1 📽️ AT HIS BECK AND CALL.

LORIAHZakari Von Hale hates me.I see it in the way his eyes darken with fury and disgust whenever I’m in the vicinity, like I am not worthy to breathe the same precious air he does.To this day, I am yet to understand the reason behind such… powerful hatred.I am the daughter of the maid his father brought to London, and he’s the heir to the Von Hale multi-billion dollar biotech empire. Our worlds are so far apart, nothing about me should concern him. But Zakari goes out of his way almost every day to demonstrate just how much he despises my very existence.Exactly ten minutes ago, I received a call from his personal assistant, and it went;“Deliver the young master’s Macallan Whiskey to his villa in the next ten minutes. You know the consequences of being late.”There were no greetings. No explanations. And I was expected to do his every bidding without complaint. For a moment, I considered disobeying. After all, I was not obligated to serve Zakari. I was not his maid. But Mama

2 📽️ IS MY MOTHER REALLY A WHORE?

LORIAHI watch, my stomach tightening with nausea as Sebastian leans forward and claims Mama’s lips in a deep kiss. My attention isn’t focused on their disgusting lip locking. It’s on Mama. On the way she curls her fingers around his shirt and offers her mouth so easily.One thing is certain: this is a disaster of epic proportions.A year ago, Mama, Lola and I lived in the small, sleepy town of Romford. We were barely scraping by, surviving mostly on the tiny wages that Mama made from her housekeeping jobs. Some days we slept hungry, but we were managing just fine. Until calamity struck.Mrs. Johnson, a valued member of the high school board, came home unannounced and met Mama on her knees, giving her husband a blow job whilst she was supposed to be dusting windows.The news spread through the town like wildfire. That period was one of the darkest of my entire life.We were bullied everywhere. I tried my best to protect Lola but no one protected me.Mama almost drank herself into a

3 📽️ I SWEAR ON MY LIFE.

LORIAHIt’s been three days since the ruckus went down, and my soon-to-be stepbrother seems to have disappeared into thin air. The last time Zakari was in the house, I hid outside Sebastian’s office and eavesdropped while they argued;“Just when I thought you couldn’t be any more vain, father! I don’t want anything to do with this marriage. You cannot force me to be there.”“You have no choice, Zakari.” Sebastian had responded with a calmness that sent shivers down my spine. “The engagement party will happen on the same night as your birthday. If you do not show up, you can forget about your inheritance.”Zakari had stormed out soon after. A few minutes later, his Aston Martin roared to life and raced out of the compound. I haven’t seen him since then.I thought Sebastian was a cunning man for successfully trapping Mama in a marriage with him, but hosting their engagement party on the same night as his son’s birthday dinner is just downright evil.Later that night, I stare at my ref

4 📽️ HE REALLY WILL KILL US ALL…

LORIAHFOUR DAYS LATER…I told everyone that Zakari pushed me into the pool. Technically, it was a lie — he did not physically push me — but no one believed me. Not even my own mother. The guests gave me looks of disdain, as if I was deliberately trying to stir up drama.Sebastian said I was hallucinating.Mama told me to stop throwing tantrums.And Zakari? He sat in the corner, legs crossed, silently watching with a devilish smirk as I helplessly fought for the truth.He did not even have to defend himself. It was my word against his, and no one fucking believed me. Victoria even gave him an alibi. According to her, Zakari never left her side all night.The lying, conniving bitch! Since that day, I have gone on a non-stop plotting spree. I need to take my revenge on Zakari and at the same time, find a way to pay off Lola’s medical bills.The sun is warm on my face as I walk into Winter Bridge College. Stone buildings mirrored by shimmering glass rise in the air, tall and intimi

5 📽️ MOTHER IS SO ANNOYING…

LORIAH“Mama, where are you?” “Loriah, take your sister and get the hell out of that house.” She says frantically. “Mrs. Von Hale is dead and Zakari is out for blood.”For a second, rage cuts through my panic.“So you knew about this? Where are you?”“I can’t say anything right now” She mutters hysterically. “I had to get out. Zakari is unstable. He will kill me if he finds out where I am.”I pause, my fury mixing with surprise.“Wait…instead of warning us, you thought the best thing to do was run away and leave your children behind? Zakari isn’t out for just your blood, Mama. You know he’ll kill us all!”She breaks into tears and somehow, her violent sobs provokes my anger even more.“Getting involved with that family was a terrible idea, Loriah. They’re insane! All of them. No one is safe there.”My mind strays to an article I read a year ago. Sebastian Von Hale’s first son gave up his inheritance due to “personal reasons.” I always wondered why anyone would give up billions of dol

6 📽️ DANGER AT SEVENTH SIN…

LORIAH — FOUR YEARS LATER (NEW YORK CITY)“Ouch, ouch, ouch…!! Take it easy, Mackenzie!” My brows are creased with pain as my best friend presses a hot towel to the scratches on my face. I had to call her to pick me up from the alley. I was sure I’d die if I tried to stand on my own.I was walking home from my night shift when I was attacked by Darius’ men. So far, I have a few broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder as evidence of my debts.“That’s what you get for being a stubborn ass mule.” She sprouts, brushing back my hair with gentle fingers.Finally done, she steps back and plants both hands on her ample hips, her gorgeous hazel eyes shooting sparks.“Didn’t I tell you to come to me if you ever needed anything? How the hell did you get entangled with the motorcycle gang?”I look away, my cheeks reddening with shame.“You’ve done enough for us, Mackenzie. I’m not even done paying you back for the last time. Lola needed a new procedure and I was out of options. I didn’t want to b