FAZER LOGINCompartilhar
Chapter 5: On Her Terms
Data de publicação:
2026-10-15 12:19:56Robert asked her to repeat it. Then he laughed.
“Wonderful! I'm so glad you're married. Will you bring him over for dinner?”
“Of course,” Vanessa agreed sweetly.
Julian opened the bedroom door as she hung up.
Vanessa looked up from her laptop.
“You're home.”
He made a quiet sound of agreement. “We've just got married, so I came back to have dinner with you.”
She relaxed.
“Thank you.”
When she'd been Adrian's girlfriend, he sometimes left her waiting for hours at a restaurant after they'd agreed to meet for dinner.
Later, she'd discover he'd left because Natalie had called.
If Natalie so much as sneezed, Adrian got so worried that he rushed her to the hospital.
When she complained, Adrian accused her of picking a fight. She'd stopped booking restaurants after a while.
She closed her laptop and set it on the sofa.
“You don't have to go out of your way to have dinner with me. It's fine.”
“I want to.” Julian looked at her. “I told you, Vanessa. I want us to share our lives. Our bed, too.”
She nodded, trying not to make too much of it. Perhaps he simply took marriage seriously.
“All right. I’ll wash my hands, then come down for dinner.”
She walked toward the bathroom.
They sat across from each other at dinner.
Several of Vanessa's favorite dishes were on the table. She hadn't imagined they shared the same tastes.
Julian put a rib on her plate.
“These are your favorite. Have some more.”
She looked up, puzzled. “How do you know I like them?”
“I asked,” he said. “I wanted you to have something you liked.”
Adrian had once brought her a mango smoothie because Natalie liked them. Vanessa was allergic to mango. He'd forgotten.
“Julian…” Her voice faltered slightly.
“Yes?” he answered gently.
“Why are you being so nice to me?” she asked. “I thought you couldn't stand me.”
He considered the question, then smiled.
“Shouldn't a husband take care of his wife?”
“Besides,” he added, “you made some very questionable decisions. I was entitled to be frustrated.”
I shouldn't have asked.
They finished dinner without another word. Afterward, Julian went to his study.
Later that evening, Vanessa took the flask of tea Martha had prepared and knocked on the study door.
She needed to ask Julian about visiting her grandfather.
“Come in.”
She entered, walked to the desk, and placed the hot tea on his right.
“Have some tea.”
“Thank you.”
Julian took a sip and glanced at her.
“Damiana tea. Is my wife trying to tell me something?”
Vanessa flushed. Remembering that morning, she hurried to explain.
“No, it's not that. Martha made it.”
Julian saw how embarrassed she was and let the subject drop.
He stood and handed her a black velvet box.
“For you.”
“What is it?” She opened the box.
The pair of wedding rings inside surprised her.
“We did everything in a hurry,” Julian said. “I still wanted us to have rings. Do you like them?”
She hadn't expected him to think of rings so soon.
She nodded firmly. “I love them.”
He took her hand, lifted out the diamond ring, and slid it onto her ring finger.
“Don't take it off,” he instructed.
He leaned closer, waiting for an answer.
When she said nothing, his smile faded.
“You don't want to?”
She shook her head. “That's not it. I do.”
He held out his left hand.
“Your turn. Will you put mine on?”
She picked up the other ring and slipped it onto his finger.
Julian took her by the waist.
“Now, shouldn't we do what married couples do?”
She stopped with her hand still against his.
“W-what do you mean?”
His thumb brushed her cheek as he bent toward her.
“Don't tell me you've never been with a man.”
He leaned down to kiss her. But she was so nervous that her body stiffened, and she tilted her head back.
Julian stopped when she pulled back. He let go of her waist.
“Don't worry. I'll give you your space.”
Did that mean he wouldn't touch her unless she wanted him to?
She looked down at the ring she'd just given him.
“I'm sorry. I'm just not ready yet.”
Julian smiled.
“You don't have to apologize.” He brushed her hair back. “I'll wait.”
She hadn't expected him to accept that so easily.
After a while, she nodded. Then she remembered why she'd come.
“By the way, my grandfather wants to see you. Would you come with me to visit him?”
“Of course, but…”
Julian leaned toward her ear, his voice low.
“How about a kiss, Mrs. Ashford?”
Último capítulo
Marrying My Ex’s Older Brother Chapter 40: The Engagement Is Over
That night, Vanessa told Julian about the invitation.“Good,” he said. “Are you worried?”“No. I'll explain calmly.”“I'll come with you.”She thought about that for a moment.“They don't know we're married. I should speak to them first. I don't want to make things difficult between you and your family.”He studied her face.“I'll take care of it.”She wasn't sure whether that meant he had accepted her answer.The next day, Yolanda greeted her with both hands outstretched. She complained that Vanessa looked thin and listed the dishes she had asked the kitchen to prepare.Edward wasn't home. That unsettled Vanessa slightly. He had always been kinder to her than Yolanda, and she had hoped to speak to them together.She withdrew her hands politely and sat on the sofa.For a while, Yolanda asked ordinary questions. Vanessa answered them, waiting. Eventually, the older woman's smile faded.“I know you and Adrian have been having difficulties. Men need handling sometimes. You can't hold on
Marrying My Ex’s Older Brother Chapter 39: The Invitation
Julian collected Vanessa at two. By the time they reached Hawthorne House, her side was aching again, and she was glad to get upstairs and wash the hospital smell from her skin.While she bathed, he went to his study and took Daniel's call.“We found the student,” Daniel said. “She's confirmed that your wife helped her. Natalie and Karla were responsible for the bullying.”Julian leaned back in his chair.“Proceed with the plan. Deal with the people who spread the rumors first.”When Vanessa came out of the bathroom, he was waiting with the ointment for her bruising. She wore a black nightdress and had left her hair loose.“Come here. I'll help with your side.”She glanced down, suddenly self-conscious.“It's fine. It'll heal.”He caught her hand as she tried to pass. The nearness of him brought back the kiss at the hospital—and another kiss, three years earlier, that she had worked very hard not to think about.Julian seemed to read her expression.“You remember that night, don't you
Marrying My Ex’s Older Brother Chapter 38: What Their Marriage Meant
Adrian kept one hand pressed against his side.“It was an accident,” he said again. “If you had a problem, you could have talked to me.”Julian looked at him without sympathy.“You've hurt her too many times. If you touch her again, don't expect to keep your place in this family.”Adrian went still. He had always feared his brother's temper, but this was different. Julian wasn't arguing with him. He was giving him a final instruction.“I'll apologize,” he said quickly.“Yes,” Natalie added. “They're together. Vanessa loves him. Once he explains, she'll forgive him.”Julian's gaze shifted to her.“You're very good at telling him what he wants to hear.”She lowered her eyes.Adrian missed the warning in his brother's words.“Nat's right. She's my girlfriend. I can settle it with her. Why are you getting so involved?”Julian caught the front of his shirt.“Is that why you think you can keep hurting her? Because you expect her to forgive you?”“No. I won't do it again.”“Stay away from he
Marrying My Ex’s Older Brother Chapter 37: His Brother's House
By the time they reached the hospital, Vanessa was shaking with pain. Bianca stayed with her through the examinations, answering questions when her friend couldn't manage more than a few words.The doctors found no broken bones. There was a substantial soft-tissue injury, and bruising had already begun to spread over Vanessa's side. After pain relief, she fell asleep in an observation room.Bianca sat beside the bed and watched the color slowly return to her face.She kept hearing what Vanessa had said outside the restaurant. She had known her for more than ten years and had watched Adrian become the center of her life, then watched her disappear into the effort of keeping him there.At least she was finished with him now.If Julian ever treated her the same way, Bianca would take her away herself.The door opened. Julian crossed the room without his usual measured pace.“What did the doctors say?”He stopped beside the bed, his gaze moving over Vanessa's face before he turned to Bian
Marrying My Ex’s Older Brother Chapter 36: No More Chances
Vanessa and Bianca left the restaurant after lunch and found Adrian and Natalie coming toward them. Natalie was holding his arm. From a distance, they looked like a couple enjoying an afternoon together.“Vanessa. What a coincidence.” Natalie smiled as though the four of them had parted on friendly terms.Bianca stopped beside Vanessa.“Don't pretend you're pleased to see us.”“This is between Vanessa and me. Whatever misunderstandings we've had, you don't need to make them worse.”“There isn't a misunderstanding,” Vanessa said. “I know exactly where we stand.”Adrian looked at her sharply.“We've let the hospital incident go. Nat lost her script, and you still sued us. We aren't holding any of that against you. Why can't you do the same?”Vanessa considered him for a moment.“Have you finished?”He blinked. She hadn't raised her voice or begun explaining herself. He seemed unsure what to do with that.“If you have, get out of the way.”She took Bianca's hand and started past him. Adr
Marrying My Ex’s Older Brother Chapter 35: A New Beginning
She stayed for lunch. On the way home, Felicity sent her the company's public statement.Natalie was suspected of using Vanessa's work without permission. Her production had been canceled. Gonzalo and Ibarra had both been dismissed. Sigma would increase the budget for Vanessa's original project and bring in director Quiroz.Felicity's messages arrived in a rush.“He's one of the best directors working right now.”“And we won't have to see Gonzalo again.”“You won.”Vanessa read the announcement twice. She was glad the script had been returned to her. Still, she couldn't imagine walking back into Sigma and feeling as she had before.The people responsible were gone, but she had seen how easily her work could be traded away while everyone expected her to keep writing.By the time she reached home, she had decided.She told Gustavo she wanted to end their collaboration.He tried to persuade her to stay. She thanked him for putting things right and repeated her decision until he accepted
Você também pode gostar
The Unwanted Wife and Her Secret Twins
Artemis Z.Y.787.4K visualizaçõesHer Accidental Billionaire Husband
Lexusstar writes693.7K visualizaçõesMommy, Where Is Daddy? The Forsaken Daughter's Return
LiLhyz3.4M visualizaçõesThe Divorced Billionaire Heiress
I Wanna Eat Meat16.3M visualizaçõesLet Me Go Ex Husband
Solene118 visualizaçõesGodFather Frank Mafia Boss
Adev_Stories147 visualizaçõesALPHA, OMEGA, LOVE
Valdemoro, Claudine22 visualizaçõesApril Fools : My Husband Gave Me to His Best Friend
Major_Canis306 visualizações
