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Chapter 8
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2025-07-04 18:49:13
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In the name of vows CHAPTER 55
CHAPTER FIFTY FIVECHRISTINES POVThe afternoon sun slanted through the tall windows, casting long stripes of gold across the conference room table. The air smelled faintly of coffee and printer ink, the two constant scents of DreamSpace. It had been one of those long, dragging days where emails never stopped, and meetings seemed to multiply as the hours passed.Christine stepped off the elevator with her laptop bag slung over one shoulder, balancing a half-empty cup of iced tea in the other hand. She’d just come back from a late client lunch. The floor was quieter than usual, most of the team either out for meetings or tucked away at their desks with headphones on.She was already rehearsing the tasks she needed to finish before going home when her gaze caught on him.Adrian.He was standing at the head of the conference table, jacket off, sleeves rolled neatly to his elbows, pen in hand as he made notes on a stack of papers. The late sunlight caught in his dark hair, throwing off fa
In the name of vows CHAPTER 54
CHAPTER FIFTY FOURADRIANS POVAdrian heard the door open before he saw her.The sound was small in the wide, quiet space, but he noticed it instantly. He didn’t need to look up from the quarterly report glowing on his laptop to know it was Christine there was a certain rhythm to her steps, quick but slightly uneven, as if she was shaking off the weight of the day before she reached the living room.She came into view a few seconds later. The late sunlight pouring through the tall windows caught in her hair, turning a few strands gold. She paused in the entryway, scanning the room, and he had the sudden, vivid image of her weighing whether to speak first.Adrian kept his eyes on the report in front of him, deliberately reading the same line twice. He didn’t want it to be too obvious that he’d been listening for her. Waiting for her to come and say something to him He was home earlier than usual, and he knew she’d notice. In truth, he had been finding reasons to leave the office sooner
In the name of vows CHAPTER 53
CHAPTER FIFTY THREE ADRIANS POVThe invitation lay on the glass coffee table where he’d placed it three days ago. Heavy, thick enough to mean something, embossed with the gold crest of the Valmont Foundation.Adrian already knew the date, time, and guest list by memory. The gala was a staple in his calendar, a predictable intersection of business, politics, and the self congratulation of the city’s elite. He had always attended before not because he liked them but he had no choice.But this year, it carried a complication and her name was printed right beside his.Christine Kellerham.Before she attended the events on her own but now they had to come together.He said the name in his mind as he stood by the living room window, the city stretching beyond the glass. They’d been better, lately. Not close, but civil. She no longer looked at him like every word he spoke might be a trap. He no longer felt the urge to tighten his grip just to keep her from walking away.Progress, if he coul
In the name of vows CHAPTER 52
CHAPTER FIFTY TWOCHRISTINES POVTwo months could pass quickly when a person barely had time to breathe.Christine had learned that the hard way.She stood in front of her bedroom window on Monday morning, coffee mug in hand, just thinking hard to herself as she watched the morning sun come up.. There had been a time, not long ago, when Mondays felt like the start of another battle. A new week meant new board conflicts, press drama, and subtle digs from people waiting for her to fail.Now, while the work was still heavy, there was less of that crushing dread. The board issues had calmed. The media storms had quieted. She and Adrian well, they weren’t friends, but they weren’t at war either. Since everyone was able to maintain their own space it has not been so bad after all.The truth was, they’d found something like rhythm.She wouldn’t call it trust. Not yet. But there was a professional steadiness between them now, and that was something.Christine set her mug down and straightened
In the name of vows CHAPTER 51
CHAPTER FIFTY ONECHRISTINES POV The black sedan pulled up in front of the Kellerham estate just as the last of the daylight slipped below the horizon. The air was heavy with the scent of freshly cut grass, a soft breeze brushing through the tall oaks lining the driveway. Christine sat still in her seat, staring at the sprawling stone mansion she now, by legal definition, shared with Adrian.The wedding had been she searched for the right word in her mind and came up empty. “Exhausting” came close, but that didn’t capture the sharp mix of disbelief, stubborn pride, and exhaustion swirling in her chest.It hadn’t been a fairy tale. There had been no lingering glances at the altar, no whispered promises under a veil. Just a quick and cold exchange of vows, a photographer snapping pictures she would never frame, and a reception filled with polite smiles and clinking glasses. It was not her dream wedding But she was glad she was over it.Her hands still felt cold, even though the car’s
In the name of vows CHAPTER 50
CHAPTER FIFTYCHRISTINES POVChristine hadn’t slept much.Her mind replayed the events of the past two days. Her finding out of Brian’s betrayal, Angela’s words, and the unsettling clarity that followed. She kept waiting for the wave of grief to hit harder, but it never did. Instead, a quiet, steady determination had settled in.She still didn’t trust Adrian. But she understood something now: he wasn’t her enemy in the way she’d thought.The real enemy was the clock.The board’s vote was looming and the time set for the marriage clause to be fulfilled was getting nearer , and if she didn’t act, Dreamspace would slip from her hands entirely. She had to act fast.Angela had offered to come by in the morning, but Christine had declined. There were things she needed to do alone.She sat at the kitchen counter, the city still waking outside, and stared at her phone. Her hand hovered for a moment before she tapped Adrian’s number.He answered on the second ring, his voice alert despite the
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