Hired by my family Rival のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 21 - チャプター 30

Their lips parted with the sound of footsteps approaching — steady, urgent — and then a knock on the door. “Anna, please open the door.” Daisy’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. Austin’s eyes widened. Without a word, he scrambled across the room and slipped into Racheal’s bathroom, closing the door just as the doorknob turned. Racheal steadied herself, taking a deep breath. She opened the door to find Daisy standing there, her face twisted in concern and guilt. “I’m sorry… for what they said,” Daisy whispered. “Please don’t take it to heart — that you couldn’t go to College. That wasn’t fair.” “No, it’s no problem,” Racheal said quickly, trying to dismiss her. Her voice came out softer than usual. Daisy lingered for a moment, clearly uneasy. “Alright, I’ll just go check on Austin,” she said, turning. But just as she took a step away, Austin bolted out of the room and raced down the stairs. Daisy spun around, stunned. She caught a flash of his shirt and narrowed her

“I followed her for a while,” the woman said slowly, “but I don’t recall any accident.” She paused, her brows drawn together in concentration, like someone trying to remember a detail long buried. “Do you remember Sam?” John asked, his voice quiet but insistent. “He was the one who said she had an accident. Memory loss. And honestly… we trust him more than anyone.” There was a strange tension in his eyes—like he wanted to believe her but couldn’t afford to doubt Sam. “Maybe you should come back another time,” he added, his gaze shifting toward the hallway. “She’s in a really bad mood today.” The woman stood up abruptly, chair scraping the tiled floor. Her voice sharpened. “I’ll just say this—do your own investigation. I’ve always believed you trust Sam far too much. He can ruin you if he wants to.” John’s jaw clenched. “Please leave,” he said, voice firm now, final. He didn’t even look at her as she walked out. From her room upstairs, Racheal stood frozen by the window, wat

He had never truly known Racheal. Austin’s chest tightened. He didn’t want to doubt her—God knows he didn’t—but the silence between them echoed louder than his thoughts. Every day with her felt like reading a book with pages torn out. Finally, he turned to her, voice low but firm. “Who are you, really?” Racheal’s expression changed instantly. The spark in her eyes dulled, her lips parted in quiet shock. Around them, the room went still. Everyone was already suspecting her. Now Austin had joined them. She looked down, voice barely a whisper. “My name is Racheal... and I have a brother. His name is Carl. We’ve always struggled. We weren’t born with privilege like all of you. We had to survive. That’s what I was doing—surviving.” Her words were soft but each one weighed heavy. Austin felt the shift in her emotions—the disappointment in his doubt. And it worked. He sighed, guilt curling in his gut. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. She shook her head. “I just... I need time.” Without an

Racheal sat on the edge of her bed, her heart hammering so hard she felt it in her throat. Her hands wouldn’t stay still, fingers twisting over each other. She could hear her own breathing, sharp and uneven. “No one trusts me anymore,” she muttered. “But I’m not letting everything be for nothing.” Before fear could chain her in place, she grabbed her keys and bolted down the stairs. The black JLK gleamed in the driveway. She jumped in, slammed the door shut, and turned the ignition. "Please, please, start"she whispered as the car came alive. She sped off, tyres squealing. Horns blared, brakes screeched, but she didn’t stop. Her eyes stayed locked on the road until the towering gates of her father’s mansion came into view—now belonging to Luke. The sight made her chest ache. “How am I going to get in?” she murmured, scanning the tall iron bars. She could already see guards stationed at the main gate, rifles slung over their shoulders, their eyes scanning the road. “Think, Racheal

The room was still heavy with the warmth of what had just passed between them, the silence humming like a secret they were both too breathless to disturb. Racheal lay nestled against Austin, her cheek pressed to his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. It grounded her, held her still, made her unwilling to move. His arm, strong and steady, curved protectively around her waist as if letting go would break the spell they had fallen into. For the first time in so long, she felt safe. Whole. Almost loved. But the spell was shattered by the sharp, insistent buzz of his phone on the bedside table. The sound cut through the thick silence like a blade, pulling Austin’s gaze away. He frowned, leaned forward, and glanced at the screen. His expression hardened, the softness in his eyes retreating behind the cool, unreadable mask he often wore when business called. “It’s work,” he muttered, the regret in his tone betraying him even as he tried to appear detached. His thumb h