All Chapters of The Lovely Loner: Chapter 51 - Chapter 59

The chandeliers above shimmered like suspended frost, casting light across the gilded ballroom in gentle, almost mocking waves. Judith sat poised, back rigid, smile taut. Her fingers rested on the edge of her dessert plate — a delicate creation of spun sugar and saffron cream — untouched. All around her, laughter wove through the air, a symphony of ease and delight. And yet within her, nothing sat right.It was as if the night had cracked down the middle.And the fracture had a name.Annie Yin.Judith hadn’t taken a full breath since that woman walked in.From the moment the crowd parted for her, from the instant she entered on the arm of him — that tall, myth-like man whose name no one dared speak aloud — the entire equilibrium of the evening had tilted. Judith had watched the King’s eyes widen, watched Rex’s jaw tighten, and felt her own body go cold with recognition and dread.The woman who was never supposed to return into their lives had reappeared — and not just reappeared, but

The heavy double doors burst open.A gust of cold air from the corridor swept into the room, fluttering the gauzy curtains at the far end and carrying with it the scent of champagne and garden roses from the grand ballroom. But inside this private washroom — sterile, elegant, cold — it might as well have been the opening of a tomb.King was the first to enter. His tall frame cut through the air like a blade, flanked by two high-ranking members of the elite circle — men and women who were more accustomed to whispering behind velvet ropes than responding to crises. Their expressions were tight with alarm, eyes scanning quickly, sharply.And behind them, Rex Radford.He entered like a storm long overdue — broad-shouldered, composed only in appearance, with the eyes of a man who’d tasted ruin and come back thirsty for more. His presence darkened the threshold. The lights above seemed to dull as he stepped in.Their polished shoes echoed across the marble, steady and severe.And then—They

The washroom’s silence was replaced by chaos the moment the doors closed behind Alaric and Annie. Behind them, Judith lay sprawled across the marble floor, pale as the porcelain sink, blood still leaking in fine threads across her wrist and pooling in the folds of her designer gown. Her breathing was shallow. Her eyelashes fluttered like moths against her cheeks. “Rex,” King said lowly, eyes sharp, “we have to move now if we want to make it tie hospital on time. Now.” Rex didn’t answer. He was already on his knees, scooping her fragile body into his arms. She weighed less than he remembered. Or maybe he was stronger than he’d ever needed to be. The crowd cleared without needing to be told. Judith whimpered, barely conscious, head rolling into the crook of his shoulder. Her blood had already begun to soak into his shirt. King moved ahead, calling out for the valet, shouting for the car. He didn’t care that they were the elite of the elite. Tonight, nothing mattered except th

The sterile quiet of the hospital suite was broken only by the gentle hum of machines and the rhythmic hiss of the oxygen flow.Judith stirred.Her eyelids fluttered open with slow precision, as though even waking was a performance. A pale beam of early morning light filtered through the drawn curtain, softening the edges of the pristine room. The faint scent of antiseptic clung to the air, mingling with the sharpness of her own dried blood.She blinked once. Twice.And then she saw him.Rex.Seated beside her bed, still in his wrinkled tuxedo shirt, the buttons half undone, his jacket draped on a nearby chair. His posture was stiff, his jaw clenched so tight it could shatter teeth. He hadn’t shaved. His cufflinks were still on. And his hands—those hands—were resting on his knees, as if he didn’t know what to do with them anymore.He looked exhausted.But he was there.Exactly where she wanted him.“…Rex,” she whispered, her voice delicate with strain.He jolted slightly, like a man r