Chapter 21.Andrianne's phone rang just as she pulled into the driveway of her new apartment. She glanced at the caller ID and saw it was her father calling. She hesitated for a moment before answering, her heart racing in her chest."Hello?" she said, her voice shaky."Hello, Andrianne," her father's voice came through the phone, cold and unfeeling."Dad," Andrianne said, trying to keep her voice steady. "What do you want?""I want to talk to you," her father said. "About your marriage."Andrianne's heart sank. She had been dreading this conversation ever since she had decided to file for divorce. "What about it?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper."I understand that you're having some doubts," her father said, his voice dripping with condescension. "But you need to understand that this marriage is important for our family. It's important for our business."Andrianne's jaw tightened. She had always known that her father had only arranged the marriage to further his own inte

Steve was a tall and well-built man, standing at about 6'2" with broad shoulders and muscular arms. He had short, dark hair that was styled neatly, and his piercing blue eyes seemed to be fixed on something in the distance. He was dressed in all black, with a fitted leather jacket and jeans that hugged his strong thighs. His boots were polished to a high shine, and he wore a silver chain around his neck that glinted in the dim light of the bar. Despite his imposing presence, there was a sense of calm about him, and his expression was unreadable. He seemed lost in thought, his attention drawn to the stage where Andrianne was dancing.A random guest at the bar walked up to Andrianne, he was wearing a tight t-shirt and jeans that were too tight for him. He had a beer belly and was slurring his words as he tried to talk to Andrianne. He was leering at her in a way that made her uncomfortable, and his breath reeked of alcohol. Andrianne had a feeling that he had been drinking for a while,

Chapter 25. The morning arrived with the soft light of dawn creeping through the windows, painting the room with a gentle glow. The bedroom was quiet and serene, with only the sound of the gentle breathing of Andrianne as she slept, still wrapped up in the cozy duvet. Steve had been up for a while, sitting in the corner of the room, watching over her and admiring her beauty. He couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia as he gazed upon her. As the morning light continued to grow, Steve rose from his seat and walked over to the bed. He gazed down at Andrianne with an expression of tenderness, love and sadness all mixed together. He couldn't believe that they had been apart for so long, and he wondered what would happen next. He reached out and gently brushed the hair from her face, revealing her peaceful expression as she slept. Steve sat back down in the corner of the room and watched as the morning light grew brighter. He wanted to hold Andrianne, but he was afraid that he might

Chapter 26.Andrianne's heart began to race and her chest tightened as she tried to catch her breath. She felt like the walls were closing in on her and she couldn't escape. She tried to calm herself down, but her mind was racing, and she couldn't focus on anything.Steve noticed that Andrianne was having a panic attack and quickly rushed to her side. He held her in his arms and whispered words of reassurance to her, telling her that everything was going to be okay. Andrianne struggled to breathe, tears streaming down her face as she clung to Steve.Andrianne was still in shock after what had happened. She couldn't believe that the man she had just spent the night with was her first love. The man she thought she had left behind forever. The man who had broken her heart and left her shattered.As Steve tried to explain himself, Andrianne could feel the panic rising inside of her. She tried to control her breathing, but it was no use. She was having a full-blown panic attack.Her chest

Chapter 28.Lucas sat behind his desk, looking at his computer screen without actually seeing it. He couldn't focus on anything, not even the emails that kept pouring in. He needed to clear his head and think about what he was going to do.After a few moments, he stood up and walked around his office, pacing back and forth. His mind was racing with thoughts, and he couldn't seem to calm down.He picked up his phone and dialed Emily's number. After a few rings, she picked up."Emily, can you come to my office? I need a file," he said, his voice shaking."Sure, I'll be there in a few minutes," Emily replied, trying to keep her voice steady.When she arrived, she knocked on the door and waited for Lucas to invite her in. Emily walked slowly towards him, her eyes never leaving his. She placed the file on the desk in front of him and stood there, her arms crossed tightly across her chest. Lucas looked up at her and noticed how distant she seemed, her usual bubbly personality nowhere to be