All Chapters of Betrayed love and regret : Chapter 11 - Chapter 19

The gallery buzzed with champagne-fueled chatter and the soft hum of classical music. Jane stood near a marble sculpture, dressed in a crimson silk gown that shimmered under the lights. Greg had stepped away to speak with one of the event sponsors, leaving her momentarily alone.She needed the breath.Tonight’s event was just another one of Greg’s social obligations”public couple appearances,” he’d called them. But every outing like this felt a little less like an act. Greg had complimented her hair, introduced her as his wife, rested a hand at the small of her back when guiding her through crowds. She was starting to blur the lines.A part of her hated it.Another part… didn't.“Jane.”The voice sent a shock down her spine. She turned slowly and there he was.Chris.He looked out of place in the sleek gallery. His tie was missing, shirt slightly rumpled, eyes bloodshot like he hadn’t slept in days. His gaze clung to her like she was the only real thing in the room.Jane’s lips presse

The antique grandfather clock ticked heavily in the quiet of the study, its steady rhythm matching the tension thickening in the air.Greg sat stiffly across from his grandfather, the formidable Theodore Hamilton, the patriarch of the Hamilton empire. The elder man was a picture of aged nobility silver hair immaculately combed back, piercing gray eyes that didn’t miss a thing, and a cane resting beside his chair more for intimidation than support.The study was Greg’s least favorite room in the estate all mahogany shelves, dusty oil paintings, and the lingering scent of old money and judgment.Theodore set down his brandy glass with a sharp clink and looked directly at his grandson.“I want a great-grandchild, Gregory.”Greg blinked, half certain he’d misheard. “I’m sorry… what?”Theodore leaned forward slightly. “You’re married now. Publicly, legally, and very convincingly. You’ve given me a charming daughter-in-law, and the press believes you’re on the path to stability. Good. But I

The silence in the penthouse had stretched for days. Jane moved through the luxurious space like a ghost, feeling its vastness echo the new emptiness growing between her and Greg. Since their last argument, he'd kept his distance — polite, civil, but colder than she had ever seen him. He was no longer the confident, smooth-talking man who teased her at dinner parties and watched her when he thought she wouldn’t notice. He was now... silent. Distant.And she hated it.The chill wasn’t just in the room — it was under her skin.Jane stood at the edge of the study doorway that evening, watching Greg as he leaned over a set of financial documents. His sleeves were rolled up, his hair slightly disheveled, a glass of untouched scotch sitting beside him. He hadn’t noticed her yet, too buried in whatever business emergency his grandfather had stirred up this time.She cleared her throat softly. “Greg.”He looked up. His expression shifted when he saw her, a flash of something — surprise, maybe

Over the table at a quiet bistro, Xander ordered something light and non pretentious; June declined wine and took water, her hands steady though her heart thudded hard beneath her ribs. They spoke cautiously at first patchwork conversation about nothing and everything: Valerie’s favorite cartoons, the absurdities of hospital food, the tiny miracle of a lemon tart that could brighten the gloomiest day. Laughter came, not easy at first, but honest, and the sound felt like a small, illicit blessing.Xander watched June with a hunger that was both humble and aching. He wanted this dinner to be remembered, not as a last supper of sorts, but as proof that tenderness could exist even after betrayal. He kept the bouquet’s stems in water at his feet, the petals brushing against his shoe, a simple, living reminder of what he was fighting for.June watched him too her gaze softer than it had been in months, threaded with worry she could not mask. Sometimes she caught him staring, and in those