Alle Kapitel von My Bestfriend’s Father: Kapitel 131 – Kapitel 140

LeilaThe hotel room we were in smelled of old money and secrets.Whoever had decorated it clearly thought velvet curtains and heavy carpets whispered luxury, but to me it reeked of cheapness…. The kind of decoration that was common in a low-class brothel.It also stank of desperation.The kind that brought me here, sitting across from Adam Willis at a polished mahogany table, pretending that a half-drunk glass of wine steadied my nerves.It didn’t.Claire lounged on the loveseat near the window, her posture hunched with annoyance, as if she’d been dragged into a business meeting she had no patience for.I stared at her, the light flutter of pride I felt whenever I looked at her present.My beautiful daughter.The one Andre had sidelined.She was supposed to be at the forefront of the company, running it behind the scenes not doing whatever she currently was.She had so much potential that should be exploited instead, but it lay dormant.And I hated Andre more for it.Because it was a

AndreThe jet touched down on the private airstrip with a soft jolt that pulled me from a restless half-sleep.Throughout the short flight, I couldn't calm my anxious nerves for some reason.I rubbed at my temple, the weight of the last forty-eight hours still pressing against me.Unlike what Marcus promised, he couldn't secure a flight in the next hour.I had to wait five hours, and then technical issues happened, which only lengthened the time frame.Brittany’s face flashed in my mind… her pale skin in that hospital bed, the way her chest rose and fell in slow, ragged breaths.Leaving her was another type of agony as every moment away from her was one that I couldn't ascertain if she was safe or not, but sadly, I didn’t have the luxury of staying.Not when someone was orchestrating a rather elaborate plan to take down my company.As the hostess grabbed my bag, leading me out of the plane, I spotted a black SUV already waiting by the steps of the plane.Marcus stood near it, phone in

BrittneyThe steady beeping of the monitors was what woke me up.My eyelids felt like lead, heavy and full, but when I managed to pry them open, the pale, antiseptic-white ceiling greeted me again.I'm at the hospital.I shifted around in bed, turning this way and that.Maybe it was the position I slept in, but my throat was dry, my lips cracked, and my body ached in places I couldn’t even name anymore.I turned my head to the side and for a moment, I expected Andre’s tall frame to be by my bedside, his dark eyes locked on me, arms folded in that protective but frustrating way of his.But the chair beside me was empty, a rumpled crease on the cushion which was the only proof that he’d been there.“Where… where is he?” I tried to sit up, my voice was scratchy and weaker than I’d like, but the nurse bustling around with a chart at the foot of the bed looked up with a practiced, professional smile.“Oh, Mr. DeMarco had to leave rather suddenly,” she said, as if she’d anticipated the ques

BrittneyThe house felt too big without them.I’d only just gotten back from the hospital, and my body was still weak, every step reminding me I wasn’t fully healed.Several hours after I had spoken up, I finally managed to get in touch with Andre who sounded tired and exhausted.The call was brief and we mostly talked about Samantha.Who isn't here either.She was staying the night at Jane’s… an innocent sleepover arranged for her safety, though it stung more than I expected.The fact that my kid had to stay somewhere so she didn't have to be hurt.The thought of her laughing in Jane’s cozy home while I sat alone in mine made the walls feel even more hollow.Oh, how I wished I could join them.Security guards patrolled outside, their shadows occasionally passing across the curtains.Their presence should have comforted me, but instead, it made me hyper-aware that danger was lurking around, close enough to require them.Inside the house, the silence was deafening.I tried to relax, ev

BrittanyThe house was quiet, the kind of quiet that makes you second-guess every creak and noise you hear.I had taken the day off from the office, half working from home and half trying not to think too much about anything.Or what the TraceRunner told me the previous day.I had to take a break and figure out what to do.Whoever was sending me those weird and creepy messages wanted me to find something out… the only question is…. How bad would it be?Sighing, I scrubbed a hand down my face, wishing someone was around.Samantha was in school, and Claire had a meeting to attend, which meant I had the rare luxury of silence.I thought I’d enjoy it.Turns out, silence just leaves room for your mind to wander in circles.I was curled up on the couch with my laptop balanced on my knees, having decided to do some work when I heard the front door click open. My head snapped up.The last person I expected to see was Andre.He stepped inside, dragging his travel bag behind him.For a second,