บททั้งหมดของ TWO LIVES - Shattered Illusion : บทที่ 41 - บทที่ 50

She sighed outwardly from the cruel disappointment of reality that she wasn’t in Alex’s world anymore, not even in his contempt.Niya's heart ached deeply, and it wasn't because Pony had reluctantly swapped the glittering dress for a quick buck or because her hair and makeup that she’d spent hours perfecting were now ruined. That wasn’t why her chest hurt like this.For a moment, Niya believed she'd woken up from her unending dream and back to being Alex's fake wife. And somehow, even his cold disdain had felt less torturous than this emptiness. She didn’t know if it was another memory, but it felt real and familiar like she’d seen this pool before and Alex had risen from it, once. She strongly had the moment of dejavu.Or maybe it was her mind playing tricks in her. Ever since that last night with him, she'd started sensing him like some kind of premonition. He’d been appearing in her life in eerie synchronicity across the street from her job, in her dreams as though he'd been waitin

She looked... devastatingly gorgeous. Rosetta had given her a cozy white oversized, fluffy sweater, loose at the neck. It hung off one shoulder just enough to show a gleam of creamy skin that smelt of vanilla. Paired with black leggings and ankle boots, she looked like winter mornings in some designer ad.Her hair had dried into darker strands that curled slightly at the ends, framing her round face and clean cheeks like she’d been styled by accident. She hadn’t reapplied much makeup, just a clean face with fresh glossed rosy lips, lot of skin, and those tired but clear eyes.She was dazzling and her skin was glowing under the gold lighting, oblivious of his eyes while she eats messily and beautifully.Rapha Fowler didn’t interrupt her yet. He watched her chew with her brows pulled together like she was trying to ration the joy in each bite.His eyes sweep over her as a pinch bloomed in his chest. He hated feelings that didn’t obey him.He was used to getting what he wanted, but this

“I didn’t expect the coffee to cost twelve thousand dollars.” Niya sat with her hands fondling on her lap, her body angled toward the window, but not quite leaning on it.“That wasn’t for the coffee.” Rapha sat beside her, relaxed, with legs wide and a finger absently circling on his knee like he was thinking, but his eyes hadn’t left her face.“Sure felt like it.”A loud silence crept in.“If you’d actually read the contract, you’d have known you have access to one of my cards,” he said mildly. “You can use it whenever. It’s under your name.”Her eyes finally found his and her lips curved in an ‘o’.“Didnt you see it on the vanity in your room?”“No, I don’t…” she grimaced. “I didn’t see anything in the –”“Page six, last paragraph.”“You don’t expect anyone to read all that lawyer mumbo jumbo,” she huffed. “It was like six miles long.”He smiled to himself. “I did.”“Of course you did,” she gave him a look.“I also had my lawyer bury it on purpose,” he added, glancing out the window

“... yeah, and you wore white that day like a damn funeral virgin. What’s your point?”Rapha walked slowly through the corridor outside the cinema, stone walls reflecting shadows beneath antique sconces that burned like gaslight. He had his phone pressed to his ear.“My point is, you're late.” The voice on the other end was quiet, but it managed to find it way under his tough skin. “That girl,” the man continued. “She’s beautiful, yes. Complex, fragile in the way that invites a man like you to –”“She’s not the mission,” Raphael interrupted, his jaw grounding together as he turned into a room at the end of the corridor. “I have the access I need. I’m one move away from that file but if I fucking move too fast, it all comes down. She’s not stupid.”The room was lined with mirrors that had wooden frames carved around the edges like coffins.“Timing was sacred when this started.”“Then let me do this my way.”“This isn’t about how, Raphael. It’s about intention, and I’m starting to think

“You don’t even belong in here. I’ve seen girls like you. Wannabes. Strays. Always hoping some powerful man will mistake pity for love,” Celine tilted her head, amusement curling at the corners of her lips like a venomous smile. “But men like Raphael don’t keep – they use, then toss and you’re a passing interest. A placeholder.”She smoothed down the front of her dress like nothing had happen, her manicured finger swirled in the air like she was tracing something invisible and hideous. “I wouldn’t even have to try,” she continued. “You don’t exist in these circles, but I could make damn sure they remember your face. You’ll be the sad little charity girl who clung to a man who never once claimed her. That’s the story they’ll spread and it’ll stick.”Niya didn’t speak. She couldn’t because her throat burned like she’d swallowed fire, and her body felt tight, like a violin string stretched past its tuning. Her hands twitched at her sides, but she still hasn't moved. Not when she wanted