LOGINI couldn’t move. The papers lay scattered across the floor, but my eyes remained fixed on the adoption certificate in my trembling hands. “No…” The word came out as nothing more than a whisper. “This can’t be real.” I picked a few from the floor again. My fingers shook so badly that the paper rattled. I read every line once more. Certificate of Adoption. Adoptive Father: Vale Samson. Adoptive Mother: Amelia Vale. The signatures. The date. Nothing had changed. Nothing. I searched for something that would prove it was fake. A spelling mistake. A missing stamp. Anything. But there was nothing. I quickly reached for the second document. Hospital records. The third. Adoption approval. The fourth. Medical records. Then another page slipped onto my lap. A tiny footprint. I stared at it. Beside it was a date. My birthday. A tear rolled down my cheek before I even realized I was crying. “So… They aren't really my real parents.” My voice sounded unfamiliar. Every memory from my c
The ride home was painfully quiet. The engine hummed as Lia's father drove through the dark streets. His hands gripped the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles turned white. His jaw remained tight, and his eyes never left the road. Beside him, his wife quietly wiped tears from her cheeks. She wanted to speak, but no words came out. Nothing could fix what had happened. Lia had refused to ride with them. She had taken a taxi home instead.Inside the taxi, she stared through the window without seeing the passing lights. Her heart was racing. She knew what was waiting for her. But she didn’t regret what she had done. Not for a second.When they got home.The front door slammed shut. The sound echoed through the house. Lia stepped inside only a few seconds after her parents. She quietly removed her shoes and started walking toward the stairs.“Lia.” Her father’s voice stopped her. She slowly turned around. He was already walking toward her. His face was filled with anger. “Have you l
The room fell into complete silence. No one moved. No one even seemed willing to breathe. I looked at Lia. Then at my parents. One by one. Every face in front of me wanted me to believe them. Every voice claimed to be telling the truth. And somehow… None of them sounded convincing. Why would they care about me? My parents never loved me for once and ever since they got me married to Adrian, they never cared to visit me. And as for my sister? She was the hardest to believe in because of what she has put me through in the past. I laughed softly. It wasn’t because anything was funny. It was because I suddenly realized how ridiculous everything had become. “So…” I folded my arms. “You all expect me to believe one of you?”No one answered. My father took a careful step forward. “Serena, listen—”“No.” My voice stopped him. “You’ve all talked enough.” My eyes settled on Lia. “You came here saying everything they told me was a lie.”She nodded. “Because it is—”Before she could continue,
“Everything my parents have told Serena…” She glanced toward the mansion. “…it’s all a lie.” Hearing this, with shock Emma gently held Lia’s arm as they walked across the front yard toward the mansion. The evening air felt heavy. Lia kept glancing at the large windows, the furniture, and the asterisk, how wide the living was, it was double of how their living room back at home was. She saw two children chasing themselves in the living room and back to their rooms. The place looked warm Serena has really become someone even bigger than the Laurent family. Her heart began to race even though she was meeting her own sister. She had not stepped inside this house before. Everything about it felt strange, overwhelming and rich. “Stay calm,” Emma said quietly. “I’ll take you to her.”Lia nodded but said nothing. Her hands were shaking. When they reached the front door of Serena's study, She knocked once before opening the door.The moment the study door opened, every pair of eyes turned to
By the time my car rolled into the driveway, the sky had turned dark a little. I let out a slow breath before stepping out. It had been a long day. The meeting. The conversation with Adrian. Then Nathan… Everything kept playing over and over in my head.The front door opened before I reached it. The next second, two little figures came running toward me. “Mommy!” Lila threw herself into my arms. Elias wasn’t far behind. I laughed as I wrapped both of them in a tight hug. “Easy, you two.”“We missed you!” Lila said excitedly.“I missed you more.”Elias looked up at me with a bright smile. “Did you bring anything?”I tapped the tip of his nose. “I brought myself.”He pouted. “That’s not fair, you didn't get us anything?”Lila giggled. For the first time that day, I forgot everything else. No Nathan. No Adrian. No contracts. No business. Just my children. I kissed both of their foreheads before Clara walked over with a smile. “They’ve been waiting by the window since they heard your car.
Lia ran out of the house until her legs began to ache. She didn’t stop. She couldn’t. Every second mattered now. The cool evening breeze brushed against her face as she hurried down the busy street. Cars passed one after another, their horns filling the air, but Lia barely noticed. Her mind was elsewhere. She had escaped. For now. She glanced over her shoulder. No sign of her parents. She let out a shaky breath and raised her hand. “Taxi!” A yellow cab slowed to a stop beside her. The driver rolled down his window. “Where to, miss?” Lia reached for the door, then froze. Her heart skipped. She didn’t know Serena’s home address. She bit her lower lip. “Think… think…” Then it came to her. Lumina Studio. Everyone in the city knew where Lumina’s headquarters was. Even if Serena wasn’t there anymore, someone at the company would know how to reach her. She quickly got into the back seat. “You know Lumina Studio right? Take me there” she said. “Please hurry.” The driver nodded. “No p
I spent the morning trying to make myself useful. Anything to feel less like a shadow in this house. One of the younger maids was struggling with heavy flower vases in the main hall, so I stepped in to help carry one. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she gave me a small, grateful smile.We were ha
I avoided everyone for the rest of the day. It wasn’t hard.Nobody came looking for me anyway.The mansion was too large, too cold, filled with people who work as maids. Every hallway felt unfamiliar. Every room reminded me that this wasn’t my home.I spent most of the afternoon sitting near the wi
I stayed slumped against the wall for a long time, his release still sliding down my thighs. The house was quiet now. Too quiet. Later that night, I couldn’t sleep. I wandered the halls, trying to find water, when I heard voices from the guest wing, low, intimate. I froze outside the slightly aj
Where is Lia?” He asked again. His voice cut through the room like something sharp. I didn’t answer. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I didn’t know where to start.He swung his legs off the bed and stood up, running a hand through his hair. The calm from last night was gone. What stood in







