All Chapters of Pen & Passion: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

81 Chapters

God Help Me

The warmth of the ballroom hit me like a wall the moment I stepped back inside. After the cool night air and the quiet murmur of Javier’s teasing voice, the sudden blast of chandeliers, music, and chatter felt almost overwhelming.I smoothed my dress down as though the fabric could iron out the mess in my chest. My cheeks were still warm, my pulse still uneven, and I hated that I couldn’t shake the phantom weight of Javier’s hand at my waist.It was fine. It meant nothing. Just a distraction.Still, the contrast nearly floored me.At the far side of the room, Joaquin stood in perfect control—dark mask, immaculate suit, voice low as he spoke with investors and his father. Crisp, composed, untouchable. A world away from Javier’s undone tie and faint-smelling smoke.My lips pressed together. I didn’t belong in either world, did I? Not the poised mask of Joaquin’s nor the reckless grin of Javier’s.“Where have you been?” Jessy’s voice cut through my spiraling thoughts. She appeared at my

Last Updated : 2025-08-18

A Mafia Boss

My lips still tingled.It had been just a brush, barely there, but the ghost of it haunted me like it was branded into my skin. Joaquin kissed me. My fiancé. My pretend fiancé. My heart was in freefall, and I couldn’t tell if I was terrified or elated.God help me.I slipped back into the ballroom, but I wasn’t really there. Not in my head, anyway. My body moved through the crowd, my hand gripping the edge of a champagne flute I didn’t remember picking up, but inside, everything was chaos.The way his thumb lingered against my hand. The heat in his gaze right before he leaned in. That kiss. That damn kiss.I tried to steady my breathing, but it was useless. He had kissed me, pulled away, and gone back into the ballroom like nothing happened. Like it was easy for him to slip the mask back on while mine had shattered.“Okay, whoa. You look like someone just walked over your grave.”I blinked and found Jessy at my side, her sharp eyes scanning my face. Ethan loomed just behind her, his u

Last Updated : 2025-08-19

Fear? Fury?

The champagne in my hand had long since gone warm, but I hadn’t taken a sip. My eyes weren’t on Joaquin anymore—he was still surrounded by his father and a cluster of investors, commanding the room as he always did. No, my gaze had shifted.Toward the bar.Toward Javier.He stood there like he owned the place, shirt collar loose, his untied tie draped around his shoulders, a drink in hand like this was just another night at one of his “establishments.” The same mouth that used to grin at me over stolen cookies in childhood now curled lazily around the rim of a whiskey glass. And all I could hear in my head was Ethan’s hushed voice.Mafia boss. Leader. Dangerous.I wanted to laugh. I wanted to scream. Instead, I found myself moving—heels clicking against the marble—until I reached him. He noticed, smirked like he’d been waiting for me.“Haven,” he drawled. “You here to keep me company or drag me back to the circus?”I didn’t answer. My hand shot out, grabbing his wrist before I could t

Last Updated : 2025-08-20

My Javi

The second Javier’s lips left mine, reality crashed in.What had I done?My back was still pressed to the cold hedge wall of the maze, my body trembling, my lips tingling as if his mouth were still there. My hands hovered uselessly in the air, like they didn’t know whether to shove him harder away or cling to him.It wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t supposed to kiss him back.And yet… I had.Even if it was for just one breath, one terrifying, electric heartbeat—I let myself give in. My lips had moved against his.The guilt bloomed in my chest like poison, choking, burning.Joaquin.I staggered a step back, nearly tripping over my gown, clutching the fabric as if I could hide the sin imprinted on my skin. My mind screamed that I loved Joaquin—that I wanted Joaquin—that I had been so sure. And now? Now my stomach twisted with shame, because no matter how much I wanted to deny it, part of me had wanted that kiss.Part of me had wanted him.Javier. My childhood best friend. Joaquin’s b

Last Updated : 2025-08-21

If Only They Knew

The moment Joaquin’s hand closed around mine, I felt the guilt claw deeper. His touch was warm, grounding, steady—the exact opposite of the chaos swirling in my chest. And he didn’t even hesitate.He just looked at me like he could sense something was wrong, and instead of demanding answers, he simply tugged me gently toward the center of the ballroom.The orchestra swelled, violins carrying a melody soft and romantic, and before I could protest, Joaquin turned to face me, bowing slightly as he offered his hand.“Dance with me,” he murmured.I blinked at him, startled. “Here? Now?”“Now.” His lips curved in the faintest smile, his gray eyes glinting in the candlelight. “You look like you need it.”And God help me, he was right.I slipped my hand into his, and he pulled me closer, his other hand settling lightly at my waist. We moved with the music, slow and measured, and for a moment, the world hushed around us. The crowd faded, the laughter and chatter dulled. It was just him and me,

Last Updated : 2025-08-22

Torn in Two

The ride back to Joaquin’s place was quiet, the hum of the car a low backdrop to the storm in my chest. His arm was around me, steady and warm, shielding me from the flash of cameras as we left the gala.To the world, it must’ve looked like a fairy tale: the devoted fiancé carrying his tired bride-to-be out of a ballroom filled with glitter and champagne.But beneath my skin, shame pulsed like a second heartbeat.When the car pulled up to Joaquin’s bachelor pad, he didn’t even wait for Mark to open the door. He slid out smoothly, gathering me into his arms again before I could protest.“Joaquin, I can walk,” I murmured, cheeks heating.“You’ve done enough tonight,” he said simply, his voice brooking no argument. “Let me.”The door closed behind us, muting the city noise. I know that his private home was sleek, masculine, filled with muted grays and clean lines—but tonight, it felt softer somehow. Like his presence wrapped around every corner.He carried me straight into the living roo

Last Updated : 2025-08-25

Make No Mistake

Sleep never lasted long. Not tonight, not with my thoughts clawing at me like restless shadows. I’d barely drifted for an hour before my eyes snapped open, heart pounding as though it refused to let me rest.Joaquin’s steady arms carrying me out of the ballroom. Javier’s mouth on mine in the maze. The guilt, the ache, the chaos… I couldn’t breathe with it all pressing on me.So I gave up. Slipping from bed as quietly as I could, I padded down the hall, clutching my robe tight around me. Maybe chamomile tea would help. Something simple. Something steady. Something that wasn’t one of the Greyson brothers.But the second I entered the kitchen, I froze.There he was.Javier sat on the counter like sin personified, half-naked, a glass dangling lazily from his fingers. Only his slacks hung low on his hips, his chest bare, golden under the dim kitchen lights. His dark hair was a little messy, his eyes glinting in amusement the moment they found mine.Of course. Of course it had to be him.I

Last Updated : 2025-08-26

Keep Breakfast Interesting

The first thing I registered when I opened my eyes was the faint taste of chamomile still on my tongue. The second was the heaviness in my chest, the echo of words I couldn’t erase.I’ll wait. But make no mistake—you’re mine.I buried my face into the pillow, muffling a groan. God, what had last night even been? A fever dream? No. I could still feel the heat of Javier’s gaze on my skin, the way his voice had dipped into something so raw it stripped me bare.And now, morning light streamed through the curtains, bright and unforgiving, reminding me that nothing had actually changed. I was still in Joaquin’s world. Still in his home. Still pretending to be his fiancée while my heart spun like a broken compass between two brothers.Dragging myself out of bed, I threw on a simple blouse and jeans, something safe, something that didn’t feel like silk gowns and masquerade masks and stolen kisses. Maybe coffee would drown the memory.But the second I stepped into the kitchen, I knew fate wasn

Last Updated : 2025-08-27

The Dream

The morning sun slanted through Joaquin’s office windows, painting the shelves of books in golden light. The space always smelled faintly of paper and ink—familiar, grounding—but today there was a flutter in my chest I couldn’t quite tame.I sat across from him at his wide mahogany desk, laptop open, manuscripts stacked beside me. It was routine now, slipping into work with him, combing through drafts and tightening prose until every sentence gleamed. But this time, his gaze lingered a little longer on me as I tapped notes into the screen.“You’ve gotten faster,” he said, his voice low, teasing.I arched a brow. “Are you complimenting me or suggesting I’m rushing?”“Both.” A half-smile tugged at his lips. “Efficient, but maybe a little eager.”I rolled my eyes, though warmth spread through my chest. “Says the man who edits entire chapters in under an hour.”Joaquin leaned back in his chair, studying me with that unreadable calm of his. “That’s because I’ve been doing this longer. You,

Last Updated : 2025-08-28

Me... or Still Her?

The day stretched long, words blurring together on the page as the soft hum of the city seeped in through the office windows. My pen scratched idly against the margin of Joaquin’s manuscript, but my attention kept drifting.To him.He sat across from me, one leg crossed over the other, his focus sharp on the screen before him. For a while, it was just the rhythm of silence between us. His typing, my note-taking, the quiet companionship that had somehow become our routine.Then, as I reached for another stack of pages, my hand brushed against his.A spark shot through me, quick and treacherous. My breath hitched. His fingers didn’t flinch away immediately. In fact, they lingered, grazing against mine like he was weighing the choice of whether to pull back or… not.I dared a glance at him. His jaw was taut, eyes fixed on the screen, but I felt it. The awareness humming between us, thick and unspoken. For a heartbeat too long, neither of us moved.Then he cleared his throat softly, his h

Last Updated : 2025-08-29

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