Semua Bab Abandoned by Ex, Married to His CEO Brother: Bab 311 - Bab 320

SusannaI was sitting in the corner of my room pressed into the seat by the window, my eyes fixed on the world outside the window bars. People watching had become my main pastime, not because I liked it, but because it was better than staring at my own hands, or worse, my own reflection. Most days felt the same: terribly lonely, and suffocatingly boring.Florence had come in earlier this morning for her usual check-up. She had tried to coax me into going to the hospital common room, waxing monotone about some new romance series that was premiering this afternoon. I had refused without even pretending to think about it.The thought alone made me sick. I couldn’t stand to see the faces out there, smooth, and untouched, smug in their perfection.The worst were the women, their skin glowing like it had never even heard of a scar. I would rather sit here in silence than subject myself to that kind of torture.My aversion to intact faces had only gotten worse over time. I hated them all. Ev

SusannaSomething didn’t add up. The way Conrad skimmed over certain parts, the way his gaze slid away all gave me the distinct feeling that there was more to the story that he wasn’t telling me.I set my chocolates aside, wiping a trace of melted cocoa from my fingers onto the napkin beside me."So what’s the plan now?" I asked.His eyes met mine then, and his sigh this time was heavier. "Mother hasn’t contacted me," he said slowly, "but I have my own ideas on how to help her." There was a beat of silence. "I’m hoping it’s something you will be able to help me with."And just like that, whatever comfort that had been growing in my chest over the last few minutes turned to ash. I felt it drop, heavy and cold, somewhere deep in my stomach.Why else would he be here? It wasn’t loneliness. It wasn’t regret. It wasn’t even an obligation. No, Conrad was here because he needed something. Because Conrad only ever remembered I existed when I was useful.I took the napkin I had been holding an

The meeting had ended in the only way Casillas ever allowed it to, with his voice thundering louder than reason. Grant had opened his mouth once more, trying to argue that betraying Marceline wasn’t the best course of action, but Casillas didn’t let him finish. With a sharp snarl, he cut him off, declaring the meeting over. His words weren’t a suggestion but a command, and though the men pushed back their chairs and rose, none of them moved quickly to leave.Grant, in particular, lingered, his eyes fixed on Casillas in open displeasure. The stare was bold, dangerously so, but Grant didn’t blink. Casillas caught the defiance in the man’s face and felt his temper flare. With an ugly twist of his lips, he barked at all of them to get out, his voice like a whip cracking through the room.That broke the silence. Chairs scraped back, footsteps shuffled, and the men began filing toward the door. But as the first of them reached the hallway, Casillas lifted a hand and called out sharply, “Dav

AlexanderI pushed open the door to the private dining room, my expression carefully schooled. I was very aware that I was over fifteen minutes late since I had done so deliberately. I had arrived at the restaurant exactly on time but stayed in the car, watching the clock tick away. I knew Brian Hart was already seated inside, stewing, probably checking his watch every thirty seconds, feeling the irritation build. That was the point of my lateness: a man on edge was easier to read and far easier to control.As I entered, my gaze immediately found him. Brian sat stiff-backed at the polished table, his hands folded tightly as if strangling one another, his mouth pressed into a disapproving frown. His balding head caught the low light from the chandelier above, highlighting the vein that pulsed faintly at his temple. He looked exactly as I had expected him to; annoyed, impatient, and waiting to vent it on the first opportunity he had.But then the door closed behind me, and the soft sou

ConradThe sound of my secretary’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I blinked once, then twice, as if tearing myself away from a heavy fog and leveled a fiery gaze at her. She froze in the doorway, clutching her tablet like a shield, and I snapped before she could get another word out.“Why the hell are you disturbing me?” My tone was biting. I couldn't help it; my morning had been shitty so far.She flinched, her eyes darting nervously toward the floor. “I...I just wanted to ask, sir, if you’d seen the news this morning.”Her meekness only fueled my irritation. My lips curled in a humorless sneer, the heat in my chest flaring higher. “Who hasn’t seen it at this point?” I asked sarcastically, each word soaked in venom. “Get out of my office.”She fled immediately, pulling the door shut behind her with fumbling hands. The silence that followed pressed against me like a weight. I leaned back in my chair, pinching the bridge of my nose before dragging a weary hand down my face.The