Semua Bab RECKLESS VOWS: Bab 21 - Bab 30

GLIMPSE OF TRUTHSleep proved impossible. Lyra tossed and turned for hours, replaying the events of the gala, her conversation with Ryker, and the threat Marcus presented. By three in the morning, she abandoned any pretense of rest.She slipped from her bed, pulled on a robe, and padded barefoot into the hallway. Maybe a cup of tea would settle her nerves. The penthouse was eerily quiet, moonlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long shadows across marble floors.A sound stopped her halfway to the kitchen—something between a groan and a shout. She froze, listening. It came again, definitely human, definitely distressed.Following the noise, she found herself outside Ryker's study. The door stood ajar, a sliver of lamplight spilling into the hallway. She hesitated, remembering his warning about private spaces.Another sound—words this time, ungraspable but urgent.She pushed the door open.Ryker wasn't at his desk but sprawled on the leather sofa against the fa

CHAPTER 23: THE REAL JANELyra paced the penthouse living room. Three days had passed since the almost-kiss at Ryker Tech. Three days of tension thick enough to cut with a knife.The doorbell rang. She froze.Ryker was at work. Mrs. Hargrave was out shopping. Security hadn't called up to announce a visitor.She approached the intercom panel and pressed the button. "Yes?""It's Jane. Let me up."Lyra's stomach dropped. Jane. Her so-called best friend. The creator of this whole mess."You shouldn't be here," Lyra said."Open the damn door, Lyra. We need to talk."Against her better judgment, Lyra buzzed her in. Minutes later, Jane strutted into the penthouse as she owned it.She looked different. Designer handbag, new highlights, expensive watch. Marcus Kane's influence was clear in every inch of her appearance."Nice place," Jane said, running her finger along a marble countertop. "I see why you've been ignoring my calls.""I've been busy," Lyra replied, keeping her distance.Jane drop

CHAPTER 25: THE INVITATIONMorning light filtered through the curtains as Lyra stared at her laptop screen. Words failed her. The cursor blinked mockingly on the page of her manuscript—a silent accusation of her writer's block. Three days at the lake house, and her novel hadn't progressed a single paragraph.Three days of avoiding Ryker. Three days of remembering that kiss.She closed her laptop and moved to the window. The lake shimmered under the spring sunshine, peaceful and serene. So different from the turmoil inside her.A knock at the door made her jump."Breakfast is ready, Mrs. Blackwood," called the housekeeper who had arrived yesterday—an older woman named Martha who spoke little and observed much."Thank you. I'll be down shortly." The Mrs. Blackwood title still felt like someone else's identity—a costume she couldn't take off.Downstairs, the dining room table was set for two. Fresh fruit, pastries, and coffee waited under silver domes. Ryker sat reading something on his

CHAPTER 27: HAMPTON RETREAT The screen lit up with Tessa's response: ‘WTF Lyra? Are you serious? Should I call the police?’Ryker's expression hardened as he read the message. "Making plans to leave so soon?""Give me my phone." She reached for it, but he held it away."You texted your friend that you're being held against your will." His voice was dangerously quiet. "An interesting interpretation of our arrangement.""It's not an interpretation. It's the truth." She backed away, anger replacing fear. "You threaten me. Control me. Track my every move. What would you call it?""Protection." He pocketed her phone. "From Kane. From Jane. From your own poor decisions.""I don't need your protection!""Evidence suggests otherwise." He gestured around them. "You're here because Kane has people watching you. Because Jane betrayed you. Because you made a choice to impersonate someone for money without considering the consequences.""And how long will you hold that over me?" Her voice cracked

CHAPTER 29: VULNERABLE The master bedroom felt different in daylight…less intimidating, more intimate.He set her down gently beside the bed, his hands framing her face. "Are you sure?"The question surprised her. She had expected demands, authority, and the controlling man she had grown used to. Instead, she saw delay, a defenselessness that made her heart race for entirely different reasons.“Are you?” she asked His smile was a fragile thing, both sad and beautiful, like the last ray of sunlight before nightfall. “I haven’t been sure of anything since the day you walked into my life.”His hands slid down to her shoulders, his fingers brushing the silk of her pajama top. With a tenderness that made her chest ache, he peeled it away, his lips following the path of his hands. His mouth pressed softly against her collarbone, his breath warm against her skin. “So beautiful,” he murmured, his voice rough with emotion, as if the words were torn from the depths of his soul.She shivered,