CHAPTER 31— SAINT LOLA ARRIVES The house was chaos dressed in perfection.Maids scurried across the marble floors, heels clicking, arms stacked with trays of glassware and folded linen like this was the goddamn royal palace. The chandelier glittered as if it too had been polished for Lola’s grand entrance. Even the smell in the air was staged—fresh lilies in every vase, citrus polish burning the nostrils, perfume mist lingering like pride itself had a scent.Joyce leaned against the banister, arms crossed, watching the circus with a curl of her lip. “What’s this, Buckingham Palace? Or is a Nobel prize about to walk in the door?”“Miss Joyce, please, not today,” one of the maids muttered, scurrying past with a platter of fruit.“Not today?” Joyce shot back. “You mean not the day Saint Lola, petroleum princess, graces us with her holy presence?”The maid didn’t answer. None of them ever did. They all knew better—Lola’s shadow reached long in this house.Down the hall, Joyce’s mother ba

CHAPTER 33 – DAUGHTERS AT WAR The headlights faded, but the damage stuck like smoke.Joyce stayed glued to the doorway, arms crossed, watching her sister soak in the spotlight like she’d been born for it. And maybe she had. Lola always did know how to glide into a room like gravity bent for her.The gown shimmered under the porch light, a perfect little performance piece. Her hair framed her face like she’d just stepped out of an ad campaign. And then there was the smile—God, the smile. Polished. Radiant. And so fucking weaponized.Joyce muttered, “And here comes the family’s very own Miss Universe.”Her mother caught the whisper and hissed through her teeth. “Not now, Joyce.”But it was always now. Because the second Lola’s heel touched the driveway, the mood shifted. Like Norman hadn’t just walked in and shredded everyone’s confidence. Like the house wasn’t dangling by threads.Her father practically leapt forward. “Lola, sweetheart!” His voice cracked, thick with relief. “You’re f

CHAPTER 35 – THE OLD LADY'S LAWNKelvin’s heart was still hammering as Mia clutched her balloon, tiny fingers wrapped tight around the string. He exhaled, relieved she had made it safely across the street, and was about to pull her onto the driveway when a voice sliced through the air like a knife.“WHO’S THE LITTLE BRAT STANDING ON MY LAWN?!”Kelvin froze. The volume alone would have startled a grown man, let alone a six-year-old.Mia looked up, eyes wide. “I—I didn’t mean to…”Kelvin squatted slightly, trying to shield her with his body. “It’s okay, Mia. It’s fine. Let’s just…”But it was too late. The source of the voice had arrived. An elderly woman, small but terrifying, appeared at the edge of the perfectly trimmed grass. Her gray hair was pulled into a tight bun, and her eyes were narrow slits of steel behind tiny spectacles perched precariously on the tip of her nose. She planted her hands on her hips, leaning slightly forward, and gave them a look that could wither crops.“Do

CHAPTER 37– TAKEN The word hit him like a hammer. The thought of Mia being taken from him, of someone else deciding her fate, made his blood boil hotter than anything he’d felt in his life. Every ounce of rationality screamed at him to stop, but his protective instinct overrode everything.“You—” Kelvin choked, twisting against the grip, but his strength faltered as he saw the calculated cruelty in Harry’s eyes. Every fiber of his body screamed to charge, to grab Mia, to remove her from this nightmare, but reality slammed against him like a wall.Mia whimpered, scrubbing at her knee with tiny hands, tears streaking through dirt and blood. “Daddy… hurt…”Kelvin’s chest tightened. His legs trembled, but he forced himself to breathe, to reason, even as his entire body vibrated with rage. He took a slow, furious breath. “I… I am NOT letting anyone hurt you,” he said through gritted teeth. “Not Harry. Not anyone. I am your father. You hear me? I am your father, and I will not let you go t

CHAPTER 39— RACE AGAINST TIME “Who the hell are you? You’re calling my daughter, and you expect me to answer that?” Kelvin's heart literally stopped. Did he just say Joyce is his daughter?!“Good morning, sir. Kelvin Flames here — may I speak to Joyce, please?”Kelvin’s thumb hovered over the phone, heart hammering. Then his deep, authoritative voice cut through the line.“So, it’s you,” the man said, sharp, and bloody cold. No pleasantries. No freaking hesitation.Kelvin stiffened. “Sir… I—”“You’re the one meddling in Joyce’s life, aren’t you?” The words came like blows, each one measured and cutting. “You think you can talk to her? Foolish, worthless being—don’t waste your breath.”“Flames… what a ridiculous name. Surname's for bastards,” Mr Arizona echoed.Kelvin could almost feel the weight of the man’s scorn, as if the words themselves could slap him. He could’ve sworn, if that man had been front of him , he’d have felt Kelvin’s hand across his face in an instant. Mia needed sa