Share

CH031: Under His Mercies

Penulis: Zee Wesley
last update Tanggal publikasi: 2026-06-11 20:32:55

~LORETTE~

“Hi, Lorette. I just wanted to tell you that your performance was phenomenal. Try checking in at my gallery when you’re free this weekend, will you?”

A man pushes through the crowd surrounding me outside the hall, slipping a business card into my hand with an eager smile.

I offer him a small smile in return, carefully accepting it amongst the ridiculous number of business cards already piling up in my grip.

“Thank you.” I say politely.

The moment he leaves, another person approaches.
Lanjutkan membaca buku ini secara gratis
Pindai kode untuk mengunduh Aplikasi
Bab Terkunci

Bab terbaru

  • Want Me Back? Ask My Brothers First   CH044: In Grandma’s Name

    ~LORETTE~“Cheers to Lori, the newest champion in the family!” Jace’s voice booms through the dining room as he pops open a bottle of wine.Laughter immediately erupts around the table. Everyone raises their glasses.“To Lori!”The sound of crystal clinking fills the room. Warmth spreads through my chest as I look around the table. Jace is grinning from ear to ear. Lucas looks like he’s personally won the competition himself. Hunter and Ella can’t seem to stop smiling.“You’ve made us proud, Lori,” Lucas says. “Ridiculously proud.”I laugh and shake my head. “You guys are acting like I won an Oscar.”“You practically did.” Jace shoots back. “And don’t even start with the humble act. You earned this.”I feel close to tears, being surrounded by people who celebrate my victories as though they’re their own.A few minutes later, my brothers pull Marcus into a video call.His face appears on the screen almost immediately.“Congratulations, Lori.” His usual stern expression brightens with

  • Want Me Back? Ask My Brothers First   CH0043: Gotcha!

    ~NATE~For a couple of seconds, Ava only stares at me. Every color drains slowly from her face, disbelief replacing the confidence she’d worn all evening.Then she lets out a shaky laugh.“Nate… what are you talking about?”“I figured you’d deny it.” Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my phone and tap the video.The footage begins to play.The second Ava sees herself on the screen, she looks just as pale as a ghost. After asking security to delete the footage earlier, I made sure to get a copy sent to me first because I suspected she might try to lie. And she just did.So now, not only is she a manipulator, but also a liar. The two combinations I hate the most.“Nate, I…” she stutters, the words dying before they fully form.Her shoulders sag, then tears spill down her cheeks.“I messed up, didn’t I?”“You think?” The bitterness in my voice catches me off guard. “I expected better from you, Ava.”She lowers her head as sobs shake her frame.“I was insecure and scared,” she whispers

  • Want Me Back? Ask My Brothers First   CH042: Sneaky Acts

    ~NATE~“We believe you arrived with one of the contestants, Miss Ava Sterling, correct, sir?”The second security officer’s question only deepens the frown already pulling at my brow as I follow them into the security office.Several monitors line the walls, each displaying footage from different sections of the building.“Yes,” I answer. “Why?”The two men exchange a glance before one of them steps toward a monitor and begins rewinding the footage.“Actually, sir, there appears to be a problem.”The video stops.A hooded woman appears on the black-and-white screen. She’s inside the gallery.At first glance, nothing seems unusual. Then I notice the way she keeps looking over her shoulder before approaching one of the displayed paintings.Her movements are hurried and nervous like a thief as she lifts the artwork and quickly leaves the room.My confusion grows.“What’s this supposed to mean?”The officer turns toward me. “Does she look familiar?”I study the footage, but the hood obscu

  • Want Me Back? Ask My Brothers First   CH041: My Wife’s Second Lover

    ~NATE~“Congratulations on winning, Lori. You were incredible out there.”“No, that’s too much.” I drag a hand through my hair and pace near the building’s exit.“Congrats, Lori.”I stop. That sounds stupid too.For the past ten minutes, I’ve been standing here like an idiot, rehearsing different ways to talk to my wife while she remained inside accepting congratulations from literally everyone at the competition.The irony isn’t lost on me.I have spent years convincing myself Lori wasn’t talented, ambitious or worthy enough. Only for her to walk onto that stage and prove me wrong in front of hundreds of people.Not only is she talented, but she’s also exceptional.Even Ava, who had attended one of the most prestigious art schools in the country, wasn’t able to move the audience the way Lori did.Heavens, why am I overthinking things?I’m sure it’s just that I feel it’s right to congratulate her. Or maybe I simply want an excuse to properly look at her.Because ever since she’d stepp

  • Want Me Back? Ask My Brothers First   CH040: Frozen In Time

    ~LORETTE~ Despite the humiliation threatening to swallow me whole, I somehow manage to stay seated. The old me would’ve run out of this hall long ago. I would’ve hidden in the nearest restroom and cried until everyone forgot I existed. But for Ella’s sake, I sit quietly and watch as the judges continue scoring the remaining paintings. When participant twelve’s artwork is revealed, a few judges nod in approval. Participant nineteen earns impressed murmurs from the audience. Then participant twenty-two’s painting is brought forward, and I don’t need anyone to announce the artist’s name before I know who it is. One look at Ava’s face and I already know it’s hers. The confidence radiating from her is a dead give-away. The moment the covering cloth is removed, appreciative gasps ripple through the hall. At the center of the painting stands a massive ancient tree, its branches stretched toward the sky. As the eye travels across the canvas, the seasons change around it—spri

  • Want Me Back? Ask My Brothers First   CH039: Blank Canvas

    ~LORETTE~ Within minutes, everyone is seated and the hall falls into a tense silence as the final round officially begins. My heart is pounding so hard that I can barely hear anything else, but I still manage to keep myself together. Thankfully, Ella is beside me. She reaches for my hand beneath the table and gives it a reassuring squeeze, offering me a small smile. At the center of the stage, the host steps forward with a microphone. “As stated in the rules communicated to all finalists,” he announces, “all paintings were submitted yesterday and collected ahead of today’s event. To ensure fairness, every artwork will be judged anonymously, with only participant numbers attached to each piece.” Excited murmurs ripple through the hall. “No names will be revealed until the scoring process is complete. The judges will evaluate each painting based solely on creativity, execution, and interpretation of the theme: Time.” I swallow hard. Yesterday, after finishing my paintin

  • Want Me Back? Ask My Brothers First   CH004: No Longer That Timid Wife

    ~LORETTE~ “A divorce agreement?” Lucas’s frown deepens, as if I had just spoken in a foreign language. “What do you need that for?” The moment the words leave his mouth, regret hits me like a tornado. Instant shame washes over me, and I mentally slap myself for being so careless. Stupid. Stupid,

  • Want Me Back? Ask My Brothers First   CH003: This Time, I Surrender

    ~LORETTE~ “Hospital?” Lucas’s voice immediately fills with heavy worry. “What happened? Are you okay, Lori?” “I got into an accident,” I reply quietly, not having the energy to explain more. We’re not close enough for that. “Oh God, Lori…” The panic in his voice grows. “Were you badly injured? Pl

  • Want Me Back? Ask My Brothers First   CH002: A Future Stolen

    ~LORETTE~ “No.” I whisper, my voice thick with tears as I search into the faces of the doctors, desperately hoping they are kidding. But their faces remain full of remorse and pity. They are not joking. “No, no, no. God, please no!” I break down completely, sobbing hard. My bandaged arm and leg

  • Want Me Back? Ask My Brothers First   CH001: First Love

    ~LORETTE~ “Help me, please… my baby…” I choke out in my wrecked car, drenched in my blood, hoping somebody would hear me. But only cold silence greets me. I have just been involved in an accident on my way home from my prenatal checkup. One second, I was smiling like the most contented woman ali

Bab Lainnya
Jelajahi dan baca novel bagus secara gratis
Akses gratis ke berbagai novel bagus di aplikasi GoodNovel. Unduh buku yang kamu suka dan baca di mana saja & kapan saja.
Baca buku gratis di Aplikasi
Pindai kode untuk membaca di Aplikasi
DMCA.com Protection Status