The leather seats of the Rolls-Royce were cold against my bare skin, just like the emptiness inside me after another stolen encounter with Ethan Vance. I was Scarlett Hayes, a sharp fashion designer, entangled with a tech billionaire, a genius admired by the world. But tonight, the usual rush was gone, replaced by a chilling void as I watched city lights blur past. Then, a message on Ethan' s laptop caught my eye: "Ethan, the storm scares me..." From "Willow." Willow, my sickly stepsister, a name that tasted like bitter poison. My phone buzzed. It was Ethan. "I have to step out for a bit. An emergency. Stay here." He rushed out, leaving me with a cold dread. I tracked his car to a high-end hotel, and what I saw shattered my world: Ethan, tenderly carrying Willow like she was made of glass. He was her protector, her long-lost sweetheart; the two painful parts of my life colliding. Suddenly, Willow wasn't just some delicate girl. She was Ethan's past, and now, my stepsister. Rage, betrayal, and a deep, aching hurt swirled inside me. The arranged marriage my father forced on me wasn't just an escape anymore. It was a weapon. My revenge. Two days later, homeless and broke after a vengeful shopping spree, Ethan found me. He offered me refuge. I saw the handsome, deceptive face of the man who had played me for a fool. A week later, at Willow' s welcome-home party, the ultimate humiliation struck. In a cruel game, Ethan chose Willow repeatedly-for kindness, for trust, and finally, on a sinking ship, to save. His silence when asked who he loved more was a public verdict. He chose Willow. He always would. Something inside me snapped. I lunged at Willow, my hands finding her fragile neck. Ethan pulled me off, his face a mask of cold fury, choosing her even then. "He was never yours," Willow hissed after I was detained. "This whole affair? It was my idea. He recorded everything. All for me." The betrayal was monstrous. I walked out, went to his penthouse, and systematically destroyed it. I burned everything to the ground. The "ailing" groom in the South, Liam Sterling, was not what I expected. He was healthy, charming, and looked at me as a long-lost dream, confessing he had orchestrated the arranged marriage just to meet me. Just as I found a flicker of peace, a fragile hope for a new life, Ethan came back. He interrupted my engagement party, a wild, desperate man, publicly declaring his love for me. But it was too late. I rejected him. I had a new, real life. On the eve of my wedding, in a final, mad act of possession, Ethan kidnapped me. He took me to a secluded private island. He tried to rekindle our past with lavish gifts and desperate affection. I feigned compliance, secretly planning my escape. I managed to get a message to Liam. He came for me. As we escaped, a cliff collapsed. Ethan, in a single, selfless act, threw himself in front of us. He saved us. The last thing I saw before everything went black was Ethan, lying broken at the bottom of the cliff. He lost. I won. But deep down, a question lingered: what kind of love could twist so violently?
The leather seats of the Rolls-Royce were cold against my bare skin, just like the emptiness inside me after another stolen encounter with Ethan Vance.
I was Scarlett Hayes, a sharp fashion designer, entangled with a tech billionaire, a genius admired by the world.
But tonight, the usual rush was gone, replaced by a chilling void as I watched city lights blur past.
Then, a message on Ethan' s laptop caught my eye: "Ethan, the storm scares me..." From "Willow." Willow, my sickly stepsister, a name that tasted like bitter poison.
My phone buzzed. It was Ethan. "I have to step out for a bit. An emergency. Stay here." He rushed out, leaving me with a cold dread.
I tracked his car to a high-end hotel, and what I saw shattered my world: Ethan, tenderly carrying Willow like she was made of glass.
He was her protector, her long-lost sweetheart; the two painful parts of my life colliding.
Suddenly, Willow wasn't just some delicate girl. She was Ethan's past, and now, my stepsister. Rage, betrayal, and a deep, aching hurt swirled inside me.
The arranged marriage my father forced on me wasn't just an escape anymore. It was a weapon. My revenge.
Two days later, homeless and broke after a vengeful shopping spree, Ethan found me. He offered me refuge. I saw the handsome, deceptive face of the man who had played me for a fool.
A week later, at Willow' s welcome-home party, the ultimate humiliation struck. In a cruel game, Ethan chose Willow repeatedly-for kindness, for trust, and finally, on a sinking ship, to save.
His silence when asked who he loved more was a public verdict. He chose Willow. He always would.
Something inside me snapped. I lunged at Willow, my hands finding her fragile neck. Ethan pulled me off, his face a mask of cold fury, choosing her even then.
"He was never yours," Willow hissed after I was detained. "This whole affair? It was my idea. He recorded everything. All for me."
The betrayal was monstrous. I walked out, went to his penthouse, and systematically destroyed it. I burned everything to the ground.
The "ailing" groom in the South, Liam Sterling, was not what I expected. He was healthy, charming, and looked at me as a long-lost dream, confessing he had orchestrated the arranged marriage just to meet me.
Just as I found a flicker of peace, a fragile hope for a new life, Ethan came back.
He interrupted my engagement party, a wild, desperate man, publicly declaring his love for me.
But it was too late. I rejected him. I had a new, real life.
On the eve of my wedding, in a final, mad act of possession, Ethan kidnapped me. He took me to a secluded private island.
He tried to rekindle our past with lavish gifts and desperate affection. I feigned compliance, secretly planning my escape.
I managed to get a message to Liam. He came for me. As we escaped, a cliff collapsed. Ethan, in a single, selfless act, threw himself in front of us. He saved us.
The last thing I saw before everything went black was Ethan, lying broken at the bottom of the cliff. He lost. I won.
But deep down, a question lingered: what kind of love could twist so violently?
Introduction
03/07/2025
Chapter 1
03/07/2025
Chapter 2
03/07/2025
Chapter 3
03/07/2025
Chapter 4
03/07/2025
Chapter 5
03/07/2025
Chapter 6
03/07/2025
Chapter 7
03/07/2025
Chapter 8
03/07/2025
Chapter 9
03/07/2025
Chapter 10
03/07/2025
Chapter 11
03/07/2025
Chapter 12
03/07/2025
Chapter 13
03/07/2025
Chapter 14
03/07/2025
Chapter 15
03/07/2025
Chapter 16
03/07/2025
Chapter 17
03/07/2025
Chapter 18
03/07/2025
Chapter 19
03/07/2025
Chapter 20
03/07/2025
Chapter 21
03/07/2025
Chapter 22
03/07/2025
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