Chapter: Chapter 80Jacqueline’s POVAbout a month later, the door swung open and Allison walked in, luggage in one hand and sunglasses perched dramatically on her head like some Hollywood diva. Only Allison could pull off airport chic with that level of arrogance and charm.“My God, Jac,” she said, dropping her bag and striding toward me. “I leave you for two weeks and you don’t even look like a heartbroken woman anymore. What did I miss?”I laughed, standing to hug her, inhaling the faint trace of her perfume mixed with airplane scent. God, I missed her. She’d been gone for what felt like forever, off being the face of a luxury brand campaign in Milan while my life flipped upside down in the best way possible.“You missed… everything,” I said with a grin, tugging her into the living room. “Sit. We need to talk.”She raised a brow and flopped on the couch like a queen returning to her throne. “Well, spill. Judging by the smile on your face, I’m guessing this has something to do with a certain broody jud
Última atualização: 2026-06-12
Chapter: Chapter 79Jacqueline’s POVAs I walked to my office, my legs felt weak, my heels barely making a sound over the pounding in my ears. Whispers rippled through the hallway like wildfire, fragments of disbelief and awe clinging to every word.Blackwood. The president. All along.“You know, I always suspected,” someone murmured as I passed.I shut my office door and leaned against it, trying to steady my breath. My mind spun in circles. The president of Phoenix Group. He’s been sitting behind the curtain this entire time… and I never saw it.First, the son Allison mentioned, the nursery, the eight-month-old boy he never told me about, and now this? How many versions of Henson Blackwood exist that I’ve never met? How much more is buried beneath that perfect suit and calm, commanding tone?Clara. Of course. She wasn’t just some intern with charm and wit. That confidence, that subtle edge of authority… She was always in on it. Playing her role. Helping me. Watching me.My stomach twisted as the softer
Última atualização: 2026-06-12
Chapter: Chapter 78Jacqueline's POV Allison raised an eyebrow, reading the flicker of determination on my face. “You’re going back to work?”“Yes,” I said, grabbing the phone and scrolling through the email like it was a lifeline. “I have to. This… this changes everything.”“Jac,” Allison said, her tone heavy with caution, “don’t use work as a way to avoid dealing with this.”I paused, fingers trembling over the glass screen. She wasn’t wrong, but what choice did I have? Sitting here drowning in questions about Blackwood wouldn’t give me answers. Facing Monday, facing the Phoenix president, at least that was something I could control.“I’m not avoiding it,” I lied, forcing a tight smile. “I just… I need a distraction.”Her gaze softened with sympathy, but she didn’t push further. Instead, she glanced toward the untouched mug of coffee on my table, then back at me. “Fine. But promise me you’ll think about what I said.”I nodded, though the weight of her words sat heavy on my chest. Eight months. A baby
Última atualização: 2026-06-12
Chapter: Chapter 77Blackwood’s POV I stared at my phone for the third time in an hour, her name glowing on the screen like an accusation. Jacqueline.I had typed and deleted half a dozen messages already. Everything sounded wrong. Too formal. Too desperate. Too… heavy.Finally, I settled on:We need to talk. Please.Simple. Direct. No pressure.I hit send. Then waited.Nothing.Minutes dragged into an hour. Then two. I called once, twice, letting it ring long enough for hope to flicker before voicemail cut through like cold steel.Her voice on the recording was calm, warm, how it had sounded just days ago when she was here, in this house, in my arms. That memory was now a blade.I tried again the next day. This time, I softened it.Jacqueline… I owe you an explanation. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll come to you.Read. No reply.The silence was worse than anger. Anger, I could work with. Silence meant walls were being built brick by brick, higher every hour I didn’t reach her.I found myself pacing the stu
Última atualização: 2026-06-12
Chapter: Chapter 76Jacqueline's POVThe drive to Allison’s place was quiet. I let the city blur past the windshield, each red light and honking horn echoing the chaos in my chest. By the time I pulled up in front of her building, my emotions had settled into a tense, simmering mix. I wasn’t crying, not yet, but I felt fragile, like a vase just narrowly held together by thin threads.Allison opened the door before I even knocked, a knowing look on her face. “Hey,” she said softly, pulling me inside. “Coffee? You look like you need it.”I nodded, handing her my bag. “Yeah… thanks.” My voice sounded foreign even to me, hushed and uncertain.We settled into the kitchen, steaming mugs in hand. The aroma of roasted coffee beans and the quiet hum of her apartment were grounding. I wanted to tell her everything, to spill out the whirlwind of emotions, but even as I started, the words felt heavy. I finally exhaled, leaning back in my chair.“Alli… Blackwood…” I began, swallowing hard. “He… he has a son.”Her eye
Última atualização: 2026-06-12
Chapter: Chapter 75Jacqueline’s POV Sunlight filtered gently through the curtains, painting the room in soft golds and warm shadows. I stirred beneath the sheets, stretching lazily, still wrapped in the lingering warmth of Blackwood’s arms. The apartment was quiet, too quiet, except for the subtle sound of his steady breathing.I shifted slightly, careful not to wake him, but he stirred anyway, pressing his forehead lightly against mine. “Morning,” he murmured, voice rough with sleep.“Morning,” I whispered back, a soft smile tugging at my lips. The events of last night felt both surreal and grounding at once. We had reclaimed a piece of ourselves, of us, that the chaos of the past weeks had tried to take away.He pressed a gentle kiss to my temple, his fingers tracing lazy patterns along my arm. “Sleep well?” he asked.“I did,” I admitted, letting my hand find his. “Better than I expected.”We lay there for a while, wrapped in the safety of one another, letting the quiet intimacy speak. No words were
Última atualização: 2026-06-12
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