Semua Bab Twisted Fate : Bab 21 - Bab 30

Aleksander hovered above me, careful not to press his full weight into mine. We were both breathless, our bodies tangled and warm, our chests rising and falling in sync after a kiss that felt like it stripped us bare in ways words never could. Then he kissed me again. Slow at first, then deeper, fuller, as if he was starving and I was the only thing he craved. It had started as comfort. I had cried in his arms, humiliated by his mother and broken in ways I could not admit out loud. But then I kissed him. I was the one who reached for his lips, and once I did, there was no going back. He kissed me like he had wanted to do it for a long time. His hand slid up my thigh, slow and steady, fingers curling against the soft skin as if he was learning me by touch alone. I felt my body respond to his without hesitation, like it already knew what to do. My arms wrapped around his neck, my fingers threading through his hair as I arched beneath him. His mouth left mine and traveled along m

It had only been a few days since Sofia walked in on me and Alf. Nothing happened between us. But she saw what she wanted to see. That was enough for her. The way she looked at us, it was like she had finally gotten what she needed. Like she had been waiting for it. And she didn’t waste time. The second Aleksander came back, she ran her mouth. Told him her version. Full of lies. Full of poison. She added things that didn’t happen. Twisted the rest. Made it sound ugly. I could tell something was off the moment Aleksander stepped into the house. The way he looked at me. Like I had betrayed him. Like I was nothing. He didn’t come to me first. He went straight to Alf. No words. Just a blow. Right to his jaw. Alf stumbled back, caught off guard. I gasped. Aleksander didn’t stop. “You think I wouldn’t find out?” he shouted. “You think you could do this under my roof?” Alf tried to speak, but Aleksander pointed at the door. “Get out. You’re done. Don’t ever let me see you a

I didn’t know how to give it to him. The invitation felt heavier the more I held onto it. Aleksander was in the study. The door was cracked a little, enough for me to hear the quiet murmur of his voice over a call. His voice didn’t carry like it usually did. It was tired. Drained. Like he was finally letting go of everything he’d carried through the court case. And here I was, holding something that could undo it all. That name. Ida. Just weeks ago, she was here. In this house. In his arms. I saw it. The way she looked at him. The way he didn’t stop her from kissing him. And now, she was marrying his brother? I didn’t understand. None of it made sense. It felt like a betrayal buried under velvet and gold ink. I started down the hall slowly, holding the card like it was going to bite me. Maybe I’d leave it on his desk. Maybe he’d find it on his own. Let the card do the talking so I wouldn’t have to. I didn’t want to see what it would do to him. I didn’t want to be the one to brin

Sofia told me the day before I left for London that the contract was ending. She did not try to soften it. “If I had known my son would let things get this messy,” she said, her tone sharp enough to cut, “I would never have agreed to this arrangement in the first place.” I kept my expression neutral, though her words stayed with me long after she left the room, leaving a hollow ache in my chest. The next morning I boarded the flight with Erik. His quiet presence was the only thing keeping me from feeling completely adrift. I was not ready for what awaited in the first-class cabin. Ida. And Arne. Our eyes met, and Ida froze before a practiced smile curved her lips, one that never reached her eyes. Arne glanced at me with polite curiosity. “I think we crossed paths at court,” he said, his voice even and measured. “Although we never spoke. I am Arne.” He extended his hand. I hesitated for a beat before shaking it. “I know who you are,” I replied quietly. Ida leaned back,

I stood in front of the mirror, leaning in close as I touched up the last bit of lipstick. The strapless maroon dress hugged me perfectly, elegant yet making me feel a little exposed. I ran my hands down the fabric one last time, checking my reflection. The curls I had spent half an hour coaxing into shape fell softly around my shoulders. A light mist of perfume settled on my wrists, and I took a steadying breath. It had been a week since I left Aleksander’s house, a week since the contract ended. In all that time, nothing. No calls, no messages, no word from him at all. I told myself I should be fine with that. It was what I wanted, wasn’t it? But the silence had a way of crawling into my thoughts when I was least expecting it. Every time my mind wandered, I pictured him with her—the woman his mother had always wanted for him. Aleksander standing by her side, tall and coldly beautiful, as if I had been nothing more than a placeholder. I hated the knot of unease that twisted in my