Library
Search
Home / Romance / Guilty Pleasure #2 / 32. Tangles and Temptations

Share

32. Tangles and Temptations

Author: theshimmery_star
last update publish date: 2025-07-15 00:08:44
The sky had barely begun to blush with the first rays of morning light when the black car rolled to a slow stop just outside the Carter estate. The gates were already open from the early-hour deliveries. Elena sat beside Ryan, her legs curled under her and his jacket draped over her shoulders.

“You sure you don’t want me to walk you in?” he asked, eyes pinned on her like he wasn’t ready to let her go yet.

She smiled sleepily, lips still swollen from the goodbye kiss they’d shared minutes ago. “I
theshimmery_star

Hi. I appreciate your time as you gave this book a chance. Kindly leave a review too for me to know how it is going. Thank you.

| 3
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Previous Chapter Next Chapter
Locked Chapter

Latest chapter

  • Guilty Pleasure #2   109. Forever, My Butterfly

    The morning of the wedding day dawned clear and bright, the sky a perfect, cloudless blue. Elena stood before the full-length mirror, her heart beating a frantic, joyful rhythm against her ribs. Her fingers trembled slightly as she adjusted the thin veil over her hair.Today was the day. Her heart pounded in her chest, a drum of nerves and anticipation that made her stomach flutter with every beat.A soft knock sounded at the door.“Come in,” she called, her voice slightly tremulous.The door opened, and her father, Enric, stepped in. He was handsome in his classic black tuxedo, but his eyes were bright with unshed tears the moment he saw her.&

  • Guilty Pleasure #2   108. Wherever You’re Standing

    The silence in the car as they drove away from her father’s house was different from the furious tension of the afternoon. Elena leaned her head against the cool window, watching the familiar streets of her old neighborhood blur past. Her hand rested loosely in Ryan’s, their fingers entwined as if neither wanted to let go.Ryan glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “You’re quiet, butterfly. What’s running in that pretty head of yours?”She turned to look at him, her lips twitching into a small smile. “Just everything. Tonight, my dad, Avonlea, us. It feels like my life is changing so quickly.”“It is,” he admitted simply, his voice steady, “but not for the worse. Change isn’t always bad.&rdquo

  • Guilty Pleasure #2   107. Bridges Rebuilt

    Elena’s sobs shook her shoulders as she stood in the living room. Ryan listened carefully, silent at first, giving her space to pour everything out. When her cries softened to ragged hiccups, he didn’t respond with words. He rose from the chair and with two long strides, he closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms.Elena collapsed against his chest, her fists clenching the soft wool of his sweater. She clung to him, burying her face against his chest, letting the tears fall freely. He held her, patient and unwavering, his own heartbeat a quiet rhythm beneath her ear.“Shhh, butterfly,” he murmured softly, brushing a strand of hair from her tear-streaked face. “I’ve got you.”He let her cry, his presence a solid,

  • Guilty Pleasure #2   106. Lies and Loyalties

    A month had passed. Time had moved forward, but grief had not been erased. It lingered like a stubborn shadow that refused to let go, hanging over Ryan and Anna’s home with a heavy silence that never seemed to fully lift.Ryan had settled into a routine, spending his days at the Johnson estate with his mother. He managed business from there, balancing conference calls, paperwork, and the constant pressure of keeping the empire steady, while simultaneously keeping watch over Anna.Anna herself was trying, but her health had not been steady since his father’s passing. Some days were better than others. On the better days, she would sit in the garden, pretending to read a book while the sunlight touched her tired face. On the harder ones, she would stay in bed, fragile and silent, leaving Ryan restless and on edge.

  • Guilty Pleasure #2   105. Held Through the Night

    “How’s Mom?” The question was automatic, Ryan’s first and only thought, even in the depths of his own grief.Elena swallowed, walking closer, her eyes fixed on him. “She’s resting. I just checked on her. She finally took the sedative the doctor left.A low, weary sigh escaped him. “Good.”He finally turned from the window. His eyes were bloodshot, shadows etched deep beneath them. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. The events of the day had carved new lines of pain around his eyes and mouth. His gaze was distant, fixed on some internal horizon of loss.“I don’t know how to do this for her. “I can handle the business, the lawyers, the

  • Guilty Pleasure #2   104. The Weight of Loss

    Two weeks slipped by in a blur of numb days and restless nights.For Elena, life had become a monotonous cycle of attending classes in a daze, avoiding Avonlea’s persistent, wounded glances, and returning to the cold, silent expanse of Ryan’s penthouse. Her dorm application was still processing. Elena felt like she was living in a bubble where everything was muffled.Her days were punctuated by calls from Ryan, each one shorter and more strained than the last. The updates on his father were a slow, agonizing descent. His voice, once a source of such potent strength, had become a hollow echo of defeat. She’d pour all her energy into those calls, trying to be his lifeline, her own problems feeling trivial in the face of his impending loss.She was

  • Guilty Pleasure #2   51. Bound by Firelight

    The gentle hum of the car’s engine filled the silence as Elena sat in the passenger seat, her hair tied up in a loose bun, wearing one of Ryan’s oversized shirts over her shorts, a soft smile dancing on her lips. The sun had begun to dip behind the trees, casting a golden glow through the windshiel

  • Guilty Pleasure #2   49. Wish Upon a Candle

    The crowd gathered under the warm glow of fairy lights in the Carter garden, laughter and conversation weaving through the air like a soft melody. A large table sat at the center, elegantly adorned with a three-tiered birthday cake, fresh flowers, and glimmering candles. The space brimmed with frien

  • Guilty Pleasure #2   47. The Devil Wore White

    Elena pushed open the door and froze. She stopped dead in her tracks. Her breath caught. Her lips parted as her mind scrambled to process what she was seeing. Her heart stuttered in her chest, skipping two full beats before racing ahead like it was trying to make up for the shock. The last thing she

  • Guilty Pleasure #2   46. Half a Step Behind

    The gala was a spectacle of crystal chandeliers, flowing champagne, and the low hum of orchestral music weaving through the crowd. Chatter echoed between glasses clinking and the soft clatter of heels against marble. Lights shimmered above, casting a golden glow over the room filled with laughter, c

More Chapters

You may also like

Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status