed into the exact same shirt Julian had been wearing. “You’re back already?” I asked. “Yeah, dropped her off. I brought you some soup to sober up.” He paused, then added, “Not that I went out of my way or anything.” I gave him a weird look. He came in, and while I drank the soup, he silently started cleaning the small cut on my wrist I’d gotten at the party. I hadn’t even noticed it. He was frowning, but his touch was incredibly gentle. When he finished, he cleared his throat. “Not that I came here just to do this.” “…” I looked up. The text bubbles were back. [He’s dying. He wants to take care of her so bad, but he’s terrified of his brother getting the credit.] [He probably saw that cut and wanted to murder his brother.] [Now he has to go home and get into a fistfight with Julian.] It was definitely Liam. I almost laughed. Of course Julian was still with Chloe. He probably didn’t even see me get hurt. The old Julian might have. But ever since Chloe came back, everything was different. He didn’t even get me a birthday present. As if on cue, Liam shoved a small, elegant box into my hand. He was looking at the floor. “Happy birthday. I’m leaving. Get some rest.” He was so good at this, acting just like his brother. But I was tired. “You’re Liam, aren’t you?” He froze, his hand on the doorknob. He turned back, his denial immediate. “I’m not.” [He’s panicking! He’s afraid if she knows, he won’t even get to be her servant!] [Ava, he’s harmless! He’s just a sad, devoted puppy! Don’t expose him!] I sighed. I was actually starting to feel bad for him. But as I opened my mouth to talk, he ripped the door open and left. He only made it one step before he stopped dead. I knew, before I even looked. Standing in the hallway, looking furious, were the real Julian. And Chloe. 7 The air in the hallway crackled. A perfect mirror image. Two Julians staring at each other. “What are you doing here?” “What is she doing here?” They spoke at the same time, then froze. Julian glanced at Chloe. Liam looked back at me, his face instantly pale. Chloe, who seemed terrified of Liam, hid behind Julian. “Jules, maybe we should just go. I’m sure Ava didn’t mean it.” She held up her arm, showing a tiny, superficial scratch. “See? It doesn’t even hurt.” I understood. When we’d bumped into each other, I wasn’t the only one who got scratched. But Julian had only seen her scratch. And he’d brought her here to demand an apology from me. The bandage on my wrist suddenly felt like it was on fire. Julian lit a cigarette. “Ava, apologize to Chloe. And we can let this go.” He really thought I did it on purpose. He always took her side. Every single time. [Ugh, I can’t stand these two. Ava, dump him!] [Seriously. They just get off on this drama. You’re just a prop they use to flirt with each other.] I looked at the text bubbles, and my memories clicked into place. They were right. Every time Chloe showed up, I became the unreasonable, jealous girlfriend, and they became the two star-crossed friends fighting a forbidden connection. My pain was just part of their script. “Is it really that hard for you to just say you’re sorry?” Julian’s impatient voice cut through my thoughts. I took a deep breath. “Yes. I’m not apologizing.” “And, Julian? We’re done. We’re breaking up.” I slammed the door in his face. 8 It was easier than I thought. I didn’t even feel sad. Just… light. Julian didn’t believe me, of course. The text bubbles outside my door told me everything. [Julian to Chloe: “She chased me for a year. She’s not dumping me over this. She’s just trying to make me jealous.”] [Julian: “Watch. She’ll be begging me to take her back in a week.”] [Chloe: “Ooh, let’s make a bet. Let’s pretend we’re dating. That’ll push her over the edge!”] I didn’t have time for their games. Because Liam was back. He showed up the next day, using the excuse of apologizing for his brother. Then he just… started cooking. The day after, he “just wanted to make sure I was okay.” And he cleaned my entire apartment. He always had an excuse. “My brother really messed up. I just want to make it right.” He was lying, of course. But I didn’t call him on it. [Servant-mode: ACTIVATED. He’s just happy to be here.] [While Julian waits for her to crawl back, Liam is already moving in.] It was, as the text bubbles said, like he was a servant. But a very sneaky one. He’d be cutting apples for me. “I’m cutting these into slices for you. It’s easier to eat. Did… did my brother ever do that?” He’d see me grabbing the vacuum. “No, let me. Isn’t this supposed to be the guy’s job? I just assumed Julian would have…” He’d be in the kitchen. “I’m sorry, I’ve never really dated anyone. I just thought, in a relationship, the guy was supposed to do the cooking. He didn’t do this either?” [LMAO. The ‘I’ve-never-dated’ card. Suuuure, buddy.] [The shade! He’s trashing his brother every chance he gets!] [Julian’s over there playing games. Liam’s playing for keeps.] 9 I saw Julian again at Liam’s apartment. It was raining, my power was out, and I was soaked. Liam averted his eyes. “You’ll get sick. You can… you can use my shower. If you want.” His ears turned bright red. The man was a paradox. But I was freezing, so I agreed. I was in the middle of rinsing my hair when I heard the front door open. [Oh, hell. The ex has arrived. He’s here to whine to his brother.] [This is going to be good. Liam is going to give him terrible advice. LMAO.] Julian’s voice filled the apartment. “Liam, am I spoiling her? It’s been a week, and not one text. Not one call.” “And I don’t even like Chloe like that. Ava is just being paranoid. I’ve known Chloe my whole life, if I wanted to be with her, I would have!” I turned off the water, listening. Liam’s voice was cold. “Then just break up.” Julian sputtered. “I’m not… I’m not breaking up with her. She’s just throwing a tantrum. She still likes me.” “Besides,” Julian said, “didn’t you pretend to be me the other night? You were trying to help me, right? I’m just here to ask you… how do I get her to back down?” I heard Liam laugh. It wasn’t a nice sound. “Forget it,” Julian snapped. “Asking you is useless. You’re just going to sit around fantasizing about that ‘one that got away’ forever, aren’t you?” “When are you leaving town this time?” The text bubbles had told me Liam traveled constantly. “I’m not,” Liam said. “I’m staying.” Then he added, his voice dangerously quiet. “And, bro? Since you’re broken up… stay away from her.” I tensed. [Ooooh, Julian’s face. He’s finally getting it.] [He’s on the edge. He’s realizing something is very, very wrong.] Julian had a notoriously bad temper. I was suddenly afraid for Liam. After a long, tense silence, Julian just said, “Stay out of my business.” I heard the door open. He was leaving. I let out a breath. “But, bro,” Liam’s voice called out. “It’s not your business anymore.” Julian stopped. I heard his footsteps turn around.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “385677”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel