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Chapter 65: The Breaking Point
Fecha de publicación:
2026-08-03 00:06:08
Último capítulo
married for show CHAPTER 120
BENEDICTThe rain had turned into a relentless, grey drizzle by late afternoon. I was sitting on the edge of my leather armchair in my bedroom, staring blankly out the bay window while icing my swollen right knuckles with a bag of frozen peas.The house was suffocatingly quiet. Aunt Chloe had gone to the hospital to check on Nathan and deal with his frantic parents, leaving the estate deserted except for the domestic staff moving silently through the halls.A sharp, hesitant knock at my bedroom door broke the stillness.I set the ice pack down, wincing slightly as I flexed my fingers. "Come in."The heavy oak door creaked open, but it wasn't Aunt Chloe returning to deliver another lecture. It was Maria, one of the senior housekeepers. She gave me a nervous, uncertain look, holding her dust cloth tightly in both hands."Mr. Benedict," she said softly, her accent thick. "There is a young lady downstairs asking for you."I pulled my brows together. "Valerie?"Maria shook her head
married for show CHAPTER 119
BENEDICTThe rain had just started to fall when the Thorne family chauffeur pulled the sleek black sedan through the wrought-iron gates of the estate.Behind us, the chaos of the beach house was miles away, but the ghost of it lingered in the heavy air of the car. The ambulance had already sped off toward the regional medical center, sirens wailing into the morning fog, taking Nathan with two fractured ribs, a shattered jaw, and his shattered ego. Valerie, Maya, and Jade had followed right behind the paramedics in the SUV. Luke and James had taken off separately, driving Elena back home.I sat in the back seat, staring out at the blurred green trees passing by. My right knuckles were bruised purple, skin split and raw, but I didn't care about the sting. My mind was entirely consumed by the memory of Valerie’s terrified, bloodless face in that kitchen, and the way she had buried her head in my chest, sobbing like her world was ending.When the car pulled up to the grand front entra
married for show CHAPTER 118
VALERIEI couldn't feel my hands.My bare feet hit the cold hardwood floor of the beach house in an aimless, frantic rhythm. The air in my lungs burned like swallowed glass. You're the one who will go to jail, Valerie. Not me. You. The words looped in my head on a violent, non-stop circuit, drowning out the sound of the ocean, the gulls, the quiet hum of the morning.I stumbled into the wide, sunlit marble kitchen, reaching blindly for the edge of the island counter to keep my legs from collapsing under me. A sob caught in my throat—sharp, dry, and ugly."Valerie?"The deep, quiet voice made me flinch violently.Ben was standing on the other side of the counter, dressed in a black t-shirt and grey sweatpants, holding a dark mug. He set it down instantly, his sharp green eyes taking in my bloodless face, my trembling shoulders, and the raw panic written into every line of my posture.In two long strides, he rounded the island and was right in front of me."Hey," he murmured, h
married for show CHAPTER 117
VALERIEThe morning sun had barely crested the pine trees, casting a pale, silver light across the mist hanging over the ocean.I couldn't sleep. The suffocating weight in my chest had dragged me out of bed before seven, sending me down to the private wooden dock behind the beach house just to breathe in the biting sea air. The wood beneath my bare feet was cold and slick with morning dew.The sound of heavy, rapid footsteps breaking through the tall grass behind me made my blood freeze.I didn't even have to turn around."What the hell was that last night, Valerie?"Nathan’s voice sliced through the silence like a jagged blade. He grabbed my shoulder, spinning me around violently to face him. His eyes were bloodshot, his jaw clenched so hard the muscles were twitching, and the sharp scent of stale scotch clung to his skin. He hadn't slept either."Let go of me, Nathan," I said, my voice surprisingly steady despite the cold panic clawing at my throat. I shoved his hand off my s
married for show CHAPTER 116
BENEDICTThe ocean air on the back deck was cold, damp, and smelled of salt.I leaned my forearm against one of the cedar pillars supporting the upper balcony, taking a slow sip of my scotch. Upstairs, through the illuminated glass, I could see Valerie standing by her vanity, pulling her hair back into a clip. Down here, the rest of the crew was down on the beach setting up the fire pit, leaving the main patio temporarily deserted.The heavy glass sliding door behind me slid open with a harsh, metallic scrape.I didn't turn around. I didn't need to. The sharp, aggressive footfalls on the wooden deck told me exactly who it was.Nathan slammed a silver ice bucket down onto the outdoor table, his breath coming in agitated hitches. He walked right into my peripheral vision, his arms crossed tight over his chest, his posture rigid with pure, unadulterated hostility."You need to back off, Benedict," he snapped.I slowly brought the glass to my lips, letting the burn of the whiskey h
married for show CHAPTER 115
VALERIEThe coastal sun had already dipped below the horizon by the time our chauffeur pulled the SUV into the sprawling, cobblestone driveway of the Thorne beach estate.The house was massive—a modern glass-and-cedar compound cut directly into the ocean cliffs, illuminated by warm, glowing outdoor lights that reflected off the dark, crashing waves below. Nathan and the others were already here; three sports cars were parked in a sleek line near the multi-car garage, and loud music was faintly pulsing through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows.Ben stepped out of the back seat first, effortlessly grabbing my two heavy leather duffel bags along with his own luggage before I could even reach for them.I pushed through the grand double glass doors of the entrance, the cool air conditioning hitting my skin. In the main lounge, the entire crew was already sprawled out on the white sectional couches—Nathan, Elena, Maya, her sister Jade, and Nathan’s varsity friends, Luke and James.Jam
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