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Chapter thirty-Eight

Penulis: NYDIA WILLIS
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-05-11 04:54:37

The fireflame spat in the fire, causing its golden shadows to spin and ripple over the drawing room, its high ceilings lost in velvety darkness. The close hush was thick with expectation, every charred ember hissing like a heartbeat in mounting tension. Silver brocade swathing Tiffany stood tall on velvet chaise longue, waving her fan listlessly. Before her, Mr. Oden prowled the hearth like a wolf, his gaze flicking from face to face there—each tense with expectation.

At the center of this quiet court stood Stacy, her pale sapphire satin gown now a burden too heavy to be borne. Under the crystal chandelier's light, the fabric shone and appeared to mock her, holding a glitter she no longer felt worthy to wear. Her hands fluttered to her abdomen, a gesture instinctive and yet shockingly public. She swallowed, as if swallowing every whispered rumor that had brought this evening to its zenith.

“Yes,” she said, her voice hushed yet resonant enough to fill the room. “I’m pregnant.”

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  • RECKLESS DESIRES: THE ODEN LEGACY    Chapter One Hundred And Eight

    "Is that all you’re going to say, Jackson?” Luke’s voice was sharp, arms crossed as he leaned against the sterile white wall of the hospital room. “You knew about Stacy. You’ve been watching her for years?”Jackson Oden stirred out of the bed, pale and sleepy, IV line taped to the back of his rumpled hand. He yawned and looked more aged now—more aged than he ever permitted himself to look. His eyes fell on Luke's, sunken but still unyielding. "I didn't claim to know everything. I claimed—I hired Langston. Years ago."Amiriam huddled by the window, her arms wrapped tightly around her chest. Inside the hospital room, the air hung heavy, the fluorescent lights above them flashing as if they shared their doubts too.Rita sat in a chair next to the bed, lips pursed, exchanging quiet looks with Christiana, who stood frozen behind her. James had just been ushered from the room by Richard and Zack. Thank God. He didn't have to listen to any of this.Luke stepped forward. "Why? Why bring in so

  • RECKLESS DESIRES: THE ODEN LEGACY    Chapter One Hundred And seven

    "I know what you did," Luke said, voice husky, as cutting as glass. Jackson Oden refused to look up from his ledger. The warm afternoon light streamed through the windows of his study, casting a glow on the gold-rimmed glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. "You'll have to be more specific, son. I've done quite a few things." Luke's jaw had tightened. The veneer of calmness that had shrouded his tone was beginning to crack. "Bloom Foundation. Someone set up phony documents. Phony expenses. Internal accounts routed into off-shore investments. You think I'd not notice?" Jackson had slowly lifted his eyes, rock-steady and icy. "And you think I'd sabotage the one project you've dedicated your life to? "I think you've thrown away better," Luke shot back. "And I think you have something to hide besides acting." There was silence between them for a long while. A clock in the background seemed to chime with every tick of time. Jackson leaned back, his hands curled over the edge of

  • RECKLESS DESIRES: THE ODEN LEGACY    Chapter One Hundred And Six

    "I know who leaked it," Victor said, voice low, even, and too calm for the storm he was about to unleash.Amiriam looked up from the scattered printouts on her desk. Luke, beside her, sat up straight immediately, tension coiling up his spine. The gentle hum of the retreat house fell away under Victor's words, as if the world knew something cataclysmic had just shattered."Who?" Amiriam demanded, voice barely steady.Victor leaned in, placing a closed folder on the table between them. His eyes never left hers. "Tasha Rivers."Amiriam's eyes widened. The name didn't register at first. "Tasha?" she breathed. "You mean—Tasha in admin? The same Tasha who did all the Bloom Initiative survivor contacts? The same Tasha who cried the day that survivor talked to us about her father?"Victor didn't flinch. "The same."Luke cursed under his breath, standing up to pace, his fists clenched. Amiriam's hand trembled a bit as she opened the folder and looked at the screenshots inside. Emails, message

  • RECKLESS DESIRES: THE ODEN LEGACY    Chapter One Hundred And Five

    “You okay?” Luke asked, voice low as he placed a cup of chamomile tea in front of Amiriam.She blinked, her eyes red from sleep-deprived nights. The retreat was two hours away, and they’d arrived the night before to oversee final details at the lakeside cabin center. “I’m fine,” she lied, pinching the bridge of her nose.He rested his hands on the table in front of them. "You look like you haven't slept in a week.""I probably haven't slept in three," she confessed. "Between planning workshops and reading intake forms…"He leaned over to squeeze her hand. "We've got this. We're in this together."She smiled nervously. "Thanks."He nodded. "We'll get back to this later."Both James and James' dad stood, approaching the lounge where Christiana and Rita sat in silence, preparing low chairs for group sessions.---The morning sky was pale pink by the lake's waters as participants began to arrive—a cohort of battered women by trauma: victims of domestic violence, ex-human-trafficking clien

  • RECKLESS DESIRES: THE ODEN LEGACY    Chapter One Hundred And Four

    "Sorry," Stacy replied, voice calm and firm.The community center had a small crowd—survivors, volunteers, and contributors from both The Bloom Initiative and from local support groups. Banners read Healing Without Judgment and New Beginnings. Stacy stood at a plain podium, hands clasped as in prayer.Amiriam sat in the front row beside Luke and James. The air was thick. Too quiet. James, too, shifted beside her.Stacy breathed slowly, looking around the room. "I've spent three years rebuilding. Strengthening women, learning accountability. I know I don't deserve it. But I deserve to be heard. To face what I broke."She waited, letting the words hang in the room."I hurt people. Some of you were collateral damage. I never intended to, but I did. I apologize." Amiriam's gut twisted. The apology sounded practiced—written. But the atmosphere in the room shifted. Some women wiped tears. A few clapped. Luke kept his silence, jaw set.Stacy continued: "I'm collaborating with a trauma group

  • RECKLESS DESIRES: THE ODEN LEGACY    Chapter One Hundred And Three

    "She might still be alive."Dr. Reiner's statement dropped like a knife into quiet water. The office was warm, full of gold-soft light and Mozart music humming in the distance—but Amiriam chilled. Shuddering, deep chill.She blinked. "Sorry. What?"Dr. Reiner nodded forward, his voice calm but firm. "Your mother. I believe she is still alive."Amiriam looked. "She was present at my first marriage. I remember. She left shortly afterward. That was close to thirteen years ago.""I know. But based on your recent diaries and memory patterns. I don't believe she just walked out. I believe she was cast out. Or chose exile based on something deeper."Amiriam's throat closed up. "You're telling me she didn't leave the family. she disappeared for a purpose?Dr. Reiner nodded slowly. "Something in what you said at that time—the inconsistencies regarding how your sisters speak of her, how you zone out when she's mentioned. It suggests trauma. Or secrets.""She told me she was going to 'find herse

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