Library
Maghanap
Home / Romance / A Love That Lingers / The Shadow That Remains

Share

The Shadow That Remains

Author: Frankie.O
last update Huling Na-update: 2025-07-31 05:45:37

The next morning broke under a sky of rolling gray clouds. Emma stood by the window, staring out at the lake. Its surface was calm, but the atmosphere carried tension. Her mind kept circling back to the message from the night before. Anonymous. Threatening. A reminder that not all shadows had been banished.

Jake entered the room with two mugs of coffee, placing one gently in her hands. "You didn’t sleep."

She shook her head. "I couldn’t stop thinking. Whoever sent that message knows exactly what they’re doing. They want to get in my head."

Jake frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. "I forwarded the number to our cybersecurity contact. If there’s a trail, they’ll find it."

Emma looked up at him. "And if they don’t?"

He met her gaze. "Then we stay prepared. We don't flinch. Not anymore."

By noon, Emma was back in the city. Claire had called with an urgent update. The oversight committee had begun formal proceedings against Daniel. Vanessa had resigned, quietly and without a fight, but
Patuloy na basahin ang aklat na ito nang libre
I-scan ang code upang i-download ang App
Locked Chapter
Nakaraang Kabanata Susunod na kabanata

Pinakabagong kabanata

  • A Love That Lingers    Chapter Twenty-Two: Pieces in Place

    The morning light filtered through gauzy curtains as Emma stirred beneath the warmth of the covers. The soft hum of the city waking below lulled her into a rare moment of calm. Jake was already up, likely out on the balcony with his coffee, his usual ritual before diving into work.She sat up slowly, stretching her arms over her head. For the first time in years, she didn’t feel the weight of dread settling on her chest the moment she opened her eyes. The heaviness that had once followed her everywhere the betrayal, the shame, the exhaustion had finally lifted.She pulled on a robe and stepped out onto the balcony, where Jake was leaning on the railing, watching the sun peek over the skyline."Morning," he said, without turning."You always make sunrise look easy."He smiled. "That's because I get to share it with you now."Emma leaned into his side, resting her head on his shoulder. They stood in silence, letting the moment fill itself. It felt like their lives had finally settled in

  • A Love That Lingers    The Weight Of Forgiveness

    Emma had never been to the prison before.It was a gray, hulking building on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by razor wire and guarded by silence. She sat in the waiting area, her hands folded tightly in her lap, heart thudding in a way it hadn't in months.Jake had offered to come with her. She had said no.This was something she needed to do alone.A guard led her down a hallway that smelled of bleach and old air. At the end was a room with a pane of glass and two chairs. Vanessa was already sitting on the other side.They stared at each other for a long time. Vanessa's once-pristine hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, her eyes hollow but alert."Emma," she said, voice thin but still edged with something sharp.Emma sat down. "Vanessa."Silence stretched between them."You came to gloat?" Vanessa asked, one eyebrow raised.Emma shook her head. "I came because I wanted answers."Vanessa gave a short, humorless laugh. "Now you want answers.""I deserve them," Emma said eve

  • A Love That Lingers    Return To The City

    Emma hadn’t walked through Manhattan in almost a year.The familiar pulse of traffic, the smell of roasted nuts from food carts, the blur of business suits and tourists on every corner all of it felt strangely distant, like walking through a memory she no longer belonged to. But she was here now, walking toward her future, not her past.Jake walked beside her, a quiet strength in his presence."How does it feel?" he asked.She took in the skyline. "Louder than I remember. But somehow, less intimidating."They turned onto a quiet street in SoHo. Nestled between a boutique and a bookstore stood a narrow three-story building. The sign above the door read: The Foundry.It was the name of her new initiative a mentorship incubator aimed at supporting underrepresented founders, creatives, and changemakers. She chose the name for what it symbolized: a place where raw material is shaped into something strong, enduring.The space was still under renovation. Emma stepped inside, the scent of pai

  • A Love That Lingers    What Remains

    The morning after the article was published, Emma felt the shift.There were no reporters outside the lake house, no emergency calls from Claire, no encrypted messages warning of danger. Just the soft rustle of leaves in the trees, the chirping of birds by the water, and the steady breathing of someone finally allowed to rest.She stood by the window, watching fog drift lazily across the lake. In that moment, the silence felt less like emptiness and more like space. Space to rebuild. To reflect.Jake entered the room, barefoot and holding two mugs of coffee. He handed her one and leaned against the frame of the window."You look... peaceful."She smiled faintly. "It's been a while."He sipped his coffee. "People are talking.""Good or bad?""Mixed. But the ones who matter know the truth."Emma turned toward him. "Do you think it will ever really be behind me?""No," Jake said honestly. "But I think it won’t define you anymore."Later that day, Claire called. "The lawsuit against Vanes

  • A Love That Lingers    Cracks In The Armor

    The press conference marked a turning point, but the battle was far from over.Emma returned to the lake house, drained but resolute. The applause still echoed in her ears, but so did the silence that had followed her final words. It wasn’t just public opinion she was shifting it was the power dynamic.Jake met her on the front porch, eyes shadowed with concern. "We have a new problem.""What is it now?""Daniel was spotted in Zurich. He’s liquidating a shell company connected to your family’s trust."Emma stiffened. "That account should’ve been frozen.""It was. Until someone inside the bank lifted the block."Claire joined them via call minutes later. "We’re trying to reverse it, but if he moves fast, he could empty the account before we catch him.""That fund was meant for restitution," Emma said. "For the people they hurt, not to cover Daniel's escape.""We’ll stop him," Jake said firmly. "But we need to act now."They flew to Switzerland under aliases. Jake had arranged for a dis

  • A Love That Lingers    A Line In The Sand

    The morning after the photos surfaced, the mood in the lake house was tense but focused. Emma sat at the long dining table, scrolling through a detailed security briefing Claire had emailed overnight. Jake stood across from her, reviewing satellite images of the property."Vanessa isn’t backing down," Emma said, her voice steady. "She’s playing her endgame.""Then we change the game," Jake replied. "No more reacting. We go on the offensive."Claire joined them via video call, her expression crisp. "We tracked one of the surveillance drones used to gather those photos. The signal routed through a dummy server, but we backtracked it to an old communications firm Daniel used during the merger."Emma narrowed her eyes. "So Daniel and Vanessa are working together again.""Looks that way," Claire confirmed. "And they know the press cycle is short. If they can discredit you now, everything you’ve worked for might crumble.""Then we hit them before they can move," Emma said. "Publicly and leg

Higit pang Kabanata

Maaari mong magustuhan

Galugarin at basahin ang magagandang nobela
Libreng basahin ang magagandang nobela sa GoodNovel app. I-download ang mga librong gusto mo at basahin kahit saan at anumang oras.
Libreng basahin ang mga aklat sa app
I-scan ang code para mabasa sa App
DMCA.com Protection Status