Semua Bab Forbidden Affairs : Bab 61 - Bab 70

Everyone else had gone home.The halls of Maddox & Callahan were silent — the low hum of air conditioning the only thing filling the polished space. The skyline outside glowed through tinted glass, and the firm’s signature marble floors reflected back dimly under the weight of night.I shouldn’t have still been here. The interns were told to leave by six. But I’d stayed. Pretended to work. Lied about “reviewing litigation files.” Really, I was waiting.For him.Rhys Callahan — co-founder, managing partner, and my father’s boss.The first time I met him, he shook my hand and said, “So you’re Michael’s daughter.” But the way he looked at me didn’t feel fatherly. His gaze had lingered. Dark. Slow. Like he saw more than just a summer intern.And I’d let him.I’d worn shorter skirts.Unbuttoned my blouse one extra snap.Brought him coffee just to hear him say my name.And now? Now I was standing outside his office door with a fake file in my hand, pretending this was work-related and not a

I wasn’t supposed to be here.The gold-lit chandelier above me glimmered like guilt as I stepped deeper into the Blackwood estate’s grand ballroom. Laughter rang from the far corner, champagne glasses clinked, and violins played something soft and expensive in the background. I clutched my purse tighter, heels clicking across the marble like a warning bell.This was his world. Liam’s world.My ex.And worse—his father’s.I told myself it didn’t matter. That I was here because Mia begged me to come, because I had nothing better to do on a Saturday night, because I didn’t care anymore. But all that confidence crumbled when my eyes landed on him.Cain Blackwood.There, across the room, standing in that sleek black suit with his hand curled around a crystal tumbler of whiskey like it belonged there—was the man I hadn’t been able to forget.His jaw was sharp, lips tight, eyes colder than I remembered. He wasn’t speaking, just watching, like he owned every inch of the room—and somehow, ever

I opened the front door to thunder and a tall shadow on the porch.“Hey, Rach,” Evan said, soaked to the bone and wearing that familiar crooked smirk. “Miss me?”Lightning cracked behind him. I blinked.“Evan?” I stared at the man I hadn’t seen in over a year. “What are you—?”“Passing through town for work,” he said, stepping inside before I could say no. “Figured I’d crash here for a night or two.”“Right…” I stepped back, heart already thudding. “Mark didn’t say anything.”Evan shrugged off his jacket, revealing a tight black T-shirt clinging to a body that had only gotten harder since college. “Didn’t tell him. Thought I’d surprise you both.”Of course he did.Because that’s what Evan Blackwell did—walked into your life like a storm and expected you to get wet.Mark greeted his younger brother with a stiff hug, a rare smile crossing his face. He was glad, I could tell. And maybe I should’ve been, too. But all I could feel was the heat climbing my neck whenever Evan looked at me.A

I didn’t think coming home for summer break would feel like stepping into a minefield.It started innocently enough. A family barbecue, my dad’s favorite tradition. The backyard was lit with strings of warm fairy lights, the scent of grilled meat and summer roses drifting through the evening air. Old neighbors laughed around the table. It was all so normal—until my gaze landed on her.Vanessa.My father’s new wife.I still wasn’t used to saying that word—stepmom. She was nothing like what I imagined a stepmother would be. No prim sweaters or kind motherly energy. Vanessa was… vibrant. Curves poured into a silky sundress that clung to her hips like it was designed just for her. Sun-kissed skin, legs for days, and a smile that could ruin a man if he stared too long.She wasn’t even forty yet—barely seventeen years older than me.I tried not to look, but every time she laughed, I felt it. A low, burning ache in my stomach that had nothing to do with the beers I’d had.The night stretched

I should’ve gone home when Ethan did.But I didn’t.Maybe it was the champagne. Maybe it was the way he ignored me all evening, flirting with some blonde from his father’s company like I didn’t exist. Or maybe it was the heat in Mr. Reed’s eyes whenever he looked at me.Whatever the reason, I stayed. Alone. Dressed in a clingy silk dress that clung tighter with every breath, in heels that had started to ache hours ago, while Ethan sent me a curt “I’ll text you” and disappeared into the night.And then… he walked over.“Leah,” Mr. Reed said smoothly, his voice low and composed like always. “You shouldn’t be standing alone. A beautiful woman like you deserves better company.”I smiled, the kind of smile you give a man you shouldn’t trust. “Guess I’m just bad at picking it.”He raised an eyebrow. “Careful. That almost sounded like regret.”“I wouldn’t go that far.”His gaze dropped to my lips, then back up. “Would you dance with me?”My heart skipped. “Dance?”He offered his hand. His pa