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CHAPTER 144

Author: Billie Patsy
last update Last Updated: 2025-11-23 16:30:34
I don’t know what I expected when Vivian finally stepped inside our house, but it definitely wasn’t… this.

She looked smaller than I remembered. Not physically — she was still tall, still put together in a way only she could manage, still wearing a dress that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe. But something about her posture was different. Less sharp. Less demanding. Almost hesitant.

Vivian Carter, hesitant. That alone was enough to make my brain short-circuit.

Roman stood behind me with one of the twins resting against his shoulder, his other hand hovering behind my back like he wasn’t touching me but also wasn’t letting me go too far. The tension coming off him was strong enough to taste. Even the air felt tight.

I shifted Benjamin in my arms and cleared my throat. “You can come in.”

Roman clenched his jaw so hard I could see the muscle ticking.

Vivian stepped inside, her eyes scanning the room. Not judging. Just… taking it in.

The toys on the floor. The baby monitor
Billie Patsy

Hi, thank you to all the readers who have spared their time for my book, I would like to apologize in advance if maybe some chapters don't sound natural or are a bit jumping and confusing, all my book data on my laptop was reset after the repair and I really have to catch up on time because I have a lot to do, and I tried my best to stick to the flow, even though it makes it a bit messy, I'm sorry because I couldn't give an interesting story in this book

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  • Stepdaughter by Day, Wife by Night   Chapter 180

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  • Stepdaughter by Day, Wife by Night   Chapter 179

    LENAIn the end, I still went.Even though Ava stood in front of me like a human shield, arms crossed, eyes sharp with worry. Even though my chest already felt tight just imagining sitting across from my mother. Even though I knew, deep down, that nothing good ever came from Vivian suddenly asking for a “private dinner.”“I don’t like this,” Ava said quietly. “You already know what kind of woman she is.”“I know,” I replied, gripping my bag a little tighter. “But Roman won’t answer me. I don’t know where he is. I don’t even know if he’s okay.”“That doesn’t mean you need to walk straight into her trap.”“Maybe,” I said, forcing a weak smile, “but I need to hear it myself. I need to see her face when she talks about him.”Ava sighed, defeated but still worried. “Then promise me you won’t let her get inside your head.”I nodded, though we both knew that promise was fragile at best.The restaurant Vivian chose was elegant in the way that felt cold rather than welcoming. Soft lights, hush

  • Stepdaughter by Day, Wife by Night   Chapter 178 – Lena POV

    That afternoon felt quieter than it should have.Not peaceful. Just… muted. Like the house was holding its breath along with me.Ava came by just after lunch, as she had been doing more often lately. She brought fruit, some pastries Isabella liked, and that familiar look on her face—the one that said she was worried but trying not to show it.She sat across from me at the kitchen table, watching me pour tea with movements that were a little too careful.“So,” she said casually, stirring her drink. “Tell me about Billy.”My hand paused for half a second before I set the kettle down.“What about him?” I asked, keeping my voice neutral.Ava raised an eyebrow. “You told me he came here. You don’t usually let random men into your house, Lena.”“He’s not random,” I said, then quickly added, “I mean… he was just someone I met by accident. Literally. He just stopped by. Gave Isabella a gift. That’s it.”“A gift?” Ava repeated. “On the first visit?”I sighed and leaned back in my chair. “It wa

  • Stepdaughter by Day, Wife by Night   Chapter 177 – Roman POV

    The office was quiet in a way that felt unnatural.The kind of quiet that pressed against your ears until your own thoughts became too loud.I sat behind my desk, staring at the photo frame I hadn’t moved since the day Lena placed it there herself. Me. Her. Isabella standing proudly between us. Benjamin and Nataniel in my arms, their tiny faces scrunched like the world was already too much.A perfect lie, frozen in glass.My thumb traced the edge of the frame without realizing it. I should have been reviewing contracts, checking numbers, dealing with the fire Amelia had lit under my company. Instead, I was stuck here, staring at the proof of everything I was about to lose.I had promised Lena the world.I had promised her safety, honesty, loyalty. I had promised that no matter how ugly my past was, it would never touch her future.And yet here I was.Failing her in every way that mattered.I exhaled slowly and leaned back in my chair, rubbing my face with both hands. The company could

  • Stepdaughter by Day, Wife by Night   Chapter 176

    LENA Billy arrived a few minutes later. I knew it was him before I even reached the door. My heart had been counting the seconds since that knock, beating too fast for something I kept insisting was harmless. I smoothed my hair with my palm, took a breath, and opened the door. He stood there holding a small paper bag, looking slightly unsure of himself, like someone who had rehearsed a dozen polite versions of this moment and still didn’t know which one to use. “Hi,” he said, smiling softly. “Hi,” I replied, stepping aside. “Come in.” Before I could say anything else, small footsteps padded across the floor behind me. Isabella appeared at my side, peeking around my leg with wide, curious eyes. Usually she clung to me when strangers were around, her fingers tight in my clothes, her body half-hidden. But this time, she didn’t retreat. She looked up at Billy instead. Billy noticed her instantly. His expression changed, brightening in a way that felt natural, not forced. “Hello

  • Stepdaughter by Day, Wife by Night   Chapter 175

    LENAI stared at the screen longer than I should have.Billy.Just his name. No picture. No history. No weight compared to everything else in my life. And yet my thumb hovered over it like it was something dangerous. Like pressing it would tilt the ground beneath my feet.I shouldn’t have been thinking about him.I knew that.I had a husband—whether he was here or not, whether he was mine or not anymore, I didn’t even know. I had children asleep in their rooms. I had Ava, who had held me together more times than I could count. I didn’t need anyone else.And yet.Billy’s last words echoed in my head from that morning. The way he’d said my name gently. The way he hadn’t pushed. The way he’d stepped back without making me feel small for it.If you ever need anything, just call.I told myself I was just lonely.That this wasn’t about him. It was about the silence Roman left behind. The way my house felt too big at night. The way my chest felt heavy even when I was sitting still.I told my

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