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82. Common Reason
Last Updated:
2025-03-17 23:29:37
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Traded For His First Love 83. The Poisoned Invitation
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Last Updated : 2025-03-18Traded For His First Love 84. Tangled Hearts and Tangled Lies
Reese POV “Alice, please, stop the car,” I asked, my voice coming out quieter than I intended. The soft sound of blue jazz spilling from the Ferrari’s speakers felt like it was mocking the mess swirling in my head. She turned to me, eyes wide with surprise, one hand still on the wheel. “What? You okay? Why do you want me to stop now?” I sighed, running my fingers through my hair as I tried to sort out my thoughts. “We need to go back there,” I said, referring to La Maison d’Or, where Jennifer and Bethany had just cornered us like a pair of grinning hyenas. “I need to talk to Bethany. Clear some things up. I don’t like seeing her with Jennifer one bit—that woman’s pure poison.” Alice pulled over to the side of the road with a dramatic sigh, her gloved hands tapping the leather steering wheel. “I know that, honey. I didn’t like seeing that girl cozying up to Jennifer Durham either. How’d they even meet, huh? And look, I love you, but you can’t go around saving everyone. She’s go
Last Updated : 2025-03-19Traded For His First Love 85. Shadows of Trust
Reese POV Back at my apartment, the air felt lighter, but only on the surface. I was sunk into the couch, running my fingers through Avie’s soft hair as she blinked sleepy little eyes in my lap, nearly giving in to sleep. Alice and Spencer were parked at the coffee table, wine glasses in hand, while I tried to explain the Bethany fiasco without letting exhaustion swallow me whole. “So, Bethany was totally different,” Alice started, swirling her wine in the glass like it was some magic potion. “She treated Venus like she was trash or something. I swear, if I hadn’t held myself back, I’d have yanked that sloppy ponytail right off her head.” Spencer laughed, that low, raspy laugh that always carried a hint of irony. “Seriously? What happened to make her so prickly?” “She’s convinced Josh is into me,” I said, rolling my eyes while I rubbed Avie’s back, her warmth calming me a little. “Josh Carter’s a great catch, but to me, he’s just a good friend, you know? But Alice thinks that’
Last Updated : 2025-03-20Traded For His First Love 86. Sunlit Smiles and Stolen Kisses
Reese POV The midday sun was perfect at the park, a warm glow that made the tree leaves shimmer in vivid green. Me, Elliot, Sammy, and Avie had claimed a little spot by the lake, with a checkered blanket spread out on the grass and a picnic basket Elliot insisted on bringing. It was a light day, one of those that almost made me forget the weight of the world. It reminded me so much of those days in London when I dreamed of moments like this with my family—we hardly ever had them, but the few we did were eternal, and it was just wonderful to be doing it again with Sammy and now with Avie. Now the boy was chasing his little sister, who clutched a red ball with her chubby hands, laughing loud as she tried to escape him. “You can’t catch me, Sammy!” she squealed, her short legs stumbling over the grass, but her smile was so big it lit up everything. “I can too, you little rascal!” Sammy shot back, pretending to run slower to give her a chance. His hair was all messed up by the wind
Last Updated : 2025-03-21Traded For His First Love 87. Echoes of Us
Reese POV The kiss felt like a wildfire, hot and out of control, and I was burning up in it. Elliot held me like I might slip through his fingers any second, his hands firm on my waist, his body pressed against mine in a way that erased any rational thought. I clung to his neck, my fingers tangled in his hair, lost in that taste I knew so well yet felt so new—like we’d gone back in time, but with all the weight of the present on our shoulders. Then a sharp cry from outside—“Mommy!”—cut through the air like a knife. It was Avie. My heart jolted, and I pulled away from him in a panic, the cold bathroom air rushing into the space between us. “Elliot, the kids,” I muttered, my voice hoarse, almost breathless, as I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand like I could erase what had just happened. He looked at me, his green eyes still dark with desire, his breathing heavy. “Reese, wait…” he started, but I was already unlocking the door, the click sounding too loud in the silence. “N
Last Updated : 2025-03-22Traded For His First Love 88. Candlelight and Cold Sparks
Reese POV The restaurant Spencer took me to was one of those places that felt straight out of a movie—the kind where luxury screamed in every detail, but not over-the-top. Le Jardin sat atop a downtown Chicago building, with huge windows showing off the city lights twinkling like fallen stars. The hostess led us to a corner table by the window, with a view that seemed to cradle the world outside. Candles flickered in crystal holders, and the scent of fresh herbs and expensive wine floated in the air. Spencer pulled out my chair with that crooked smile he did so well, and I sat down, trying to ignore the weight still pressing on my chest from the park. “You look beautiful tonight, Venus,” he said, his dark eyes gleaming under the soft light as he took his seat across from me. “That blue dress… it’s like it was made for you.” I smiled, smoothing the fabric of the dress I’d picked almost on autopilot before leaving. “Thanks, Spence. You’re looking pretty sharp yourself,” I said, n
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Reese POV After dinner at Le Jardin, Spencer suggested a walk around the city, and I couldn’t say no—not with that crooked smile of his looking at me like I was the center of the universe. The night was gorgeous, the clear sky dotted with stars, the cool air carrying the scent of wet asphalt from the rain earlier. We strolled through Chicago’s lit-up streets, the building lights reflecting in puddles, and he took my hand, lacing his fingers with mine in a way that caught me off guard with its ease. “Ever stop to think how alive this city feels at night?” he asked, his voice soft as he gazed at the glowing shop windows and passing cars. “It’s like it never sleeps.” I smiled, following his gaze. “Yeah, sometimes I forget that. I spend so much time rushing around, I don’t really look.” He laughed, giving my hand a gentle squeeze. “Then let me show you. Let’s enjoy it a little.” We walked without hurry, chatting about everything and nothing. He told me a funny story about a clie
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Reese POV I couldn’t settle with how Elliot had stormed out of there, running off like he’d been wronged somehow by me bringing Spencer home—and worse, holding his hand right in front of him. It gnawed at me, this urge to do something, to make him listen. I felt this need to explain myself, even though I didn’t fully understand why. “Can you wait here for me?” I asked Spencer, nodding toward the kids. Sammy’s little brow was furrowed, unsure what to do now that his dad had bolted out like that, so I took off after Elliot. I ran through the hallways until I caught up with him at the elevator, shoving my hand in just as the doors were about to close. I slipped inside, and his jaw was clenched tight. His eyes darted everywhere in that tiny metal box—anywhere but me. “What are you doing?” he asked, his words coming out stiff and sharp. “I…” I stammered, and suddenly all the things I wanted to say vanished from my head. My throat went dry. I knew he still had feelings for me, but w
Last Updated : 2025-03-25
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Traded For His First Love 153. Sparks and Fears
Reese POVThe guest room in the Goodwin mansion felt like a time bubble, where the past and present collided in an uncomfortable clash. As we played with Sammy and Avie, stacking wooden blocks into wobbly towers, I couldn’t help stealing glances at Elliot. He was sitting on the carpet, laughing with Sammy, helping build an improvised bridge, his green eyes shining with a tenderness that was painfully familiar. It was strange, almost surreal, this moment of harmony between us, as if the war over the custody trial didn’t exist, as if he hadn’t allowed his lawyers to humiliate me with lies about my life in Chicago. My anger still simmered, a smoldering ember that wouldn’t fade, but here, with the kids, I tried to keep the peace, at least for now.Avie, with her messy curls, giggled as she tried to steal a block from Elliot’s hand, but suddenly, a hoarse cough interrupted her laughter. She coughed again, the sound dry and persistent, and my heart tightened. The air in London was cold and
Traded For His First Love 152. Fury and Small Moments
Reese POVThe night in the Goodwin mansion was stifling, the silence of the corridors amplifying the chaos in my mind. After the disaster in court, I couldn’t stay still. I paced back and forth in the guest room, my bare feet sinking into the plush carpet, my arms crossed tightly as if they could contain the rage bubbling inside me. Every word from Elliot’s lawyer still echoed, like a knife stabbed repeatedly: the rumors of scandals in Chicago, the accusation that I was an “indecent” woman, unfit to be a mother to Sammy and Avie. How could he? How could Elliot, the man I once swore to love, sit there in silence while his team used lies to destroy me in front of the judge?“You believe this, Alice?” I said, my voice loud, almost a shout, as I gestured frantically. “Elliot let them call me… a woman who gets involved with committed men! As if I’m a threat to my own children! He really thinks he can use those stupid Chicago rumors to make the judge think I don’t deserve Sammy and Avie?”
Traded For His First Love 151. The First Day in Court
Reese POVThe London courthouse was an imposing structure, its gray stone columns rising toward the overcast sky as if to intimidate anyone daring to cross its threshold. The morning was cold, the damp air carrying the scent of impending rain, and I felt the weight of each step as I climbed the marble stairs, my heart pounding so fiercely it seemed to echo in the silence around me. My hand gripped Alice’s tightly, her warm, steady fingers an anchor against the dread threatening to swallow me. Beside me, Josh walked with the confident posture of someone who knew the power of his name, his navy blazer impeccable, but his clear eyes sent me glances of support, as if to say we were in this together. My lawyers, two middle-aged men with serious expressions and briefcases stuffed with documents, followed close behind, murmuring strategies in hushed tones. It was the first session of the custody trial for Sammy and Avie, and though I knew it was just the beginning of a battle that would st
Traded For His First Love 150. Encounter on the Balcony
Reese POVThe night was heavy, the London sky cloaked in a layer of dark clouds that hid the stars, as if the universe itself mirrored the turmoil within me. I couldn’t sleep, the weight of anxiety keeping me awake, my thoughts swirling like a whirlwind. In a few hours, the first session with the judge to decide the custody of Sammy and Avie would begin, and the thought of facing Elliot in court, of exposing our story to strangers, made my stomach churn. Lying in bed, I tossed and turned, the silence of the guest room broken only by the soft breaths of Sammy and Avie, sleeping peacefully, oblivious to the earthquake looming. Unable to bear the restlessness, I got up, wearing only a light cotton nightgown, my bare feet feeling the chill of the wooden floor. I grabbed the pack of cigarettes I kept hidden in my bag—a habit I’d abandoned in Chicago but brought along as a crutch for moments like this—and stepped out onto the balcony, hoping the cool midnight breeze would calm my troubled
Traded For His First Love 149. Shadows of Regret
Elliot POVThe fireplace room in the Goodwin mansion was enveloped in a cozy dimness, the flickering light of the flames dancing on the stone walls, casting shadows that seemed to mirror the weight of my thoughts. The scent of burning wood mingled with the rich aroma of the red wine swirling in the glass in my hand, a Bordeaux I’d chosen from the cellar in the vain hope that a drink could calm the storm within me. Josh Carter sat in the leather armchair across from me, his light hair tousled, his clear eyes gleaming with a mix of forced humor and melancholy. He held his own glass, gesturing as he told his story, his voice wavering between laughter and a tone that betrayed his true anguish.“So, Bethany really did it,” Josh said, taking a sip of wine, his crooked smile not reaching his eyes. “The pregnancy reveal was the final blow. She’s got me locked into this engagement, and now the wedding date’s set. In a few weeks, I’m a married man.” He laughed, but the sound was hollow, as if
Traded For His First Love 148. Confessions Under Moonlight
Reese POVThe night had fallen over the Goodwin mansion, the London sky now a dark mantle speckled with timid stars, visible through the tall corridor windows. Dinner had been surprisingly calm, with Sammy and Avie stealing the show as they recounted stories about the ducks at the lake, their little voices filling the dining room with a lightness that contrasted with the tension lingering among the adults. Josh had been polite but firm, keeping the conversation neutral with Elliot, while Alice cast supportive glances my way, a silent reminder that I wasn’t alone. Florence, with her newfound facade of a caring grandmother, served dessert—a vanilla pudding that Sammy devoured—but I barely touched my plate, my stomach knotted by Elliot’s presence, his green eyes seeming to find mine every time I looked up.After dinner, as the children headed upstairs with a governess Elliot had hired, I found myself standing in the hall, the bag of old clothes still weighing on my mind, a symbol of the
Traded For His First Love 147. An Unexpected Ally
Reese POVThe twilight began to paint the London sky with shades of orange and gray, the soft light filtering through the tall windows of the Goodwin mansion, casting long shadows across the polished wooden corridors. I was in the guest room with Sammy and Avie, sitting on the edge of the bed, watching them play on the rug with a set of wooden blocks Elliot had retrieved from the attic. Sammy was building a tower, his tongue sticking out in concentration, while Avie stacked the blocks in a chaotic pattern, laughing each time the pile collapsed. “Mommy, look! It’s a castle!” Sammy exclaimed, pointing to his wobbly structure, and I smiled, my heart warmed by the simplicity of the moment. But even with the children’s laughter filling the room, the tension wouldn’t leave me. The legal battle for custody of Sammy and Avie was looming, and every day in this mansion—with Jennifer scheming in the city, Florence acting suspiciously friendly, and Elliot looking at me with a love I didn’t want
Traded For His First Love 146. An Unexpected Request
Reese POVThe lake at the Goodwin mansion shimmered under the soft midday light, its surface reflecting the willows swaying in London’s chilly breeze. Sammy and Avie ran along the shore, their laughter echoing as they tossed bits of bread to the ducks, which swam in circles, quacking eagerly. Elliot was with them, kneeling on the grass, holding a tennis ball that Baxter, the family’s golden retriever, chased with enthusiasm, barking and wagging his tail. He had brought some toys from the shed—the ball, a frisbee, even a rope for Baxter to tug—and the kids were radiant, Sammy shouting, “Get it, Baxter!” while Avie tried to throw the frisbee, which landed just a few feet away.I sat on a wicker outdoor sofa, covered with faded cushions, watching the scene with a mix of tenderness and pain. Elliot looked so at ease, laughing when Baxter leaped to steal the ball from Sammy, helping Avie toss the bread farther for the ducks. He was an enthusiastic father, the kind who made the kids feel
Traded For His First Love 145. Shadows and Moments of Light
Reese POVThe dining room of the Goodwin mansion was filled with soft sounds—the clink of cutlery, the murmur of Sammy and Avie chatting about muffins, the aroma of coffee and fresh bread lingering in the air. I held a mug, its warmth against my hands a contrast to the cold I felt inside, still dressed in the old clothes Elliot had kept, clothes that made me feel as if I’d stepped back in time to a life I fought so hard to leave behind. Sammy was beside me, biting into a muffin, while Avie, in my lap, played with a strawberry, giggling when the juice stained her little fingers. Despite the tension pulsing at the table—with Jennifer casting venomous glares and Elliot staring at me with an intensity that disarmed me—the kids seemed, somehow, at ease. Except for the way Sammy kept his eyes fixed on his plate whenever Jennifer spoke, clearly uncomfortable with her presence.Florence, seated at the other end of the table, surprised me with her almost warm demeanor, serving more scrambled
