Novels by PRECIOUS

The light switch clicking off should have told me everything. It should have been enough to make me turn around, walk back to my room, and let the rest of the night die where it belonged.Instead, my hand finally found the door.I pushed it open slowly, my breath caught somewhere between my chest and my throat, bracing myself for whatever I might see.But the room was empty.The bed was untouched, the covers still perfectly made. A single lamp glowed faintly in the corner, the only light left on. There was no Lucas. No Sophia. Just an open window, curtains drifting lazily in the night breeze, and the faint sound of voices drifting up from somewhere below.The balcony.I crossed the room quietly, my bare feet silent against the cold marble floor, and stepped toward the window. Down in the garden, half-hidden beneath the old oak tree Lucas' grandmother had planted decades ago, I could see them. Sophia stood close to him, her hand resting lightly against his chest, her face tilted up tow

Was he trying to get intimate with me?Three years ago, I would have turned around. Three years ago, I would have melted into his touch and told myself this was enough that this was as close to love as I'd ever get from him. I used to convince myself that small moments like this meant something, that if I was patient enough, gentle enough, understanding enough, they would eventually turn into something real.Not tonight.I caught his wrist before his hand could go any further and pushed it away."Don't," I said quietly.Lucas went still behind me. "Emma""You spent the whole night defending her." My voice came out steadier than I felt, though my heart was pounding so hard I was sure he could feel it through my back. "And now you want to touch me like nothing happened?""That's not what this is.""Then what is it?" I turned to face him, and even in the dark, I could see the confusion in his eyes as if he genuinely didn't understand why I was upset. That, more than anything, told me eve

Emma's POVIf I was honest with myself, she was right. So why did my chest tighten so painfully that I could barely breathe?Then a thought struck me.Wait… was she the one who had left Lucas' study unlocked on purpose?"You left the drawer open," I said. My voice trembled, but not from sadness anymore. A hot, burning anger was beginning to spread through my chest. "You went into his private study and left it open for me to find?"Sophia smiled sweetly. "Lucas doesn't hide things from me, Emma. He never has. I wanted you to see it so you'd finally understand your place in this house." Her smile widened. "Common… you're just a temporary placeholder."My hands curled into tight fists, my nails digging painfully into my palms. "I am his wife.”"Only on paper," Sophia sang with a light, cruel laugh. "Look around you, Emma. Look at this mansion. Look at his family. Even at little Lily…. In just a few days, I've taken back everything that was always meant to be mine. Lily already wishes I

Emma's POVMy fingers trembled as I picked up the notebook and slowly opened it.The first page held a carefully drawn sketch of a beautiful seaside house with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, a wide balcony, and a garden overflowing with flowers. Beneath it, in Lucas's familiar handwriting, were the words: Our forever home. Sophy will love watching the sunset from here. My breath caught. Swallowing hard, I turned the page. More sketches filled the notebook—a cozy nursery, a warm family living room, and a spacious backyard with swings. Beside one drawing, he had written, First son… Alexander. On another, our daughter… Isabelle. She'll have Sophy's smile. My vision blurred as tears moistened in my eyes, but I couldn't stop. I kept turning the pages, each one revealing another piece of the future he had dreamed of.There were honeymoon plans for Italy, Paris, and Santorini, restaurant recommendations, hotel reservations, and little reminders to surprise Sophia with flowers. One page w

Emma's POVLucas shot me a piercing look, and for the briefest moment, I caught something in his expression guilt, perhaps, or maybe irritation at being interrupted. He cleared his throat and said calmly, "Emma, this isn't the best time for this." I almost laughed, and the sound would’ve been bitter, broken. Instead, I swallowed it. “When is the time, Lucas? After you're done showing Sophia around our home?"Sophia’s perfectly arched brows lifted slightly. “I didn’t mean to intrude,” she said softly, placing a gentle hand on Lucas’s forearm. The gesture was small, but it was so natural that it made my chest tighten.“Lucas insisted I come see the estate. It’s been so long.” Her voice was soft, almost apologetic, but the words hit me like a slap. He had insisted. The same man who had left our anniversary dinner without a second thought had insisted on bringing his ex-lover home. I kept my gaze locked on him. “I saw you give her the card.”His jaw tightened. “She’s family, Emma. You

Emma's POVAfter waiting for hours, my husband finally showed up on the night of our third wedding anniversary, just to tell me he's leaving to pick Sophia Bennett from the airport.I stared at him, wondering if I'd heard him wrongly.The candlelight between us flickered, reflecting off the untouched dinner I’d spent all afternoon preparing. His favorite steak had already gone cold. The cake I had ordered sat in the center of the table, its three tiny candles still waiting to be lit."I'll make it up to you," he said, already straightening his jacket. "Sophia doesn't know New York well. She has no one else to pick her up."‘No one else.’The words hit me harder than they should have because I knew exactly who Sophia was.His first love. The woman he had never truly gotten over. The woman he had once promised to marry before life pulled them apart. The woman Lucas had loved long before he met me—the one everyone believed should have become Mrs. Ashford.For three years, I’d convinced m