Fallen 44

Posted by Sara Lili, ? Views, Released on September 11, 2025

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Fallen 44 Summary

Meadow observes a woman stepping out of a car to speak with Alaric, the man she has complicated feelings for. The woman is stylish and confident, which stirs jealousy and insecurity in Meadow, who wonders if this new woman is meant to replace her. Just as Meadow prepares to retreat, Trip, Alaric’s bodyguard, emerges from the car, bringing her a sense of relief.

The woman introduces herself as Sheila, Meadow’s new stylist, sent by Alaric to deliver a collection of dresses for an upcoming event. Meadow is overwhelmed by the gesture, unsure whether to feel flattered or frustrated. Nova, Meadow’s friend, encourages her to accept the dresses and appreciate Alaric’s thoughtful act, teasing Meadow about her feelings.

As Sheila begins unpacking the luxurious garments, Meadow struggles with her emotions, trying to convince herself that these dresses are just clothes and not a sign of deeper affection. Despite her inner turmoil, she thanks Sheila and notices a note left for her, which leaves her stunned and unable to move.

Nova excitedly admires the high-end dresses, while Meadow remains distracted and uneasy. Their moment is interrupted by Alaric’s unexpected arrival, his confident smirk and casual remark about the fitting heightening the tension and leaving Meadow emotionally charged.

Meadow’s POV:

A lady had come out of the passenger seat, and she had a shy smile on her face as she leaned back into the car to talk to someone inside–Alaric..

She had on a short, tailored dress, chic and business casual. Her dark hair was slicked back into a

ponytail. And she was pretty.

Very pretty. The kind that made your stomach twist, even if you had no reason to be jealous.

I swallowed.

I knew what this marriage was, and I knew what it wasn’t. But there was nothing that could prep me for

the hit to my ego when the man that I’d been pining over–no. Horny over–was bringing another woman

to the house.

Was she supposed to be my replacement? Someone prettier and less complicated who probably wouldn’t

even need to be asked if she was ‘ready‘?

I stood, a bitter taste in my mouth as I prepared to walk back into the house, away from all this.

But then the driver’s door opened. And it wasn’t Alaric who stepped out of the car.

It was Trip, his bodyguard.

The breath that I hadn’t realized I was holding escaped my lungs. I had never felt this sort of relief before.

I straightened. I could feel Nova watching me carefully, but she didn’t say anything. And her silence was

enough.

The girl spotted us, and waved at us politely while Trip nodded, sunglasses sitting on his face even

though the sun was nearly gone.

“Oh, damn,” Nova whistled. “That is one hot, burly, sexy…”

“Nova, you’re drooling all over.” I smirked at her. “Besides, I thought you were staying off bad boys? This

is Alaric’s bodyguard.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate his beauty,” she murmured, rolling her eyes. “Who’s the girl anyway?”

We got our answer when the trunk popped open, and the woman reached inside to pull out a rack of garment bags with Trip’s help.

Brows furrowing in confusion, I walked toward the SUV, Nova trailing closely behind.

“Uh… Trip? What is…”

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I trailed off as the girl reached for four shoeboxes and boxes that I was sure contained purses.

Trip turned around to look at me, his voice flat as he said, “Mr. Ashford wanted these to be delivered to you.”

My heart stuttered and I blinked. “These are for me?”

The woman finally looked at me directly and smiled, polite and professional. “It’s nice to officially meet you, Mrs. Ashford. I’m Sheila, your stylist. Your husband contacted me for the first time when he asked me to fill up your wardrobe.”

“Oh,” I breathed. “Nice to meet you, Sheila, but I still don’t understand why these dresses are here.”

“He said you have an event to attend this weekend and asked me to bring a few options.”

Something fluttered in my chest. I didn’t know if I should melt or scream.

‘Damn you, Alaric. Why would you do something that made me want to crawl inside your skin and never come out?‘

“Uh, this is more than just a few,” I murmured, a nervous laugh escaping my mouth. “And I already have dresses that haven’t been worn so why-”

Nova let out a strangled sound. “Oh my god, Meadow, just fucking accept it.”

A deep chuckle sounded behind me and I turned around, surprised to see Trip laugh when I was sure that there was nothing he did but frown and scowl.

But the moment I looked at him, he sniffed, mouth turning down into the famous scowl–though I could still see the hint of a smile.

“Shut up, Nova,” I muttered, shooting her a glare.

She only shrugged.

“Well, if you’ll allow me,” the woman continued. “We’ll take this upstairs to your room.”

“Oh,” I breathed once again. My excellent vocabulary seemed to be doing wonders for me tonight.

I turned to Nova the second she and Trip were out of earshot. “I don’t know what to fucking do right now.”

Nova grabbed her drink. “Simple. You go up there, try on the damn dresses, and then you thank whatever cosmic forces are out there for blessing you with a man like Alaric.”

I snorted, searching around for my phone. “You’re acting like I just got proposed to.”

“Yeah, well,” she shrugged. “Might as well, since I wasn’t there when you actually got proposed to.”

And then we headed into the house, trailing after them. I stared down at my phone, thumbs hovering over

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the keyboard as I thought of the perfect message to send to him.

Something tugged at my heart. He didn’t have to do this. I didn’t want him to do things like this. Things that would make me…

Fall for him.

“They’re just dresses, Meadow,” I whispered under my breath. “Just dresses. Not a love proposal.”

My stomach churned at that word. Love.

In my experience? Didn’t end well. But no. No. These were dresses. Nothing special.

I shook my head, deciding not to send the message anymore, and then I shoved the phone into my back pocket.

When we got to the bedroom, Sheila had already begun unzipping the garment bags and pulling out fabric that looked oh so expensive and elegant. There was velvet, silk, sequins that shimmered under the light.

I just stood there, staring.

Nova let out a low whistle. “Damn, Meds.”

Sheila turned to face me, a small grin on her face. “Well, this is it, Mrs. Ashford. You can try them on and I’ll drop by first thing tomorrow if you encounter any issues.”

I smiled back, though it wasn’t really a smile. More of a lip twitch. I was too stimulated to smile.

Or move. “Thank you,” I said to her, shifting my gaze to Trip, who just nodded and strolled out of my room.

The woman started to follow, but then she doubled back. “Oh, and before I forget, there’s a note for you somewhere…” she trailed off, reaching for a small tote bag that I didn’t even realize was there. “Here it is.”

She gave me an envelope, one last smile, and then she was out of the room.

My knees gave out under me instantly, and I fell onto the bed, still stunned. Nova dove for the rack like a kid on Christmas morning.

She whistled as she looked at the dresses. “Dior, Meadow. This one is fucking Dior. And this one’s…”

Nova trailed off as she turned to look at me. And then, as though she just noticed the expression on my face, she rushed over to me.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

I swallowed the rock in my throat but it refused to go down. “Nova, I don’t-”

A soft knock on the already open door cut me off, and Nova and I turned at the same time to see him.

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Alaric.

He stood there, leaning one shoulder against the frame. His eyes flicked from the dresses, to Nova, to me sitting on the bed with the unopened envelope in my hand.

He gave me a look that made my skin prickle, and then, his lips tilted upward in that dangerous smirk of his.

And then he spoke, voice smooth as butter-

“Hope I didn’t miss the fitting.”

Sara Lili

Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.

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Fallen

Score 9.9

Status: Ongoing Type: Alpha Native Language: English

Fallen Summary & Review: Fallen

Meadow Russell arrives at an upscale hotel, heart fluttering with excitement and nerves. She’s about to marry the love of her life, Tyler, in a small, private ceremony — just the two of them. Clutching her bag, she approaches the front desk with a smile. “Hi, I have a reservation. Meadow Russell.”

But from the very first second, something feels off.

The receptionist’s red-painted lips curl into a mocking sneer, and her colleague exchanges a strange look with her. Meadow’s cheerful tone falters as confusion settles in. The woman scoffs, “You’re kidding, right?” The disbelief in her tone makes Meadow’s stomach twist. She frowns, insisting there must be a mistake, but both receptionists continue to look at her with something close to pity — and something else she can’t quite name.

Then comes the shocker.

According to the hotel records, she’s already checked in. Two hours ago. With a man. The receptionist even claims to have spoken with her — complimenting her “cute top.” The same white crop top with the word “BRIDE” written across it that she’s wearing now.

Meadow tries to rationalize it. Maybe Tyler had checked in under her name. Maybe it’s a simple mix-up. She laughs nervously and explains that her fiancé must have done it for convenience. But both receptionists seem unconvinced. One of them finally sighs and hands her a spare keycard, muttering, “I hope you get things sorted out.”

On her way up to the room, Meadow’s heart pounds in her chest. Something feels horribly wrong, but she refuses to believe it. Tyler would never do anything to hurt her. They’ve been planning this wedding for months — their dream elopement. She tries to calm herself, breathing in and out as the elevator ascends, but her hands won’t stop shaking.

When she finally reaches the room and swipes the keycard, her worst fears materialize before her eyes.

The moment the door opens, the sound hits her first — muffled moans, heavy breathing, the rhythmic creak of the bed. Then she sees them.

Her twin sister, Juniper, straddling Tyler, his hands gripping her hips as he thrusts into her without restraint.

The world stops. The bag slips from Meadow’s trembling hands and lands with a soft thud. The scene before her feels like a cruel joke — something ripped out of a nightmare. Her vision blurs with tears, her body frozen in disbelief.

For a full minute, she just stands there. Watching. Waiting. Hoping someone would scream “gotcha” and end this cruel trick.

But there’s no misunderstanding to clear up. No mistake. No illusion.

Her twin sister moans again, whispering, “Yes, that’s it, baby,” as if to drive the knife deeper into Meadow’s heart.

Something inside her shatters.

“Juniper…? Tyler?” she finally manages to whisper, her voice barely recognizable.

They both turn, startled. Tyler’s face twists in shock, then panic. He pushes Juniper off him, stammering, “Meadow, I swear, I thought she was you!”

It’s a pathetic excuse. One that doesn’t even make sense.

Juniper doesn’t even bother covering herself. She just smirks, tossing her messy hair over her shoulder like a queen enjoying the chaos she’s created. “Oh, please,” she scoffs. “It’s time we drop the act. This has been going on for a while.”

Meadow stumbles back, staring between them. “What are you talking about?”

Her twin rolls her eyes. “You really didn’t think he loved you, did you?”

It hits Meadow all at once — the hotel mix-up, the receptionist’s strange looks, the duplicate “Meadow Russell” check-in. Juniper had stolen her identity, her name, her wedding — and the man she loved.

Tyler tries to approach her again, naked and unashamed. He grabs her jaw gently, his expression hard. “You thought I loved you, Meadow? No. Juni’s the love of my life.”

The words pierce like knives.

Every memory — every kiss, every late-night conversation, every promise he made — turns to ash. She had believed in him completely, trusted him with her heart. And all along, he’d been sharing that same intimacy with her twin sister.

Meadow stares at Juniper, still unable to process it. The last time she saw her twin was two years ago. They’d grown apart after Juniper’s endless trail of lies and manipulation had driven a wedge between them. Juniper had always been the beautiful, daring, chaotic one — the one who got what she wanted, no matter who she hurt. But never, not in her darkest thoughts, had Meadow imagined she would do this.

Juniper laughs again, the sound sharp and cruel. “She’s in shock, baby. Maybe we should help her out of her misery,” she says mockingly, then pulls Tyler into another kiss right in front of her.

That’s when Meadow realizes this isn’t a mistake. This isn’t a sudden betrayal. It’s a plan.

Her sister had known exactly what she was doing. She had tracked Meadow down, learned about the wedding, and swooped in like a vulture to destroy what little happiness she had built. The matching outfit, the fake check-in — all of it was deliberate.

The pain turns into rage. Her tears blur her sight, her breath coming out in shaky bursts. Every muscle in her body screams at her to turn around, to run far away from the two people who’ve just ripped her soul apart.

But she doesn’t move.

She stands there, trembling, her heart breaking piece by piece as she watches her sister smirk and her fiancé — her almost-husband — stand there unashamed, not even offering a shred of remorse.

Tyler and Juniper exchange a look, and she realizes — they’re enjoying this. They want her to see. To suffer.

Meadow’s hands ball into fists. She feels like she’s watching her life crumble in real time, and there’s nothing she can do but breathe through the ache and pray she doesn’t collapse.

Every part of her screams that this is the moment she loses everything — her trust, her love, her family.

And yet, deep inside, a spark ignites — not of despair, but of something darker. A promise that this won’t be the end of her story.

Because betrayal that deep doesn’t fade. It carves itself into your bones. And Meadow Russell — heartbroken, humiliated, and hollow — walks out of that hotel room knowing one thing for certain.

She will never forgive them.

And one day, they will both pay for what they’ve done.