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Chapter 40
Huling Na-update:
2025-03-24 00:35:16
Kaugnay na kabanata
To Love Again Chapter 41
I blinked my eyes open as sunlight spilled through the curtains. I woke slowly, my body felt heavy with a calmness that felt foreign. I hadn't felt this much peace in a while.His arm was still draped over my waist, his breath warm against my neck. For a moment, I didn’t move, didn’t blink, I lay there, afraid that the slightest shift might shatter the fragile peace of this moment.Jordan lay unguarded in his sleep, no furrowed brow, no clenched jaw, just quiet. His lashes were long for a man, and beautiful too. I traced my hands slowly over his brows.His eyelashes fluttered. A low hum rumbled in his chest as he stirred, arm tightening reflexively around me. When his eyes opened, sleep-blurred and dark, they locked onto mine instantly.“Good morning,” he murmured, his voice groggy with sleep. “Morning.” My fingers brushed a crease the pillow had left on his cheek. He caught my hand, pressed a kiss to my palm. “You’ve been staring.”“Only for a few minutes." I said with a smile.“H
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-25To Love Again Chapter 42
I looked up at him when the knock came a second time. “Are you expecting someone?"“No, but it's not unusual for me to get a visitor at this time. Could be someone from the office. Give me a minute." He said, getting up to his feet and going to the door. He pulled it open.Chloe stood at the entrance with Cal behind her. “Where's she? Why didn't she come home last night? Why wouldn't she answer my calls?”She stopped mid-sentence as Jordan stepped aside, revealing me at the dining table with a shaky smile on my face. Her eyes widened, and then she was across the room in a heartbeat, pulling me into a bone-crushing hug.“Oh my God, Rissa,” she breathed, her voice trembling. “I was so scared. I thought… I didn’t know what had happened to you, and you wouldn't answer my calls.” “I’m okay,” I said, my voice muffled against her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.”She pulled back, her hands gripping my shoulders as she searched my face. “You don’t get to do that. You don’t g
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-25To Love Again Chapter 43
Chloe and I spent the rest of the day the way that we enjoyed doing most. We sat with chocolate flavored popcorn and drinks and watched cliche romcoms with a blanket over our legs. We laughed too hard at terrible dialogue and cried at the same sad ending we'd seen five times before, with our knees knocking together whenever one of us reached for the tissue box. Rain tapped against the windows outside, the kind of steady patter that made the world outside feel far away, the kind of steady patter that caused us to huddle together under the single blanket, holding on to each other.Suddenly, in the middle of a movie that was playing, she spoke loudly. "Pause it," she demanded, pointing at the screen where the romcom heroine was mid-cliché stumbling into the male lead’s arms. I hit the remote. "What?" "You’re doing it again." “Doing what, exactly?” I responded. She reached over and grabbed my wrist, turning it palm-up. My thumbnail was ragged, the skin around it pink and irritat
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-25To Love Again Chapter 44
The week passed by uneventfully. I went from home to work and back home. Jordan and I talked daily, and he wouldn't stop reminding me about Friday. According to him, that was his way of ensuring that I didn't back out.By Friday night, I had become so nervous thinking about this dinner date that I nearly jumped when Chloe slammed my bedroom door open, a curling iron in one hand and a nearly empty wine glass in the other. “Erm, what are you doing?" I asked, staring at her incredulously."Up," she commanded, kicking the door shut with her foot. "We're doing this properly."“You're not touching my head with that thing." I said, pointing to the curling iron in her hands. “Yes, I am. Come on, sit up. We can't let you be late."“Chloe it's just dinner!" I whined, holding my pillow closer. “And I still have time. It's just 5:30."She yanked the covers off me with unnecessary force. "It's not just dinner, Colton. It's dinner at Jordan's house. With what I'm sure will be stupidly expensive
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-26To Love Again Chapter 45
After the dance in Jordan's kitchen, I had a smile plastered on my face as he set the table and treated me to premium princess service. The salad dressing which he'd made earlier and kept in the fridge tasted like heaven.As I ate, he hovered over me waiting to hear me say that the food was great. I held back for a while not giving him the satisfaction of the compliment that I knew he was dying to hear.Later, as I savoured the sweet taste of the lamb chops, I finally gave in and told him how great the food was. He beamed, and I laughed.“What are you so excited for me though? Weren't you already confident in your cooking skills?"“Well, I was, but still, it never hurts to hear just how good you are again."I laughed at that. I didn't know if this was him being egoistic or if he was just really excited to know that I was enjoying his cooking. He finally served up some of that food for himself, poured us both some of the wine that I'd come in with, then delved into his food. As we ate
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-27To Love Again Chapter 46
I did just that. As I pulled into the driveway of the hospital which I knew was the same one the Kingstons used, I grabbed his phone from his front pocket and dialed Lilian. She answered on the second ring. “Hi, Jord—”"Help us!” I shouted, ‘’Its Jordan. I don't know what's up with him, but there's a lot of blood."She was calmer than I expected. “I need you to calm down, Marissa. Where are you right now?"“At the hospital. Mount Sinai." I said, rushing out of the car and inside the hospital to call for help.“Okay, Marissa. Like I said, I'm going to need you to stay calm. I'm on my way. I'll be there in 15 minutes, hear me?“Yes, yes." I responded. Two nurses rushed after me moments after with a stretcher between them. They wheeled him off and I ran after them until someone stopped me and asked me to stay back. I headed back to the reception and put a call through to Chloe, telling her what had happened and where I was. She was at the hospital in less than ten minutes. Lilian reac
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-27To Love Again Chapter 47
Jordan's POVI lay there watching her leave with a forced smile. I cursed inwardly. Why did this have to happen today of all days? I had been diligent with my treatment these past few weeks. I hadn't missed a single day, so what went wrong?I'd felt the first signs of pain just before Marissa's knock came. I'd downed a bottle of water. It'd come again while we ate, but I hadn't expected the gut wrenching pain that I suddenly felt as we kissed. I hadn't expected the pain that clawed at my heart and knocked me breathless.I saw the helplessness in her eyes as she cried and asked how she could help. I wanted to tell her that it was okay, that I just needed to get to the hospital and I would be fine, but the more I tried to speak, the more blood sputtered out of my mouth.That was new, by the way. I had traces of blood in my saliva now and then but it had never been this bad. I drifted in and out of consciousness on the drive to the hospital. I watched her run after the nurses as they whe
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-27To Love Again Chapter 48
Alone in my office after everyone had dispersed, I ran a weary hand through my hair. I knew that the business world was quite competitive, but we'd never had anything like this happen before.I reached for my phone and dialed a number I kept for extreme circumstances. He answered on the fourth ring.“Mr Kingston." The voice was all gravel and cigarette smoke, just like I remembered. We kept Walker around for issues like this which required someone who was as crude as he was professional to carry out serious investigation. "Need you to dig into something," I said without preamble. "Someone's spreading lies about Kingston Enterprises." He paused for a bit then spoke. "This about Hemsworth and the news flying about on Kingstons and some financial fraud bullshit?”I was quiet for a bit. I wasn't exactly surprised that Walker had found. That was what he did. He knew things. I just felt a jarring realization in my guts that news traveled fast in certain circles. "I want to know who's f
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-27
Pinakabagong kabanata
To Love Again Chapter 106
Jordan's heart beat steadily under my head. His arm was wrapped around my waist as I lay against his chest. I liked the warmth. We'd been in each other's arms all day, and it still felt like we hadn't spent enough time together.For a while, I kept my eyes closed and simply listened to the silence of his bedroom. I was at home here, in his arms. The world outside could be chaotic and unpredictable, but right here, in this moment, there was peace.“You’re still awake,” he murmured, his voice low and warm against my neck.“So are you." I responded.He tried to shift me to his side, but I hugged him tighter. “Don’t move. I just want to remain like this.”“Okay then.” He whispered, and wrapped his arms tighter around me.I turned in his arms until I was facing him. His eyes were open now, and in the low lights in the room, I searched his eyes. He looked somewhat tired- work was probably still as stressful. But he was beautiful. He was always beautiful.“I like this,” I said quietly. “Bein
To Love Again Chapter 105
When I returned to the police station the next morning, Chloe was with me. Inspector Ariya seemed to be leaving as we came in. Surprise registered briefly in her eyes when she saw us.She walked up to us briskly. She looked tired but sharp, her dark hair pulled back into a no-nonsense ponytail.“Hello, ladies. I wasn't expecting to see you back so soon.” she said this last part, facing me. “Have you decided to press charges after all?"I shook my head. “Not yet. I haven't. Actually, we came to speak to you, and if possible to her."She quirked a brow. “Her? You're sure you want to do that?”"I don't know. Actually… we found something.”We told her about looking online and seeing that Layla's online presence had been completely wiped off. We told her about the photos of her that we'd come across and how the timing didn't add up. And then out of the blues, Chloe told her about her thoughts that Layla was working with someone.“Why do you say so?" She asked very calmly.“Because I know L
To Love Again Chapter 104
Chloe stared at me like I’d grown another head. “You mean, like, private investigator type digging?” “If we have to,” I replied, folding my arms. “Because I can’t sleep at night knowing she might not be done, and that she meant what she said. We have to get to the bottom of this, Chloe.” Chloe looked at me skeptically. “I don't know, Rissa. I can't say that I agree with this being a good idea.” “Well, are you going to help me or not?" I demanded. Sighing, she reached for her laptop and pulled it into her laps. "Okay, Sherlock. Where do you want to start?” I hadn't actually meant for us to start immediately, but we did. We weren’t police officers, and we weren’t detectives. But we had working brains and the internet. And at this point, that felt like enough. “I don’t even know what I’m looking for,” she muttered, typing rapidly. We searched for everything we could think of. It was as though Layla Freeman didn't exist. We scrolled through pages of irrelevant news and articles. The
To Love Again Chapter 103
Chapter 103I stared at her in dazed shock.There was a venom in Layla’s eyes I had never seen before, and as I watched her now, some of my anger gave way to something colder. something worse. Fear.“What the hell are you talking about, Layla? What do you mean this is only the first of many? What else are you planning?” I tried to keep my voice steady, but it trembled as I spoke.“She will not be doing anything, Miss Colton,” Inspector Ariya’s voice cut through the tension, drawing my attention away from Layla. “Come on now, you. Get up.” She grabbed Layla by the arm and pulled her to her feet.I watched as they began to leave. I didn’t want them to. I wished the inspector had let me speak to her just a little longer. There was something unfinished, something dangerous in Layla’s last words. A few hours ago, I might have dismissed them as a threat—a pathetic attempt to scare me. But not now. Not after seeing her admit, without an ounce of guilt, that she had set the fire. Not after wa
To Love Again Chapter 102
Chloe was still in bed when I left for the police station the next morning. She’d already told me before that she didn't want to go. What was the point anyways? Whatever she was going to find out from speaking to Layla, she would find out when the police were done with their investigation.In any case, I didn't want to go with anyone either. Not with Jordan, and not with Chloe too. I wanted to just go alone. I needed to speak to Layla by myself, see her with my own eyes, and listen to whatever explanation she had. It just needed to be me. Just me.The drive to the police station only lasted about 30 minutes but it felt like 3 hours. As I drove, my mind kept going back to the last few weeks since we met Layla at that restaurant. I thought of how I had been skeptical about letting her into my space and then I thought of how Chloe hadn't really liked her or trusted her. Then I went on to remember how over time, she had sort of broken our resolve, mine especially, and had slowly made her
To Love Again Chapter 101
The silence was deafening. We all stared on in silence at the image on the screen. It was her. It really was Layla. It didn't make any sense. How could she have tampered with the wiring? She'd been a part of the entire planning, after all! She had put in so much effort to make this work so how was it even possible that she would be responsible for ruining the night."That can't be." I said shakily. "Maybe there's a mistake. Maybe it's..."Inspector Ariya's voice cut me. "The footage is very clear, ma'am. That's the culprit."I swallowed. I didn't know what to say. I didn't think Chloe did either. Again, it didn't make sense. I didn't think as I sat backwards on the couch with knees pulled to my chest like I could somehow protect myself from the storm that had just torn through the room. Chloe sat beside me in stunned silence. Her arms were wrapped around her body like she, too, was trying to keep herself from falling apart.The laptop was still open on the dining table, the paused f
To Love Again Chapter 100
The silence in the room after I said those words was thick enough to suffocate a person. Chloe blinked at me, with her mouth slightly open. Her brows knit together in first, confusion, then alarm.“What do you mean someone set the bakery on fire?” she asked slowly, like she was trying to give the question time to change into something less terrifying. “You know that's impossible. The firemen said it to Caleb.I shook my head. “That’s what the guy from the insurance company just now said. He said… he said the wires were tampered with. Deliberately.”Chloe stood up and began pacing like the movement would somehow bring clarity. “But who? Why? That doesn’t even make sense. Who would do something like that?”I didn’t have an answer. All I had was a sharp ache in my chest and a hundred questions tumbling over each other in my mind.Someone had intentionally tried to sabotage me. Who could it be? Why? I felt my heart squeeze at the thought of the obvious betrayal. Everyone at that launch y
To Love Again Chapter 99
Jordan dropped me off at home at a little past noon. When we pulled up to the house, Chloe was already waiting at the door. As soon as I stepped out, she rushed toward me, wrapping me in a tight embrace.“Everything’s going to be fine,” she whispered, her voice steady. “We’ve got each other.”I clung to her, feeling a weight being lifted off my shoulder. The scent of the lavender shampoo that we both shared filled my nostrils and for a brief moment, replaced the acrid smell of smoke that had plagued me since last night. Now, having Chloe hold me like this after such a chaotic night served as a reminder that amidst the chaos, some things remained constant. Like friendship. And family.Jordan was at my side by the time that Chloe broke off the embrace.“You're sure you'll be okay?" He asked, gently."Yea, of course. What am I, like an egg?” I asked and managed a small smile. “Plus, I've got Chloe. I'm absolutely fine, Jordan. You can go.”“Okay." He said, nodding.He reached out and bru
To Love Again Chapter 98
I woke up to silence. Not the kind of silence that brought peace or the one that insinuated a sort of calmness, but the kind of silence that pressed against my chest and made it harder to breathe.I lay still, blinking up at the ceiling, unsure for a moment where I was. The room wasn’t mine. That was for certain. The scent in the air was clean and warm, and the sheets were softer than the ones on my bed at home.Then it all came rushing back. LoveBites. My bakery. My dream. The dream I'd nursed.I felt fresh tears gather in my eyes as the memory from the scene played over and over in my head. That small pop that I'd first heard in the middle of my speech, then the crackling, the smoke, the fire, me being rooted to a spot, the chandelier that came crashing down.Wasn't it too early to be crying again? Last night, after Jordan had gone to sleep with me tucked comfortably in his arms, I cried again. I'd cried myself to sleep in fact.I sat up slowly, the sheets falling away from my bod
