The Contracted Ever After (Cordelia and Ronan) novel Chapter 705

"The key to the apartment is on the coffee table. I'll text you the address later. Move in when you're ready." With that, Grant walked out, his footsteps echoing in the silence that followed.

The key lay there, its cold metal surface indifferent to Samantha's turmoil.

She didn't even glance at it, bitter regret gnawing at her for ever asking Grant for money. That request had led to today's mess.

Samantha retreated to the bathroom. She slid into the bathtub, letting the warm water envelop her, but the filth that seemed to seep into her very soul refused to wash away. Her thoughts turned to Harold, and she knew that with every second spent in Grant's shadow, she drifted further from the man she truly wanted.

She belonged to Harold, not to the scoundrel Grant. She could be wild with Harold, but never with Grant. She'd never allowed him even a glimmer of hope.

Despite her questionable ethics, Samantha was a small-town girl at heart, steeped in traditions that ran deeper than her faults.

Samantha wept, her sobs filled with a pain that was almost tangible. She hated Cordelia for her scheming and despised Grant for his manipulation.

After her bath, dressed and composed, she decided against taking the key. Instead, she planned to retrieve her checkbook and pay Grant back every penny.

While walking home, her phone buzzed with a message from Grant detailing the location of the apartment. She ignored it.

But upon arriving home, she was met with an unexpected sight. Her living room was cluttered with boxes and bags, and Sienna was lounging on the couch.

"What's all this?" Samantha asked, her voice laced with disbelief.

"Thought you were moving out, so I packed your stuff," Sienna said casually. "What's the new place like? Big? A house or an apartment?"

Samantha froze, the reality of her situation crashing down. Sienna's smug expression reminded her of a madam who had successfully brokered a deal. She felt betrayed, as if sold by her own mother.

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