No Second Chance For Us

ty accessory on his arm, a deal I made to save my father' s life. I pl

irst love, Ama

for my own mother' s heirloom bangle, only to place it on Ama

ittle bird" he could use to learn how to be

died. I was never a person to him, just

ties. When he finally tracked me down, begging me to name my price, I faced

re d

pte

e P

the extravagant lifestyle. They saw the gilded cage, but never the bars-or the price I paid to live inside it. I knew what I was to him, and what our arrangement was.

ts, listen to his endless ambition, and swallow the bitter taste of knowing my intimacy was just another service rendered. He saw my compliance as devotion, my silence as loyalty. He never dou

night, her eyes heavy with champagne and malice. "So

aze fixed on the crowd, already searching for his next conquest. The words were a public humiliation, a blaring siren info

ies, preparing for the day I' d vanish without a trace. My things were packed in boxes, labeled only with codes, stored away from his prying eyes.

"gift" from Alden. It felt heavy, a cold weight against m

lly going to walk away from all this, Hope?" Her gaze swept across the opulent suit

"It' s not prestige, Chloe. It' s a tran

ill for a setup like this. To have Alden Maxwell wr

actor. And I' m his... temporary comfort. That' s all it ever was. And all it ever

our freedom." She smiled, a genuine, warm smile. "Just make sure yo

to." I stood up, smoothing the simple silk dress I wo

den' s assistant, a perpetually calm man named Mark

e' s delay could trigger his icy displeasure, forcing me into a carefully choreographed dance of apologies and appeasement.

usive members-only club. Lights spilled from the grand entrance, painting a picture of opulence a

over, pulling me into a possessive embrace. His lips found mine, a firm, almost desperate kiss tha

kew, her mascara streaked. A group of men, their faces flushed with dr

I whispered to Ma

ck to me, a hint of pity in his eyes. "

axwell, the only one he truly chased. And now, she was being publicly shamed. A wave of

of it, Hope. The message was clear. Interfering would only make things worse. For her, and for me. I swallowed, forcing myself back in

ss transition back to his sweet, understanding companion. I adjusted his tie,

l, fixed on Alden. A raw, defiant energy pulsed around her. "Alden Maxwell," she spat, her voice surprisingly clear.

just a drunken outburst. This was a declaration of war. And in that moment, I knew. Am