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Chapter Twenty
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2025-04-24 23:00:40
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RECKLESS DESIRES: THE ODEN LEGACY Chapter fifty-one
The Oden estate had not seen peace in weeks, but today it hung in the air like a cocked gun. People moved in silence, the humming of tension beneath every step. Conversations were cut short when they heard footsteps coming. There was one unspoken fact looming over the house, and only one person professed to know the answer.Stacy.She had stayed in the sitting room, herself erect, cool and poised, her own protective hand across the modest swell of her pregnancy. The supposedly reported paternity result was safe within her handbag, no eyes yet beheld it. Her word was the only proof granted.And she was upholding it."I've heard the test," she told Luke across from her, arms crossed on his chest. "You are the father. There can't be doubt. The indications were clear cut."Luke stared at her but didn't say anything.It wasn't the first time she'd uttered those words. She'd told him last night at the vineyard and again this morning. But now she was telling it to everyone else, right in fro
RECKLESS DESIRES: THE ODEN LEGACY Chapter fifty
The Oden estate was in mournful silence that morning. A soft mist clung to the trees lining the driveway, and even the birds were reluctant to break the silence. Inside the mansion, however, tension hung like a heavy curtain.The envelope had arrived.It came by special delivery—sealed, confidential, stamped with the private DNA company's emblem that Jackson Oden had hired secretly weeks ago. As soon as the butler opened it, the atmosphere in the house shifted. The servants would whisper. Eyes followed the footsteps of the bearer of the truth.Stacy was not just awake.She'd been up for hours.She was positioned on the landing upstairs, hidden just behind the railing, her eyes fixed on the envelope as it was handed to the housekeeper, who placed it on Jackson's private study desk.She didn't move—not immediately. Her head was a turmoil of fear, desperation, and something harder: calculation.The night's gala still echoed in her head. The way that Luke had looked at Amiriam. The way he
RECKLESS DESIRES: THE ODEN LEGACY Chapter Forty-nine
The Oden Foundation Charity Gala was the kind of event where masks were worn with designer labels and secrets were hidden behind silken evening gowns and well-tailored tuxedos. The ballroom of the Grand Meridian Hotel glittered with chandeliers, the atmosphere thick with perfume, wealth, and expectation. The elite of society were present—not so much to give, but to be seen giving.Jackson Oden stood at the door, his manner regal. Mrs. Oden was draped in silver, radiant with grace as they welcomed dignitaries. Tonight was about appearances. And the Odens needed to regain their hold on public opinion—especially after the media frenzy that had followed Luke and Stacy. What Jackson had not expected was Amiriam's arrival.She moved through the revolving glass doors in a dark green satin dress that hugged her figure like dusk on the horizon. Her hair fell in soft waves, her makeup understated but compelling. She wasn't trying to impress anyone—and yet every head turned."Is that her?" some
RECKLESS DESIRES: THE ODEN LEGACY Chapter Forty-eight
Jackson Oden was a man of control—control of assets, control of story, and above all, control of legacy. And legacy was precisely what was being risked now.Twins. The word had rattled his bones ever since the moment Stacy uttered it in his study.There were norms in his world. There was a weight attached to the family name. With power. With price tags. And with expectations. Stacy had been a convenient distraction, a good-looking face with the right attitude of vulnerability to keep Luke on his toes through tough moments. But a mother of Oden heirs? No. Not without guarantees.That morning, having finished his black coffee and brief phone call to the lawyers, Jackson dialed a number not used in over five years. "Langston Investigative Services," answered a deep voice."It's Jackson Oden. I have a file check on Stacy Royce, a woman." There was a pause. "You'll have it by the week." "No," Jackson said. "I need it in three days. Double the fee, I'll give you." "Done."He ended the c
RECKLESS DESIRES: THE ODEN LEGACY Chapter Forty-seven
The air inside the Oden home was unnaturally quiet that morning—a thick, tense hush that clung to the family like an imminent storm. Jackson Oden read blueprints for the new waterfront project in his study, sipping black coffee and unaware that a storm of a different kind had already begun to brew on the other side of the house.Stacy leaned against the railing of the grand staircase, her hands pulling at the hem of her ivory blouse. Her face was unnaturally pale, eyes puffy from sleeplessness, but she had made up her mind. She was not going to be pushed around anymore—certainly not by Luke, and certainly not by his ever-cold stepmother.She climbed the stairs and straight into the family lounge where Mrs. Oden sat flipping through a fashion magazine and lip glossing. The woman barely even looked up."Thanks for coming," Stacy said in a rush. "We need to have a word."Mrs. Oden shot one eyebrow up, taken aback. "Is this yet another of your over-the-top scenes, or is it actually someth
RECKLESS DESIRES: THE ODEN LEGACY Chapter Forty-six
The warm Saturday morning heated up the city corners like gold dust being sprinkled across rooftops. Amiriam had intended to sleep that morning, but Rita had begged her to help with the setup for the small community literacy fair in the neighborhood park. Amidst children darting around, balloons swaying softly in the breeze, and tables laden with books, food, and paint, Amiriam found herself smiling more than she had all week.She didn't expect a black car to stop just beyond the far hedge. Or for the passenger door to swing open and a small, familiar figure tumble out—rumpled-haired, grinning, with a book bag almost as big as he was. "James?" she said, blinking. The six-year-old hurtled toward her like a bullet. "Amiriam!" he cried, his small arms wrapping around her waist as he collided with her.She caught him instinctively, bear-hugging him a bit off the ground. "Goodness," she laughed, eyes wide. "I haven't seen you in. months." "Daddy said I could come spend the weekend wi
RECKLESS DESIRES: THE ODEN LEGACY Chapter Forty-five
Amiriam wasn't aware of how quiet the library had become until she was aware of her own breath. The soft whir of fluorescent lights buzzed above her head, and the distant shush of a turned page was all that anchored her. She adjusted the stack of returned books in her cart, her hands shaking a little despite the mundane, routine task that she normally found soothing.She had just been stacking a shelf with psychology books when her phone buzzed. Unknown Number. She stared at it. Her heart began to quicken. She let it ring on. Three seconds later, the library door opened. The moment she turned and saw him standing there—broad shoulders, expensive coat, dark eyes soft and unsure—her entire body stilled. Luke Oden. Amiriam's back tensed reflexively. He moved slowly, as one would towards a wild animal. "Amiriam," he said softly.Her hand curled around the cart handle. "You shouldn't be here.""I know. But I had to see you."She gestured toward the circulation desk. "This is a pub
RECKLESS DESIRES: THE ODEN LEGACY Chapter Forty-four
The Oden estate was abnormally quiet—so quiet, in fact, that Luke could hear the gentle ticking of the old-fashioned grandfather clock in the hall outside his study. It was a rich, powerful quietness, not of tranquillity but of unstated things.Luke sat by himself at the long mahogany dining table, the same one that had witnessed years of lovingly constructed family dinners, public outings, and Jackson Oden's boisterous expectations. Today, however, the table stretched out like a bench in a courtroom. Cold. Solitary. Judging.He sipped bitter black coffee, untouched toast drying out on either side of him, when the door groaned open.Mrs. Oden swept in like a gust of winter air—elegant, poised, but icy beneath the silk."You didn't come to breakfast," she said, voice crisp.Luke didn't look at her. "I'm not hungry.""Clearly," she said, her heels clicking on the shining floor. "But when has need ever stopped a man from asserting he's in control?"He finally raised his eyes to hers. "Wh
RECKLESS DESIRES: THE ODEN LEGACY Chapter Forty-three
Amiriam stood in front of the frosted glass of her new apartment, a light shawl draped over her shoulders. Quiet, that quiet that was unknown to her after weeks of turmoil, fights, and the pounding of her own heart to try and keep up with her mind. The sun crept up slowly through the windows, lighting pale yellow shadows on the hardwood floor. Peaceful, finally.That peacefulness was broken by the sound of a knock at the door.She hesitated, her tea mug warm in her hand. No visitors came anymore. Not since the scandal. Not since she'd departed the Odens with her pride broken and her future uncertain.Another knock. More persistent this time.She set the mug down on the coffee table and crossed the small living room to answer the door.There was a delivery man, his face expressionless under a beige cap. In his arms, he held an enormous, stunning bouquet of peonies, tulips, roses, and something wild and deep red that she couldn't name."Delivery for Ms. Amiriam," he said.She blinked. "
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