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Chapter 39

Penulis: Tracy
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-05-09 14:42:46

Naomi’s POV

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Raymond asked as I stood by the door, keys in my hand.

I smiled gently. “No dear, I need to do this by myself.”

His eyes searched mine for a second, then he stepped forward and pecked my forehead.

“Call me if you need anything at all, I’ll keep the pancakes warm.”

“Tell Miranda I’ll be home for lunch. ”I said as I stepped out into the quiet morning and shut the door behind me.

---

Volunteering

The women’s support center was located between a laundromat and a bookstore, it is almost impossible to notice.

I had passed it a hundred times but never noticed it until Beatrice mentioned they were short-staffed for an event today—assembling care kits and organizing food donations.

When I walked through the glass door, the environment was warm, there was soft music playing in the background, donated artworks and also the chairs were not arranged.

A woman with tightly coiled braids and a bright smile approached me.

“You must be N
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  • Your brother, my husband    Chapter 49

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  • Your brother, my husband    Chapter 48

    Naomi’s POVThe call ended, but the questions clung to me like steam in a closed room. Who was Celeste?What promise?And what kind of secret could survive my father’s death—and mine?Raymond watched me closely from the bed, concern flickering in his eyes.“Is everything okay Darling?”I sat beside him, my phone still in my hand. “Well, it seems I'd be getting more shocking calls and discovering more secrets from now on.”“A woman just called, she said her name is Celeste and She said she knew my father. That there’s something I need to know, Something he promised before he died.”Raymond’s brows drew together. “Do You want me to come with you?”“No,” I said slowly. “Not yet.”Some things had to be faced alone—if only at first.…………Celeste chose a quiet corner café in Brooklyn, it was really calm and cozy.Rain fell in a light drizzle as I arrived, I was dressed in a soft gray coat and heeled boots, nerves humming under my skin. I wasn't sure what to expect, if I should be scared o

  • Your brother, my husband    Chapter 47

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  • Your brother, my husband    Chapter 45

    Naomi’s POVI stared at the email long after Raymond fell asleep. The photo… It was so ordinary, so real, This is Me, fifteen years maybe, in my school uniform, standing on the steps of Thompson Enterprises. My smile was small, hesitant. I looked like a girl who hadn’t yet learned to flinch.Who still had this picture?And why now all of a sudden?I didn’t reply, I Just shut the tablet and lay back in the dark, letting the weight of memory settle around me like a quilt I hadn’t asked for till I fell asleep.……..The Next Morning, Raymond found me sitting on the patio swing, wrapped in a throw blanket, coffee untouched.“Good morning, my queen, I see you haven't touched your coffee yet, You okay?”I handed him the tablet.He read the email once, Then again. His jaw clenched slightly. “Anonymous?”I nodded. “There was No address, No digital trail, Just… that.”“Someone’s watching you.”“Or probably remembering me, because why is it when I took charge of the company again he sent that?

  • Your brother, my husband    Chapter 44

    Naomi’s POVThe envelope was thicker than most of the Cream-colored ones, it was sealed with a gold-embossed crest I hadn’t seen in over a year.The board.I held it in my hands longer than necessary, the weight of my name staring back at me—Naomi Erica Thompson Darlington.I hadn’t thought about that side of my life in weeks. Not since the gala, not since the letter from the council. But the company hadn’t forgotten me. Or more accurately—hadn’t forgotten what I represented.I opened the letter.You are hereby invited to attend the Thompson Group quarterly board meeting as the principal shareholder and chair of the late Mr. Elias Thompson’s estate...Your presence is requested at the private executive session scheduled for Friday, 10:00 AM.They weren’t just requesting my presence.They were testing my silence.---Raymond read the letter in the kitchen, leaning against the counter while Miranda colored pictures of unicorns and pancakes at the table.“Interesting timing,” he said, t

  • Your brother, my husband    Chapter 43

    Naomi’s POVThe interior of the limousine was silent, enveloped in soft velvet shadows and the gentle murmurs of city life. New York’s skyline sparkled outside like a stage set for a performance waiting to begin. Raymond was dressed in a sleek black suit, looking all dashing. He placed his hand lightly on my thigh and did not take his eyes off me the entire drive from the house, not even for a second.“Stop staring, you look like you'd undress me with those eyes of yours,” I said softly while nudging him.“Oh!!!! I'd love to do that but sadly I can’t, “You’re……you’re looking radiant, stunning, appetizing, words can't even describe how gorgeous you look tonight.”I looked down at the emerald dress, the one that felt like strength stitched into silk. “I feel like I’m wearing someone else’s life, I'm still adjusting.”He took my hand, “Babe, You’re wearing the life you earned, so tonight, don't think too much. Head up, chin high, you've got this.”And with that, we pulled up to the Gr

  • Your brother, my husband    Chapter 42

    The dress didn’t fit.It was not because it was too tight or too small—but because it wasn’t me anymore. The navy satin sheath I’d once bought for a corporate dinner, back when I was still shrinking myself to survive, clung to me like it belonged to someone else.I stood in front of the mirror, hands on my hips, trying to convince myself it would do.Raymond walked into the room mid-thought, glanced once, and tilted his head.“What’s the problem babe, You don’t like it?”“I don't not like it.”He crossed the room, stood behind me, placed his arms around my waist and met my gaze in the mirror. “It’s elegant,” he said gently. “But it’s not you, Not anymore.”I sighed. “I guess I don’t know what ‘me’ looks like now.”He smiled, fingers brushing my waist. “Then let’s go find her something that fits.”………We didn’t go to a department store, We didn’t scroll aimlessly through online shops. Raymond drove us to a boutique tucked into the quiet side of town—a woman-owned space filled with bo

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