Reese

After six years of loving Julian Grayson and literally keeping him alive with her rare blood donations, Hazel Ashworth is just three days away from becoming his wife when he calls to cancel their wedding. 
The reason? Her half-sister Ivy has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and her dying wish is to marry Julian instead. Hazel watches in horror as Julian takes her handcrafted wedding dress to Ivy, who plans to wear it while stealing not just Hazel's fiancé, but her entire wedding—same venue, same date, even the same cake flavor. 
It's a devastating replay of their childhood, where Ivy's mother Eleanor destroyed Hazel's family by seducing her father and driving her mother to suicide, then spent years pushing Hazel out while Ivy took everything that was once hers. 
But this time, Hazel refuses to break like her mother did. She demands Julian's entire company and two million dollars as compensation, then shows up at the hospital to deliver Ivy's "wedding gift" in the most explosive way possible.
As Ivy plays the perfect dying victim and Julian remains blind to her manipulation, Hazel begins to suspect that her half-sister's illness might not be as terminal as everyone believes. When Ivy has the audacity to ask Hazel to witness her wedding to Julian, the gloves come off completely. 
Now Hazel must decide how far she's willing to go to expose the truth and reclaim what's rightfully hers, even if it means destroying the man she once loved in the process.

The Billionaire Backs Me Up

Chapter 90 - A Delicate Dance: Navigating Sterling Expectations


Lunch at Sterling Heights Estate was an exercise in maintaining composure. The dining room, with its crystal chandelier and antique mahogany table, reminded me just how far removed Damien's world was from mine. Each sterling silver utensil felt like it cost more than my monthly rent.


I sat across from Damien, who had changed back into his casual clothes but somehow still looked impeccably put together. Mrs. Sterling—Elizabeth, as she insisted I call her—sat at the head of the table, observing us both with keen eyes that missed nothing.


"The sea bass is divine," Elizabeth commented, breaking a brief silence. "Our chef trained in Paris for years before joining us."


"It's delicious," I agreed, though my appetite had diminished under the weight of my anxiety. Every bite felt like a performance, every movement scrutinized.


Damien's eyes found mine. "You've barely touched your food, Hazel."
