Chapter 1\u00a0<\/p>\n
After Mom got sick, I crawled back to my ex, begging on my knees. As he tossed me around like a ragdoll, he\u00a0<\/p>\n
spat the words out carelessly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLast the whole night, and I\u2019ll give you a million to cover your mom\u2019s bills.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I saw the contempt in his eyes, but I bit my lip and took it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Julian Sterling was a notorious playboy who got off on degrading women like me, the untouchable prize he\u00a0<\/p>\n
used to chase, now desperate enough to warm his bed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When it finally ended, I was wrecked, every muscle on fire. He pulled out and gave a short, cold laugh.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBoring. I might blow that million on handbags for Vivian instead.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I went still. Tears welled up before I could stop them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong? My little saint wants to negotiate now?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked down at the marks all over me and thought about last night, how Vivian Summers had given him a barely-there peck on the cheek, and he\u2019d handed her two million without blinking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s when it hit me: he\u2019d never meant to give me a dime.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stumbled into the hospital courtyard just as my mom\u2019s body hit the pavement. The sound was sickening. Her blood spattered across my face and clothes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was broken, chest barely rising, but she still managed to rasp out. \u201cLily\u2026 stop begging him. Please.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The corridor was washed in fluorescent light, cold and sterile. When Julian found me, I was slumped against the wall, shaking so hard I couldn\u2019t stand. Mom\u2019s blood had dried a dark rust on my skin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He frowned, already annoyed I\u2019d dragged him here. \u201cLily Carter, what the hell is this supposed to be? Trying to play the victim so I\u2019ll feel sorry for you and pay up? That\u2019s pathetic, even for you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t have the strength to answer. I just stared at him, eyes bloodshot and burning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I clutched the notification of death, a single thin sheet, but it felt like it was made of lead.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why? Why did he have to turn money into a game, money that could\u2019ve saved her life? That money was her\u00a0<\/p>\n
life, and he\u2019d dangled it in front of me like bait.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I didn\u2019t answer, Julian smirked. He leaned in close, his breath warm against my ear. Then he grabbed\u00a0<\/p>\n
my chin and kissed me hard, not caring that I didn\u2019t return it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOne more night with me. Make it worth my while, and I\u2019ll double it. Two million, right now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 1\u00a0<\/p>\n
10.00%\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shoved him away. My stomach turned, bile climbing my throat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Memories crashed in, one on top of the next.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Years ago, when he\u2019d played the starving artist, I\u2019d sold the Steinway my grandmother had left me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019d worked myself to the bone playing at every low-rent wedding and corporate event I could book, trying to\u00a0<\/p>\n
pay off debts that weren\u2019t even real.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019d played until my hands seized, the nerves shot for good.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After that, I couldn\u2019t play anything complex. My dream of becoming a concert pianist died right then and\u00a0<\/p>\n
there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cQuit acting like you\u2019re above this.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Julian pulled a tissue from his suit pocket and wiped his mouth, as if he needed to wipe me off him. I slapped his hand away. I was shaking so hard I could barely stay upright.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cUngrateful bitch. I\u2019ll call for you when I need you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He turned and walked away, not sparing me another glance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My phone buzzed. A message from Vivian lit up the screen. It was a screenshot of a transfer, Julian as the\u00a0<\/p>\n
sender, her as the recipient.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Amount: One million dollars.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Memo: [Just for fun.]\u00a0<\/p>\n
One million dollars. Just like that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The screenshot landed like a slap.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The money I\u2019d debased myself for, the money that could\u2019ve saved Mom, was nothing more than a tip he\u2019d tossed at his new plaything. He\u2019d just wanted to watch me beg.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t tell how long I sat there, numb, hollowed out. I held Mom\u2019s cold body until they pulled me away. then I stumbled out of the hospital alone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As I rounded the corner, I heard Julian on the phone, his voice full of contempt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLily Carter? She\u2019s a parasite. She\u2019d sell her own mother for cash if she could. Give it three days. She\u2019ll be back, begging me to take her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 1\u00a0<\/p>\n
10.00%\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella\u2019s storytelling style is immersive and addictive\u2014perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.<\/p>\n
The Blackened Odds by Mark Twain 1 Chapter 1\u00a0 After Mom got sick, I crawled back to my ex, begging […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20207","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-broken-heart"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20207","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20207"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20207\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20207"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20207"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20207"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}