All Chapters of After One Reckless Night; A Secret Binds Us: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

A few days passed, and sweet enough, it was weekend already. The same weekend little Keira had been praying and dying for, just so she could stay home and spend it with her parents.It was afternoon, and the hot sun hung lazily in the sky, spilling gold over the park.The place was already alive, with laughter echoing from the swings, the chatter of families picnicking, and children sprinting barefoot across the soft green grass.Kimberly sat on a wooden bench beneath the shade of an old oak, her hair dancing lightly in the breeze. Bryce sat beside her, looking impossibly relaxed for once. His black sleeves were rolled up as usual, and the usual guarded look on his face was replaced by quiet contentment as he watched Keira and Sophie chase each other across the grass.Keira’s giggle rang out, high and bright, as Sophie tried to tag her. The two girls eventually collapsed into laughter on the ground, their sundresses fluttering like blossoms in the wind.Kimberly had been the one to su

The fresh morning breeze hit Kimberly's face, cold and warm, all at the same time. She inhaled, then exhaled deeply, her hair flowing with the breeze.God. It had been days since she stepped foot in the agency. Between her accident, Anderson's psychotic intentions, and everything that followed, she’d almost forgotten what it felt like to be in the middle of all this.It was monday already, and she was finally back to being the model she, of course, was. But it had taken her so much effort to beg Bryce to allow her resume work already. He had insisted she stay home and have more rest. Rest that she didn't think she still needed, because she had rested more than enough.“Feels like I haven't been here for months,” Kimberly chuckled, tucking her hair behind her ears and adjusting her handbag on her shoulder.She really had missed doing what she loved most… what she was born for: Modeling, of course.She headed straight to the main practice studio, where rehearsals for the upcoming Char

BRYCE’S OFFICE:Bryce’s wristwatch glinted in the sharp ray of sunlight that crept through the blinds as he loosened his tie and sank into his chair with a low hiss.He had just returned from a three-hour board meeting that felt more like six. His head throbbed from the endless debate about profits and expansions, his patience long spent by the time he’d walked back into his office.The only sound in the room was the faint hum of the air conditioner and the buzz of his phone vibrating across the glass table beside him.And like clockwork, it started again.He didn’t need to check the screen to know who it was.Sienna.The phone kept buzzing, each vibration a sharp reminder of the chaos he didn’t have the strength for. The call ended. Then started again.Bryce exhaled through his nose, jaw tightening slightly before he finally pressed a button to silence it completely. He didn’t owe her his time, not after what she did.Leaning back in his chair, he pinched the bridge of his nose and s

Kimberly walked away, her steps steady, but inside, everything stung.She slipped into the restroom, closing the door softly behind her. The moment the latch clicked, her composure broke.Leaning over the sink, she gripped the edges so hard her knuckles turned white, staring at the reflection that stared back.It was the same face people loved to misjudge.... soft eyes, quiet smiles. A face that looked too gentle to fight back unless pushed to the edge.“Home wrecker,” she whispered bitterly. “She called me a home wrecker.”Her voice trembled, the word tasting like poison.“Am I really one?”Her throat tightened as she swallowed hard. She had never let Clara’s words get under her skin before , not really. But this time, they did, and she wasn't happy that she had let her succeed.She looked at herself again. Her makeup was still perfect. Her hair, not a strand out of place. To anyone else, she probably looked like she had everything under control.But her eyes gave her away.“God,” sh

He didn’t say a word. He didn’t even try to call attention to himself.He just continued to watch them quietly.Keira was still humming her song softly.... the one only she knew what it was all about, as she wrapped her tiny arms around her mother’s legs.Damn! Those were his girls.Something in his chest shifted, tightening and loosening at the same time. It was stupid, really..... how just seeing them like this made him feel like the entire world had dropped into place. He’d drawn that damn sketch in the middle of those chaotic days he and Kimberly were fighting, but looking at them now, he realized he hadn’t even captured half of how they made him feel.He let himself stay there in the quiet, invisible and content with it for quite some minutes, until a pair of big, storm-gray eyes finally darted his way.Keira’s lips parted, a tiny gasp escaping them.“Da—”Bryce’s eyes widened slightly, shaking his head, and he lifted a finger to his lips with a playful shhh, silently begging her