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CHAPTER 71Not wanting to make things any more awkward than they already were, I hurried over to the only empty single couch positioned at the far end of the center table and carefully took my seat.Madame Precilla was seated on the couch to my left. Across from her, on the couch to my right, sat Pierre and Queen.Pierre appeared calm.Queen, on the other hand, wore a deep scowl. Her eyebrows were tightly knitted together, and the displeasure written all over her face made it obvious that she was in no mood to hide whatever was bothering her.I was convinced that the reason everyone had gathered in the living room was to talk about what had happened in the garden, about Pierre forcing Queen to leave.But I was completely mistaken.That wasn't the reason for this meeting at all.Madame Precilla was leaving.She announced that she would be flying back to Washington, D.C. There was an important matter involving one of her upcoming business ventures that required her immediate attention,
CHAPTER 70My entire body went rigid.Before I could even gather my thoughts, Pierre leaned closer from behind."Shh..."My breath caught in my throat as his warm whisper brushed against my left ear."Don't mention my name."His voice was barely audible, but the closeness of it sent an involuntary shiver racing down my spine. Every tiny hair on my body stood on end, and I held my breath. I could feel the warmth of his lips so close to my ear that my heart immediately lost its rhythm.He's doing this on purpose...Or maybe he wasn't.Either way, I was the one suffering."Miss Katrina?"Jelly called again when I didn't answer right away.I swallowed hard before forcing my voice to cooperate."Y-Yes?"I hated how nervous I sounded."Madame Precilla is asking for you. She'd like you to come to the living room.""O-Okay..." I replied, trying my best to sound normal. "I'll be there in a moment."For a second, I thought the conversation was over.Then Jelly spoke again."Madame... have you s
CHAPTER 69KATRINA BARILLAS "No. Absolutely not."His thick eyebrows arched as he stared at me with genuine confusion."Why?" he asked."Because I'm not going."He continued looking at me as though my answer wasn't enough."Why?" he repeated.I let out a heavy sigh."Because it's a waste of time," I answered. "I just came home from a party last night, and now there's another one? Don't you think that's a little too much?"His expression shifted, suspicion flickering across his face."Or..." he said slowly, narrowing his eyes at me. "Are you just making excuses because you're planning to run away?"I scoffed and folded my arms across my chest."If you think that's what I'm doing, then watch me the entire time," I shot back. "Stay glued to my side if that's what it takes to convince you."A slow, satisfied grin crept onto his lips."Really?"The moment I saw that smile, my confidence wavered.Wait...That was probably the wrong thing to say.His grin only widened as though he had just
CHAPTER 68“Pierre…” I said carefully, forcing my voice to stay calm. “Don’t be too harsh on Queen. There’s nothing wrong if she eats with us—”“Just go away,” he cut me off again, his tone sharper than before while staring at Queen. “And next time, if I don’t invite you, don’t come.”That was it.Before anything else could be said, Queen suddenly stood up so fast that her chair scraped against the ground.Without looking back, she turned and ran out of the garden.I simply watched her figure disappear into the distance..“This is a disaster,” I muttered under my breath. “She’s definitely going to tell Madame Priscilla… and I’m the one who’s going to get blamed again.”“Then don’t leave my side so that won’t happen.”Slowly, I turned to look at Pierre.And that was when I noticed it.His expression had completely changed.The tension that had been there earlier was gone.I exhaled softly.“As I said, you really didn’t have to be that harsh with Queen,” I said. “At this rate, we’re goin
CHAPTER 67KATRINA BARILLAS I took a long, steady breath, trying to gather my thoughts.How was I supposed to explain everything?There wasn't a single sentence I could say that wouldn't make things worse."I'd rather not," I answered. "You'll only end up getting angry with me if I tell you."I was about to step inside the elevator when Queen suddenly moved in front of me, blocking my path.I stopped.She stood directly in front of me, forcing me to meet her eyes.That expression...I'd seen it before.It was the same look she had worn the very first day we met. Cold, guarded, and filled with resentment."Mom told me she spoke with you last night."I gave a small nod."She did."Queen crossed her arms over her chest before continuing."Then you should do what Mom told you. Figure out a way to make Pierre throw you away.""You're bringing nothing but misfortune to our family," she continued. "So please, Katrina..."She held my gaze."Do your job."For a brief moment, I simply stared at
CHAPTER 66Ironically...That was exactly what Queen had suggested, too.For a fleeting moment, I almost laughed at the absurdity of it. The two women wanted the same outcome, yet neither of them realized that Pierre wasn't someone who could be manipulated so easily.I lowered my head once again."Yes, Madame," I replied obediently. "I'll do as you wish."She continued giving me one instruction after another, listing countless ways I could push Pierre away and make him resent me.I listened, but only on the surface.In truth, I had already stopped paying attention halfway through her lecture.Everything she wanted me to do was far too obvious.Pierre knew me better than anyone else.If I suddenly started acting cruel, saying hurtful things, or treating him like he meant nothing to me, he wouldn't believe it for a second. He'd see right through me. Instead of hating me, he'd only become suspicious and start searching for the real reason behind my behavior.And if that happened...He'd
CHAPTER 30KATRINA“Ah, damnit it… that freaking hurts.”The moment I regained consciousness, a sharp, throbbing pain exploded inside my head, like someone was repeatedly punching me from the inside. I couldn’t stop myself from swearing, the pain was that intense.My hand instinctively went to my he
CHAPTER 28 KATRINAThrough my haze, I saw him stand and make his way toward me. His steps were so confident, unlike mine, which probably would’ve swayed in every direction if I even tried to move. He stopped right in front of me, his tall figure blocking out the lights above, and without a word, he
CHAPTER 23KATRINA“Are you hurt, Miss?” he asked, a genuine concern flickering across his face.I blinked, trying to pull myself back to reality, but my mind refused to focus. All I could think about was how close he was.“Ah, no, I’m fine,” I said quickly, shaking my head.Honestly, I should be th
CHAPTER 19Katrina“Yes, I’m still single,” I replied, forcing a light smile even as I noticed Pierre stiffen slightly.He didn’t turn to look at me, but I could see the way his eyes shifted, darting in my direction for a split second. “Ah, by the way,” I said, trying to break the tension as I look







