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Chapter 39:The aftermath
Tanggal publikasi:
2026-03-28 15:50:00The media descended on them like locusts.
Collins woke to seventeen missed calls, forty-three text messages, and a news alert declaring his relationship with Jerome the "scandal of the decade." His face stared back at him from every major outlet caught mid-sentence during the press conference, looking earnest and vulnerable in a way that made his stomach churn.
Jerome's photo was beside his on most headlines, their hands clasped together frozen in dig
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Vanessa made it to her apartment before the breakdown hit.She'd held herself together through the subway ride, through the elevator up to her floor, through unlocking her door with shaking hands. But once inside, alone, the facade shattered.She sat on the floor leaning on her door and she remembered all the memories she had with Jerome,the promise they made to each other,the way he looked at her like his life depends on her,the way he smile at her...All the good times were gone. Those loving looks on his face each time he looks at her were now replaced with hate and disgust.It was as if karma played a fast one on her.She cheated with the father and he now has the son,she hated how she felt...Hated Akihito for using her,Hated Collins for being with Jerome,Hated Jerome for not waiting for her to apologize before replacing her with someone who's meant to become his enemy." He said he love me,why
BURNING THE LINES BETWEEN US Chapter 42:The office visit
Jerome was reviewing quarterly reports when his assistant buzzed with unusual hesitation."Mr. Lui, m's Vanessa is here to see you. She doesn't have an appointment but says it's personal."Jerome felt irritation spike through him."Tell her I'm busy.""She says she'll wait.""Tell her I'll be busy indefinitely."There was a pause. Then: "She's quite insistent, sir."Jerome considered having security remove her but that felt excessive. Better to deal with this directly, make it clear she wasn't welcome, and move on."Fine. Five minutes."Vanessa entered his office like she owned it, wearing a dress that was professional but just revealing enough to be strategic. Her hair was perfect, her makeup flawless, her smile bright and completely fake."Thank you for seeing me," she said."You have five minutes. What do you want?""To apologize. Properly. Without your fiancé watching every w
BURNING THE LINES BETWEEN US Chapter 41: Lunch encounter
The board meeting had gone better than expected. Keiko had formally approved the expansion of compliance oversight, giving Collins and Jerome the authority they'd been fighting for. As they left the conference room, Collins felt something like triumph settling in his chest."Lunch?" Jerome suggested. "To celebrate not getting fired?""That's a low bar for celebration.""I have low standards. You knew this about me."They chose a restaurant in Shibuya,upscale but not ostentatious, the kind of place where business deals happened over expensive sushi. The hostess led them to a table near the window, sunlight streaming through glass and casting patterns on white tablecloths.Collins was reviewing the menu when Jerome went completely still across from him."What's wrong?" Collins asked."Don't turn around. Vanessa is here."Collins turned around immediately, because he was contrary like that. Two tables away sat a woma
BURNING THE LINES BETWEEN US Chapter 40: Wolves in the boardroom
The board members looked like they'd dressed for a funeral,dark suits, grim expressions, the kind of corporate solemnity that preceded executions. Keiko sui sat at Akihito's right hand, her laptop open and expression unreadable. The others were arranged like a tribunal, their positions at the table a careful hierarchy of power and alliance.Akihito sat at the head, looking older than Collins had ever seen him. Tired. The weight of fifteen years of misplaced trust visible in the lines around his eyes."Sit," Keiko said, gesturing to two chairs placed deliberately across from the main table. Separate. Isolated.Collins and Jerome sat, the symbolism not lost on either of them."Let's begin," Akihito said, his voice carrying the authority of someone who'd been waiting for this moment. "Yesterday's press conference was... dramatic. Effective, perhaps, in exposing Takeshi's crimes. But catastrophic for this company's reputation and stock price."
BURNING THE LINES BETWEEN US Chapter 39:The aftermath
The media descended on them like locusts.Collins woke to seventeen missed calls, forty-three text messages, and a news alert declaring his relationship with Jerome the "scandal of the decade." His face stared back at him from every major outlet caught mid-sentence during the press conference, looking earnest and vulnerable in a way that made his stomach churn.Jerome's photo was beside his on most headlines, their hands clasped together frozen in digital immortality.Tokyo's Corporate Romeo and Romeo: The Love Story That Exposed CorruptionTanaka Heir Risks Everything for Forbidden RomanceFrom Enemies to Lovers: Inside the Scandal That Rocked Japanese BusinessCollins scrolled through them all, sitting in Jerome's apartment kitchen at 6 AM, coffee growing cold in his hands. They'd come here last night after the board meeting, too exhausted to face the mansion's empty rooms and loaded silence.Jerome emerg
BURNING THE LINES BETWEEN US CHAPTER 38:"THE BIGGER PICTURE"
"It's fabricated," Jerome said immediately, his voice tight. "It has to be. My mother would never…""Look at the timestamps," Collins said quietly, scrolling through the documents. "Look at the details. These aren't crude forgeries."Akihito took the phone, examining the files with the practiced eye of someone who'd spent decades in corporate finance. His expression grew darker with each page."These could be real," he said finally."No." Jerome stood abruptly, pacing the small office. "No. My mother built her company from nothing. She's meticulous about legal compliance. She would never risk everything for illegal profits.""Unless she didn't think it was a risk," Collins said slowly, pieces clicking into place. "Unless someone convinced her these transactions were legitimate. Someone she trusted."They all looked at each o
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