Revenge is Best Served… After Reborn

Gordon had that irresistible tall, dark, and handsome vibe, with just the right amount of mystery and a hint of trouble. But let's be real, he was way out of my league. My crush was nothing more than a flash in the pan, a quick spark that was bound to fizzle out.

I was in the rare circle who knew about his soft spot for Sophie. Gordon was a closed book, never letting anyone in on his thoughts. I stumbled upon this secret because he thought I was into him and, in trying to set the record straight, he accidentally revealed he had eyes for someone else.

At first, I was clueless about who she was. But as time went on, I started picking up on the little things. A guy like Gordon, bending over backward for another woman without any obvious reason? That was a red flag. He even handed Sophie nearly half of the Aldridge family fortune.

The tune of an old love song echoed in my head: "If This Isn't Love."

The kicker was, Sophie was completely in the dark about his feelings. I doubted there was anyone as oblivious as her.

I often felt the urge to march up to Sophie and spill the beans: "There's a guy head over heels for you, and his name is Gordon." But common sense told me to keep it zipped. Maybe the moment I told her, Gordon would send someone to shut me up for good.

For my own safety, I bit my tongue, though it was tough.noveldrama

I didn't have a beef with Joseph. Sure, he had his share of shady dealings, but he treated me fairly well, probably because of my ties to the Reeves family. Joseph had a soft corner for anyone linked with the Reeves.

He once mentioned he picked me because of my last name. At that moment, all I could think was: "Now you're sorry? What took you so long?"

I wasn't like Ruby, ready to lose myself for a guy. I didn't buy into the whole true love" thing. It seemed more like a toxic cycle that dragged everyone down with them

But through Joseph, I met Griffin. And for that, I was grateful to him.

Griffin turned out to be the most important guy in my life. I loved having him around, even if I wasn't sure it was love. He was my rock during the stormiest times.

From the outside looking in, Sophie and Gordon went through hell and high water, but their saga didn't wrap up like a fairy tale. The power struggles took a heavy toll, robbing everyone of what they held dear.

But I was the lucky one. I had Griffin, and from start to finish, the most important people to me were Griffin and my mom. They made it through the chaos unscathed.

Months after the showdown, I asked Griffin why he risked it all for me. He said from the get-go, he felt I might just toss him aside. His loyalty and playing the victim were just tactics to stick around because if he left then, he'd be lost.

It hit me that Griffin wasn't as naive as he seemed. Then again, running with someone like Colby, who really is?

But he also admitted that his wish to stay by my side was genuine. I thought to myself: this is like getting a slap and then being handed a sweet apology.