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Chapter 40: Sad realizations
publish date:
2026-06-01 23:59:51
Latest chapter
One Shift, One Night Chapter 43: Gabriel's pov
♠ Gabriel's pov ♠ Something was wrong. I realized it the moment Lyra walked away from the dining room. It wasn't the first time she'd been angry with me. It wasn't even the first time she'd refused to continue a conversation. But this felt different. Usually, there was emotion behind it. Frustration. Disappointment. Hope. Always hope. No matter how angry she became, there was always a part of her that still expected something from me. An explanation. An apology. A reaction. Tonight, there had been nothing. Just exhaustion.And somehow that unsettled me more than her anger ever had. I remained seated long after she'd disappeared upstairs. The dining room had emptied.The staff had cleared the table. Even the sound of the twins laughing somewhere in the west wing had faded. Yet I still sat there. Thinking. The problem was that I didn't understand why I was thinking about it. For years, distance between us had been normal. Expected. Necessary. Our marriage wasn't built on affectio
One Shift, One Night Chapter 42: The kids arrival
♥ Lyra's pov♥ I woke up with a headache. Not the sharp, dizzying pain from yesterday. This one was dull. Persistent. A reminder. The kind that lingered just beneath the surface no matter how hard you tried to ignore it. For a few seconds, I stared at the ceiling. The events of yesterday crashed into me all at once. Victoria. The staircase. Gabriel. The accusation. The look in his eyes. I squeezed my eyes shut. Big mistake. The movement sent another pulse of pain through my skull. "Wonderful," I muttered. A knock sounded at the door. Before I could answer, Mrs. Dalton entered carrying a tray. Tea. Toast. Medicine. The holy trinity of recovery. "You look terrible," she announced. "Good morning to you too." The older woman snorted. I almost smiled. Almost. Mrs. Dalton set the tray down. "Your painkillers." I obediently reached for them. The fact that I obeyed immediately made her narrow her eyes suspiciously. "You must really be hurting." "I got sti
One Shift, One Night Chapter 41: Gabriel's Pov
♥ Gabriel's pov♥Victoria was asleep. At least, that was what the nurse claimed. I stood near the hospital window, staring at the city lights below. My reflection stared back. Tired. Irritated.Restless. The feeling had followed me ever since I left the house. I told myself it was because of the incident.Because of the accusation. Because another problem landed on my desk when I already had too many. But that wasn't entirely true. Something else was bothering me. Something I couldn't quite name.The hospital room door opened quietly. A nurse stepped inside. "Mr. Kane."I turned. "Yes?""Mrs. Sterling's test results came back."I nodded. "And?""Everything looks normal. The wrist isn't fractured. Just a mild sprain."I wasn't surprised. Victoria had never looked seriously injured. The nurse smiled politely before leaving. The room became quiet again. A mild sprain. I glanced toward the sleeping woman in the bed.Then, unexpectedly, another image appeared in my mind.Lyra. Standing at
One Shift, One Night Chapter 40: Sad realizations
♥Lyra's pov♥ The first thing I became aware of was the blood. Warm and Sticky. Running down the side of my face. For a moment, I just sat there on the staircase floor, staring at the crimson staining my fingers. The front door slammed somewhere in the distance. Gabriel was gone. The realization landed harder than the fall itself. Gone. He hadn't looked back. Not once. Not when I called his name. Not when I stumbled. Not when my head struck the railing. Gone. "Mrs. Kane!" Mrs. Dalton's voice broke through the ringing in my ears. The older woman rushed forward, her sensible shoes clicking sharply against the floor. She dropped beside me immediately. "Oh, heavens." Her eyes widened at the sight of the blood. "I'm fine," I said automatically. The lie sounded ridiculous even to me. Mrs. Dalton gave me a look that clearly said she wasn't fooled. "You are bleeding all over Mr. Kane's staircase." A humorless laugh escaped me. "Then he'll probably be upset about the carpet." The olde
One Shift, One Night Chapter 39: Conniving
♣ Victoria Sterling's pov♣They always remembered me as elegant.Soft.Controlled.The kind of woman who smiled instead of fought.It was useful.People rarely fear what they believe they understand.I adjusted the sleeve of my coat as I walked through Kane Manor’s upper hallway, listening to the quiet hum of servants pretending not to notice me.Two days.That’s what Gabriel had said.Only two days.I almost smiled at that.He still believed in temporary solutions.Still believed things could be neatly contained.Like me.A door opened ahead.And Lyra Olson stepped out.We stopped at the same time.For a second, neither of us spoke.She was… different in person.Less polished than the women Gabriel usually entertained in elite circles.But not weak.That was the interesting part.Her eyes held something stubborn.Something that didn’t belong in a world like this.“Victoria,” she said cautiously.I smiled politely. “Lyra.”Awkward silence stretched between us.I studied her quietly.S
One Shift, One Night Chapter 38: she's staying here?
Chapter 44Lyra’s POVSienna had insisted I leave the house.“Fresh air,” she’d said firmly, tugging me toward the car like I was a patient recovering from something I refused to name.Honestly, I didn’t argue.Kane Manor had started feeling like it was shrinking around me lately.Like the walls were quietly learning my name.So I went.We spent most of the afternoon in a quiet café downtown, far enough from the mansion that my shoulders finally relaxed for the first time in days.Sienna talked about something funny Lucas had done at a charity event.I tried to laugh.And I did.A little.But even then, my mind kept drifting.To Victoria.To Gabriel.To that smile she gave him.Like she still knew him in a way I didn’t.By the time I returned home, the sun was already dipping low behind the estate gardens.The house was unusually quiet.Too quiet.Mrs. Dalton greeted me politely. “Mr. Kane is in the study with a guest.”My chest tightened slightly.A guest.I nodded slowly. “Who?”She
One Shift, One Night Chapter 37: she's here
The morning started normally.Which, in Kane Manor, usually meant something was about to go terribly wrong.Maya was in the garden chasing butterflies with Mrs. Dalton supervising like a nervous bodyguard.Leo was inside the library, already reorganizing books Gabriel had promised he didn’t care ab
One Shift, One Night Chapter 36: Victoria Sterling
Third person pov:“You’re being too calm about this.”Lucy Kane, Julian's sister threw the stack of reports onto Julian’s desk with visible frustration.Paper scattered slightly across the polished wood, but Julian barely reacted.He remained seated comfortably in the leather chair behind his desk,
One Shift, One Night Chapter 35: new friend
Six weeks later.I still wasn’t used to waking up inside Kane Manor.Some mornings, I opened my eyes expecting my tiny Chicago apartment ceiling only to find silk curtains, marble fireplaces, and a closet bigger than my old living room.Other mornings,I remembered I was Gabriel Kane’s wife before
One Shift, One Night Chapter 34: your temporary
The tension in the mansion lingered long after Gabriel’s grandfather and Julian left.I could still feel it in the air during lunch.In the way the staff moved quieter than before.In the way Mrs. Dalton kept nervously glancing toward Gabriel’s study.And especially in the way Gabriel barely spoke
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