Ayishetu

In a world of wealth, power, and whispered betrayals, Jade Sinclair is an outsider. When she marries **Alexander Middleton**, heir to a powerful and ruthless family, she knows the life she’s stepping into is one of scrutiny and silent warfare. But what no one knows is that Jade didn’t just marry into this world for love—she has her own secrets, her own motives.  

At every turn, she faces resistance. **Victoria Middleton**, Alexander’s calculating mother, sees her as nothing more than an inconvenience, an unworthy intruder in their empire. And then there’s **Liliana Carter**, Alexander’s ex and the woman society expected him to marry, who is determined to reclaim her place by his side.  

But Jade is no naive socialite. She knows that in a world like this, survival isn’t about playing by the rules—it’s about rewriting them.  

When **Lady Eleanor Middleton**, the true matriarch of the family, summons Jade for a private meeting, everything changes. The old woman sees more than Jade expected, sensing the deeper game at play. As the stakes rise, Jade is forced to confront not just the enemies in plain sight but the ones lurking in the shadows—secrets buried within the Middleton family that could destroy them all.  

As deception weaves through every relationship and trust becomes the most dangerous currency, Jade must decide:Is love worth the price of power? And in a game where masks are everything, who will survive when the veil is finally lifted

the veil of deception

Jade's fingers clenched at her sides as she stared at Mara, her half-sister—the one person she had hoped never to see again.

The air between them was thick with unspoken words, years of resentment, and the weight of a past Jade had buried beneath her new life.

Mara closed the door behind her, arms crossed. "No hug for your long-lost sister?"

Jade forced herself to remain composed. "I wasn't expecting you."

Mara let out a soft chuckle, but there was no humor in it. "You never do, do you? You disappear, reinvent yourself as some society queen, and act like the past never existed." Her gaze sharpened. "But the past always catches up, Jade."

Jade inhaled slowly. "What do you want?"

Mara walked around the study, running a hand over the expensive furniture. "You have quite the life here. Married into one of the wealthiest families in the country. Power, influence. You must be proud."

Jade stiffened. She didn't have time for games. "Mara."

Her sister finally met her eyes. "I want what I deserve."

Jade felt her stomach twist. She knew this day would come. "I don't owe you anything."

Mara's expression darkened. "Don't you? After everything that happened, you just walked away. Left me to deal with it all on my own. And now, here you are, pretending to be someone you're not." She leaned in slightly. "Tell me, does Alexander know *who* he married?"

Jade's heart pounded, but she kept her voice steady. "This isn't a conversation you want to have here."

Mara smirked. "No, I suppose the walls here have ears, don't they?"

Jade exhaled sharply. "If you need money—"

Mara scoffed. "Oh, I don't need your charity, sister. I need something more valuable than money."

Mara's gaze flickered with something dangerous. "The truth."

Jade shut the study doors, lowering her voice. "What do you want me to say? That I regret leaving? That I regret escaping while I could?"

Mara's jaw tightened. "You didn't just leave, Jade. You abandoned me. You knew what would happen if you weren't there."

A sharp pang of guilt sliced through Jade, but she masked it quickly. "I didn't have a choice."

"You always had a choice," Mara snapped. "You chose *yourself*."

Jade swallowed hard. She had spent years erasing that part of her life, convincing herself that she had done what she had to do.

Mara stepped closer. "You're not the only one who knows how to survive, Jade. But survival costs something." She tilted her head. "I wonder, if I told Alexander the *real* story of who you are… would he still look at you the same way?"

Jade's blood ran cold. "You wouldn't dare."

Silence stretched between them, the weight of old wounds pressing down.

Finally, Jade exhaled. "What do you want, Mara?"

Mara's expression hardened. "I want in."

"In *this* life." Mara gestured around. "The connections, the power, the wealth. You're not the only one who deserves a second chance."

Jade studied her, heart racing. If Mara was here, she wouldn't leave quietly.

And worse—if she didn't get what she wanted, she just might tear everything apart.

Blood and Betrayal