Lahat ng Kabanata ng Sold Myself to My Husband’s Rival: Kabanata 141 - Kabanata 150

"Tell me," I said quietly."He’s dead," Tomas said in a rush."We found him in his penthouse this morning. They’re saying it was suicide."The world tilted for a moment.I closed my eyes, taking a slow, deep breath.Jesse stepped closer, his hand resting on my lower back, steady and silent."Thank you for telling me," I said after a moment, my voice barely above a whisper."There’s... no family to arrange things," Tomas added awkwardly."And I thought—""I’ll take care of it," I said firmly.Relief rushed into the man’s voice."Thank you, miss. Thank you."I ended the call and set the phone down carefully.For a moment, I just stood there.Letting the news sink in.Not crying.Not raging.Just feeling the heavy, quiet sadness settle into my bones.Jesse didn’t say anything.He just stepped behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist, resting his chin lightly on my shoulder.I leaned back into him, drawing strength from his warmth."Are you okay?" he asked softly."I don’t know," I ad

I sat up, rubbing my eyes, just as he strolled back into the bedroom carrying a tray.Coffee. Croissants. Strawberries.And that boyish, mischievous grin that always made my heart race."Breakfast in bed?" I teased, smiling sleepily.He set the tray down beside me and leaned in, brushing a kiss against my forehead."Not just breakfast," he said.I moved my head."Oh?"He sat down on the edge of the bed, his eyes sparkling with something... secretive."Get dressed, baby," he said, voice low and full of promise."We're leaving in an hour."I blinked."Leaving? Where?"He only grinned wider."You’ll see."An hour later, after much playful grumbling and teasing, I was dressed in casual jeans, a white shirt, and a soft leather jacket Jesse had insisted I wear.The car was already waiting downstairs.Sleek. Black. Windows tinted so dark you couldn’t see inside.I gave him a suspicious look as he opened the door for me."You're not kidnapping me, are you?"He laughed, the sound low and warm.

"Come on," he said. "I have plans."I groaned dramatically, pulling the sheet over my head."More plans? I’m still recovering from last night’s plans."He laughed — a deep, beautiful sound — and tugged the sheet down gently."You’ll like these," he promised.Half an hour later, we were barefoot, hand in hand, walking along the beach.The sand was cool under our feet, the early morning sky painted in soft pinks and golds.Jesse led me to a small cove tucked away behind a wall of jagged black rocks.There, waiting for us, was a small wooden boat bobbing gently in the shallows.Two paddles rested inside.And a small wicker basket.I turned to him, raising an eyebrow."A boat ride? Seriously?"He smirked."A romantic boat ride."I snorted but allowed him to help me in anyway.We paddled lazily out into the open water.The island shrank behind us, a green gem floating in a sea of blue.Jesse opened the basket, pulling out cold lemonade, fresh fruit, and a blanket.We anchored ourselves wit

Jesse took to fatherhood like he had been waiting his whole life for it.He hovered over both of us constantly —checking the room temperature,checking if she was breathing,checking if I was drinking enough water.It was both heart-melting and hilarious."Bella," he said one afternoon, practically bursting into our bedroom with a worried look, "I don’t think she’s eaten enough today."I blinked at him from the bed, where our daughter was curled against me, fast asleep and milk-drunk with a little smile on her face."Jesse," I said patiently,"She's fine. Look at her. She’s smiling."He scowled, arms crossed over his chest."I still think we should call the pediatrician."I laughed softly."We already called twice this week."He grumbled under his breath, coming over to sit carefully on the edge of the bed.Gently — so, so gently — he ran a fingertip along her tiny cheek.She yawned, wrinkling her nose, and Jesse froze, looking like someone had just handed him the keys to the univers

I leaned forward, heart tightening."Go on.""It's about his son."I froze.For a moment, I thought I misheard him."His... son?""Yes," Tomas said grimly. "The child Athena carried—it was his after all. After everything fell apart, no one claimed the boy. He's in the St. Mary's Orphanage on the east side of the city."I gripped the phone tighter."And no one's...?""No, miss. No one. He's been there since he was born."My chest squeezed painfully. I swallowed hard."Thank you for telling me," I said quietly.I ended the call and stood, my mind racing.I told Jesse everything. "I’ll drive," he said, grabbing the car keys without question.The orphanage was an old, crumbling brick building tucked away in a poorer part of the city.Children played listlessly in the cracked courtyard, most too thin, too wary.My heart ached just looking at them.Then I saw it.A small boy—maybe three years old—being shoved hard by two older kids.He stumbled, falling on the concrete, a bloody scrape bloo