Chapter 1 "Child, just stay. I'll give you a hundred million dollars." "No? Two hundred million then!" In the grand study of the Pierce Estate, Old Man Pierce sat in his mahogany chair, practically begging the young woman standing before him. I shook my head, sliding the astronomical check back across the desk. "Grandfather, I'm sorry. We agreed on six years. The time is up, my debt is paid, and it's time for me to go." My voice was soft, but there was steel in it. Seeing my resolve, the old man sighed heavily. "You've suffered these past years. Before you go, tell me what you want. Anything." I was silent for a long time. Finally, I said, "I want you... to let Julian and Yara be together." "You sent me to approach Julian to make him forget her. But six years later, you see the truth. Maybe true love really can't be broken." Old Man Pierce slumped, looking defeated. "Fine. I'm too old to fight them anymore. Let them ruin themselves if they want. As for the divorce... you'll have to tell Julian yourself." I nodded, bowed respectfully, and walked out the heavy oak doors. Sitting in my car, I took one last look at the estate. I first came here to repay a debt. I was an orphan, destined for a hard life, but the Pierce family sponsored my education. I skipped grades, worked myself to the bone, and earned my PhD from MIT by twenty-two. When I came to thank him, the old man made one request. "The Pierce family doesn't need money. If you want to repay us, give me six years. Marry my heir, give him a child, and make him forget... his stepsister." That’s when I learned Julian Pierce, the golden boy of New York business, was in love with his foster sister, Yara. He was willing to throw away his inheritance for her. The family had shipped Yara overseas to stop the scandal, leaving Julian a drunken wreck. To repay my debt, I agreed. I played the part of the devoted admirer. I married him. I gave him a son. For six years, I was the perfect wife. But the moment Yara returned from abroad, his buried love caught fire again. Even our son, Leo, who I’d raised with everything I had, started spending all his time with Yara, growing to despise me. The white moonlight never fades, I suppose. But it didn't matter anymore. The contract was done. I was free. I pulled my gaze away from the rearview mirror just in time to see an out-of-control truck barreling toward me. CRASH. The world spun. Pain exploded in my skull. Then, darkness. When I woke up, the smell of disinfectant stung my nose. "You're incredibly lucky," a nurse said, checking my vitals. "Mild concussion. Everyone else in that pile-up on the highway didn't make it. You're the sole survivor." I sat up, shaky. "Can I leave?" "Call your family to sign you out," she said. I grabbed my phone and dialed Julian. It rang and rang. He didn't pick up. Eventually, he started declining the calls. One, two, ten times. I switched to calling my son, Leo. Finally, a text popped up. [Stop annoying me! I'm busy. Make sure you have chicken soup ready when we get home.] The impatience was palpable. My five-year-old son, ordering me around like a servant. Outside the door, nurses were gossiping. "Mr. Pierce is so devoted. The woman barely had a scald from hot water—it would have healed if they waited five minutes—but he booked out the whole VIP floor. And his son is so cute, running around getting her water." "You mean Mrs. Pierce?" "No, that's his foster sister, Yara. Rumor has it they're the real couple. He only married his current wife because she was sent away." I smiled bitterly. So that’s what they were "busy" with. If I had died in that crash, would anyone have even come to identify the body? I looked at the nurse. "I don't have any family. Can I sign for myself?" She looked at me with pity and handed me the clipboard. On my way out, I passed a VIP suite. Through the open door, I saw Julian and Leo sitting by a bed, peeling fruit, looking gentler than I had ever seen them. I watched for a moment, expressionless, then turned and walked away. Back at the villa, I pulled the divorce papers from a drawer. Julian had signed them years ago. "Stella," he had said on our wedding night, cold and distant. "I know you're obsessed with me, but I love someone else. If you ever want to leave, sign this." I picked up a pen. Without hesitation, I signed my name: Stella Rourke. Chapter 2 Just as I finished, the front door opened. Julian walked in, holding Leo’s hand. They looked like a matched set in their bespoke suits—handsome, expensive, and cold. "Why did you call so many times?" Leo scowled. "Where's the soup? Is that all you do all day, and you can't even get that right?" "It's on the stove," I said calmly. Leo didn't spare me another glance, running to the kitchen. Julian stepped forward, loosening his tie. "Leo is young. I'll talk to him about his attitude." I didn't care anymore. Leo used to call me 'Mommy.' But since Yara returned, he treated me like the villain who kept his father and "Auntie Yara" apart. "No need," I said. "Julian, I signed the papers. I don't want the money, and I don't want custody. Once the thirty-day cooling-off period is up, I'm gone." Before Julian could respond, Leo came running back, hugging a thermos. "Daddy, let's go! Auntie Yara must be scared all alone in the hospital!" Julian looked at me, distracted. "What did you say just now? I didn't catch it." He was looking right at me, but his mind was already back at the hospital. "Nothing," I said. It didn't matter if he heard. I was leaving anyway. I watched them rush out the door. They were gone for days. It gave me time. I submitted my resume to the National Research Institute. I was a prodigy once. My classmates were winning Nobel Prizes while I was playing house. It was time to go back. A few days later, my phone rang. "Stella! Is it true?" An old classmate’s voice buzzed with excitement. "The Professor hasn't slept in days, he's so happy you're coming back! The academic world is going to shake!" I smiled, a genuine smile for the first time in years. "Yes. From now on, I'm dedicating my life to science. I don't need anything else." The front door opened. Julian and Leo walked in. "Don't need what else?" Julian asked. Chapter 3 I hung up quickly. "Just old junk. I was cleaning out the closet." Julian stared at me, suspicious, but I kept my face blank. "Why are you back?" I asked. "The food outside is terrible," Leo complained, throwing his jacket on the sofa. "Go make me ribs. Now." I looked at Julian. He said nothing, his silence endorsing his son's demand. I went to the kitchen, feeling like a clown. Six years of being a wife and mother, and I had become nothing more than a live-in chef to them. During dinner, I spoke up. "You should hire the old staff back." Julian frowned. He had fired the maids because he preferred my cooking and housekeeping. "Why?" "I'm leaving soon. You two need to get used to being taken care of by someone else." "Leaving? To go where?" Julian scoffed. Leo rolled his eyes. "Are you throwing a tantrum because we took care of Auntie Yara? Where would you even go? You don't have anywhere." Julian looked at me. I had no family, no job history, no money of my own. In his eyes, I was helpless without him. He thought I was bluffing. "Stop talking nonsense," Julian said, dismissing the topic. That night, lying in the same bed, he reached for me. His hand slid around my waist, his breath hot on my neck. "Yara..." he whispered in the dark. It wasn't the first time. Every time we were intimate, he whispered her name. Disgust surged in my throat. I shoved him away hard. He looked at me, confused and annoyed. "What now?" "I'm sleeping in the guest room," I said, grabbing a pillow and walking out. Chapter 4 The cold war lasted until Leo's birthday. Julian threw a massive party. Yara was there, of course. I sat in the corner, watching my husband and son fawn over her. They looked like the perfect family. "Mr. Pierce, Mrs. Pierce," a guest greeted Julian and Yara. Julian paused. This was the fiftieth time it had happened tonight. He glanced at me in the corner. I was looking down at my phone. "Yara isn't my wife," Julian corrected gently. "She's my... sister." Later, the guests gossiped. "That woman in the corner is the real wife? That's pathetic." I ignored them. When it was time for gifts, I handed Leo a key. "Your gift is in the safe. This is the key." Inside were gifts for the next eighteen years. I wouldn't be there to give them. Leo didn't even look at it. He tossed the key onto a side table. "Whatever. I don't have time for this." "Leo, be polite," Julian chided half-heartedly. "It's fine," I said. Leo ran to Yara. "Auntie Yara! What did you get me?" Yara produced a cheap storybook, unwrapped. Leo held it like it was gold. "I love it! Thank you!" Then came the cake. Leo closed his eyes to make a wish. "I wish Auntie Yara could be my mommy, and stay with Daddy forever!" The room went dead silent. "Leo!" Julian warned. "Why not?" Leo shouted. "I saw the letters in your study, Dad! You love her! Stella is just a glorified nanny! Why can't you be with Auntie Yara?" Yara turned to Julian, eyes brimming with tears. "Julian... is it true? You never forgot me?" Julian looked at her, then at the silent crowd. Finally, he looked at me. I stood there, impassive. He turned back to Yara. "Yes. I never forgot you. Not for a second." Chapter 5 Chaos erupted. Suddenly, a crash. Someone bumped the champagne tower. Yara was standing right under it. "Yara!" "Auntie!" Julian and Leo lunged forward. I was standing in their path. They shoved me. Hard. I lost my balance and fell backward, crashing into a table of glassware. Shards of glass sliced into my arms and legs. Champagne soaked my dress. Blood pooled around me. Across the room, Julian was holding Yara. A single champagne flute had grazed her arm. A tiny scratch. "Yara, you're bleeding!" Julian panicked. "We need to get to the hospital!" Leo screamed. Julian picked her up and rushed out. Leo followed. They ran right past me. Julian glanced down for a split second, saw me lying in broken glass and blood, and hesitated. "I have to get Yara to the ER. You... call a cab." Then he was gone. I lay there, bleeding, and laughed until I cried. Then I called 911. At the hospital, I was being wheeled into surgery when Julian and Leo appeared. "Yara needs blood!" Julian grabbed my arm. "She has a clotting disorder. The blood bank is low. You have the same type. Come with me." The doctor tried to stop him. "Mr. Pierce, your wife has severe lacerations and significant blood loss. She can't donate—" "It's just a little blood!" Leo yelled. "Auntie Yara could die! How can she compare to Auntie Yara?" I looked at my son. The boy I birthed. The boy I loved. "She's more important than my life?" I asked. "Yes!" Leo screamed. "Take it! Take all of it!" Julian didn't speak. He just dragged me to the donation room. As the needle pierced my vein, I felt the last thread of attachment snap. I watched my blood fill the bag. "More," Julian told the nurse. "Just to be safe." The darkness took me.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "386647", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel