Lahat ng Kabanata ng Bride Of The eccentric CEO: Kabanata 81 - Kabanata 90

6RICHARDI woke up the next morning, slightly worse for wear. I rubbed a hand over my aching head with a small grimace and sat up gingerly. The sun washigh in the sky, and I could hear the muted sounds of laughter and talking coming from outside. Glancing at the clock, I shook my head. I couldn’t recall the last time I had slept until almost noon. I also couldn’t recall the last time I had danced and laughed so much. It had been a great party. Lots of food, top-shelf liquor, hilarity, and love. The standard family get-together with this group. We had stumbled home around two, my arm thrown over Katy’s shoulder, stopping every few feet to kiss her mouth and tell her how pretty she was or how much I loved her.It took us a long time to cover the short distance.On the nightstand were a bottle of water and a couple of Tylenol, which I swallowed gratefully. As usual, my Katy knew what I would need and took care of it in her quiet way. I shuffled to the bathroom and took a long shower, t

8RICHARDT he next day dawned bright and beautiful. I was up early and went for a jog on the beach, breathing in the cool morning air. Maddox joined me,and we ran the length of the beach several times, finally stopping and sitting on the rocks, watching the slow, lazy waves.“Great day,” I uttered, taking a long drink of my water. “Stellar,” Maddox replied. “You doing okay?”I laughed dryly, turning my head and meeting my best friend’s gaze. We’d weathered a lot of storms together over the years. Watched our kids grow, lamenting on time going too quickly. Helped each other through tough times. I doubted I would be where I was today if it weren’t for Maddox Riley.“I’m fine, Mad Dog. I slept like a baby last night. No walking the floors, worrying over my daughter getting married. It’s different with Heather than it was for Gracie.”“Why do you think that is?” he asked.I shrugged. “Maybe because they’ve lived together for so long. Maybe because I’ve known Reed most of his life, and I

10RICHARDE verything seemed to happen at once. Katy’s hand slid from mine, and she covered her mouth. All the men at the table stood. Halton roundedthe table, standing beside me, his hand on my shoulder.Luc burst through the patio doors, hurrying over, reaching Ashley. He looked around the table, his eyes widening as he saw the bag containing the shirt.“Love, what have you done?” he asked quietly. “You said you were going to give me a chance to do some research.”“I don’t need any research,” she spat.Halton squeezed my shoulder in warning.“I think we need to step back,” he said. “Let the air cool. Perhaps arrange a meeting in my office.”“And you are who, exactly?” Ashley demanded.“Richard’s lawyer,” he stated smoothly. “I specialize in family law.”“Of course you’d have a lawyer in your pocket,” she sneered. “You have everything, don’t you, Mr. VanRyan? The family, the friends, the wealth. Pretending your life is perfect. That you’re perfect, when we both know you’re anything

I left the Hub, my steps heavy, my body suddenly feeling older than its years. Katy wasn’t in the house, and I walked to the beach, spying hersitting on the rocks. She loved the water and found the waves and movement soothing. She often sat close to it to think or reflect. The fact that she was reflecting on my past and our future didn’t sit well with me. I walked closer, pausing a few feet away. She tilted her head, shading her eyes and studying me.“This feels like déjà vu,” she said quietly. “The day you found me on the beach at the cottage.”“You’d run from me,” I replied. “Are you running now, Katy?” “No, I’m thinking.”“I suppose I don’t have to ask about what.”“Last night, yes. But other things as well. Heather looked so happy yesterday. It was a lovely day.”I walked over and sat across from her. “Yeah, it was. She and Reed are good together. He’ll look after her.”“Gavin looks well. Happy.”I sighed. “All our kids are. Even your baby, Matthew, looks just fine, despite his l

A iden and Bentley joined us for some basketball. We spent a couple of hours shooting hoops, trash-talking, and pushing one another on thecourt. It was what I needed. The physical release, my attention focused on something other than the events of yesterday. My friends knew what I needed as well, driving me hard, not giving an inch. After, we had races in the pool, and I felt calmer than I had been in the past twenty-four hours. I had a change of clothes in my locker. We all kept one there, and I felt better after a shower. I dried off my hair and headed upstairs. There were platters of food left from the day before, and Maddox filled a plate and pushed it toward me.“Eat. I think you burned off about ten thousand calories today. I don’t want you passing out on us.”I glanced around the empty space. “No one else around today?”Aiden smirked as he took a huge bite of some flatbread. He chewed and swallowed. “Nah, I told everyone the place was off-limits today. I said you were sulking