She came to study. She stayed to destroy a billionaire empire... until she fell in love with the one man cursed to die if she did. When Amelia Hart receives a prestigious scholarship to Blackwood College, she thinks it's fate. What no one knows is: she's not there for the degree - she's there for revenge. Decades ago, billionaire Richard Blackwood betrayed her father and built his empire on stolen gold. A deadly curse followed, claiming the life of every woman who dared to marry into the Blackwood family. Now, Richard wants Amelia to marry his heir, the ruthless and entitled Damien Blackwood. But Amelia's heart rebels - because it's not Damien who draws her in... it's Elias, the quiet, broken youngest son haunted by his mother's death and blamed by everyone. As forbidden passion ignites, secrets unravel, and the truth behind the family curse surfaces, Amelia must choose: destroy the Blackwoods as her father wished - or save Elias from the curse her love might awaken. Lies. Legacy. A love that could break the curse... or trigger it. Welcome to the Blackwoods - where love is dangerous, and secrets are buried in gold.
We can't afford this school, my dearest Amelia, I know I have promised to sponsor you in any level of education you wish to pursue.
But this college you wish to attend is far too expensive for me, I don't think I can afford it, and I'm scared I can't take you there. Mrs Hart pleaded.
She holds her daughter's hands tightly, eyes brimming with tears, her voice trembling as she speaks.
"Baby... I need you to listen to me, and please know this is breaking my heart to say. I've tried everything-I truly have-but I just can't afford your dream school. It's too expensive, sweetheart... and no matter how much I want to make it work, the numbers just won't add up."
She wipes her tears, her voice cracking.
"You've worked so hard. You deserve to go there. And it hurts me more than I can ever explain that I can't give you that. I feel like I've failed you... Like I've let you down. I wanted to give you the world, but all I have are pieces. And right now, those pieces aren't enough."
She gently strokes Amelia's hair.
"Please don't hate me for this. I would sell everything I own if it could make a difference. But we just don't have it, baby. I wish things were different. I'm so, so sorry."
She breaks down, pulling Amelia into a tight embrace.
"I know this dream means everything to you-and you mean everything to me. One day, I promise, this pain will turn into strength. Just don't give up, okay? We'll find another way together. I love you more than anything in this world."
Amelia took a shaky breath, wiping her tears, looking her mother in the eye - her voice soft but firm, aching with emotion.
"Mom... I hear you. I see your pain, and I feel it too. But please... just let me say this."
She clasps her hands together, trying to steady her voice.
"That school isn't just a dream to me-it's the door to everything I've worked for. It's where the best professors are. It's where the labs and resources will actually give me a chance to become what I've always wanted to be. It's not about the name-it's about the opportunity."
Amelia stepped closer, her voice trembling.
"It's where I can finally stop surviving and start living. I've already planned the scholarships. I've been working on grants. I'm willing to work part-time, take loans, sleep less, fight harder-anything-just to be there."
Her hands are shaking now.
"I know it costs too much. I know you've carried more than your share. But this... this is the one thing I can't walk away from without losing a piece of myself. If I let this go... I'm scared I'll always wonder what I could've been. And I don't want regret to haunt both of us."
Amelia grabbed her mother's hands gently.
"You taught me to dream, Mom. You taught me to aim high-even when we were barely making it. You believed in me before I believed in myself. Please... believe in me now, just one more time. I'll carry the weight. I just need your yes. I need your faith."
Her voice cracks, whispering through tears.
"Let me fight for this. Let me try. Not just for me... but for us. Because this dream-it's not just mine anymore. It's ours."
She kneels gently in front of her mother, placing her hands on hers.
"If Dad were here... you know exactly what he'd say. He'd be bursting with pride. He always said I was meant for greatness. Remember? He used to joke that he'd sell his toolbox and his bicycle just to see me wear a college jacket one day."
A soft smile forms on her lips, even as tears fall.
"He may have been poor, Mom... but he was the richest man in love. He gave us everything he had-everything. He never let life's weight crush his hope. You were his world. I was his dream. And this school-this chance-is what he dreamed of for me, even if he couldn't say it out loud every day."
Mrs Hart suddenly lets out a sob, clutching her hands tightly.
weeping softly
"He'd wake up before dawn and come back with grease in his hair and a smile on his face... just so we could eat dinner with light and laughter. He used to kiss your forehead and whisper, 'One day, my little star will shine beyond this neighborhood.'"
She cries harder. "God, I miss him... his quiet strength... his silly stories... the way he looked at me like I was still the girl he met at the coffee shop."
They both cried, holding each other in a long embrace.
Amelia smiled through tears
"He'd want me to go to a well-equipped school, Mom. Not for fame. Not for money. But because he believed I could be more. And I want to honor him... by becoming everything he hoped for."
Amelia's mother sniffed, gently wiping her cheeks
"And you will, my baby. We'll find a way. I may not have his toolbox to sell... but I have his courage. And I see him in you-every day."
She smiles for the first time through her tears.
Chapter 1 My Dream, Our fight.
26/07/2025
Chapter 2 Beauty In The Shadow
26/07/2025
Chapter 3 The Bag On The Road
26/07/2025
Chapter 4 The Scholarship And The Warning
26/07/2025
Chapter 5 The Legacy She Doesn't Know
26/07/2025
Chapter 6 The Confessions Behind Closed Doors
26/07/2025
Chapter 7 The Proposal letter
26/07/2025
Chapter 8 In His Eyes
26/07/2025
Chapter 9 The Curse Beneath The Roses
26/07/2025
Chapter 10 Blood On The Marble
26/07/2025
Chapter 11 A Mother's Warning
26/07/2025
Chapter 12 Beneath The House Of Ashes
Today at 03:18
Chapter 13 The Stranger In The Portrait
Today at 03:21