Lahat ng Kabanata ng Your brother, my husband : Kabanata 41 - Kabanata 50

It wasn’t fear, at least not exactly. It was a memory—cold and sudden, like a breeze down your spine on a quiet day.The photo from the envelope still sat in my nightstand drawer. I had hidden it there days ago, the plain white envelope folded around it like a protective shell, But still it burned in my thoughts.That cracked staircase, the broken window, the place I used to shrink myself into.Raymond noticed I wasn’t sleeping well, but he didn’t push, not until that morning.We were in the middle of folding laundry when I caught myself staring at the wall.“Naomi,” he said, voice low,“You’ve not been yourself lately, Talk to me.”I hesitated for a while.Then I reached into the drawer and pulled out the photo.Raymond took it silently, turning it over in his hand.“Your old place?”I nodded. “It came in the mail, there was no return address, no explanation, Just… this.”His jaw tightened. “You should’ve spoken to me about it.”“I didn’t want to distract or disturb you, You’ve been

Naomi’s POVThe interior of the limousine was silent, enveloped in soft velvet shadows and the gentle murmurs of city life. New York’s skyline sparkled outside like a stage set for a performance waiting to begin. Raymond was dressed in a sleek black suit, looking all dashing. He placed his hand lightly on my thigh and did not take his eyes off me the entire drive from the house, not even for a second.“Stop staring, you look like you'd undress me with those eyes of yours,” I said softly while nudging him.“Oh!!!! I'd love to do that but sadly I can’t, “You’re……you’re looking radiant, stunning, appetizing, words can't even describe how gorgeous you look tonight.”I looked down at the emerald dress, the one that felt like strength stitched into silk. “I feel like I’m wearing someone else’s life, I'm still adjusting.”He took my hand, “Babe, You’re wearing the life you earned, so tonight, don't think too much. Head up, chin high, you've got this.”And with that, we pulled up to the Gr

Naomi’s POVI stared at the email long after Raymond fell asleep. The photo… It was so ordinary, so real, This is Me, fifteen years maybe, in my school uniform, standing on the steps of Thompson Enterprises. My smile was small, hesitant. I looked like a girl who hadn’t yet learned to flinch.Who still had this picture?And why now all of a sudden?I didn’t reply, I Just shut the tablet and lay back in the dark, letting the weight of memory settle around me like a quilt I hadn’t asked for till I fell asleep.……..The Next Morning, Raymond found me sitting on the patio swing, wrapped in a throw blanket, coffee untouched.“Good morning, my queen, I see you haven't touched your coffee yet, You okay?”I handed him the tablet.He read the email once, Then again. His jaw clenched slightly. “Anonymous?”I nodded. “There was No address, No digital trail, Just… that.”“Someone’s watching you.”“Or probably remembering me, because why is it when I took charge of the company again he sent that?

Naomi’s POV Morning of the MeetingI stared at my reflection longer than usual, not out of vanity, but reverence.A soft navy suit with gold-lined cuffs. Modest but striking. My hair coiled into a smooth bun, A pair of pearl earrings my mother once wore to my father’s first company anniversary dinner.“Mommy, you look like a boss,” Miranda said, poking her head into the room.I turned, smiled. “That’s because today, I have to be one.”Raymond walked in behind her, “Not have to, You are one already.”I let out a soft breath. “The last time I sat in that room, I was grieving and unsure. Today, I’m walking differently.”“You’re not just walking in,” Raymond said, taking my hand. “You’re taking the table with you.”---The venue I’d chosen for the board meeting wasn’t the usual marble-and-glass skyscraper.It was a converted community tech hub in Harlem, owned by three Black women under thirty who built it from an abandoned brownstone.A statement.The board didn’t love it.They didn’t n

Naomi’s POVThe wind carried the scent of pine and distant rain. I stood at the edge of the clearing with a flat river stone in my hand, my thumb tracing its smooth surface over and over.The crew waited quietly behind me, boxes of fresh lumber stacked and ready. But no one moved.They were waiting for me.Raymond stood just off to the side, one hand resting in his pocket, the other holding Miranda’s small fingers. Her pink hoodie flapped in the breeze, a glittery butterfly patch stitched over the heart.I stepped forward and knelt slowly in the soil.The ground was soft, Cold, Real.I pressed the stone into the earth where the main house would be built.“I name this place The Haven,” I said, my voice quiet but clear. “May every woman who enters here walk out stronger, Brighter.”I stayed crouched, my hand still resting on the stone, My eyes stung.You would’ve loved this, Daddy.Miranda let go of Raymond’s hand and ran toward me, crouching beside me.“Can I put one too?”I nodded, he