Semua Bab DARLA FIN:THE HEIRESS'S WICKED REBIRTH: Bab 221 - Bab 230

Darla’s POVI woke to the soft press of lips against mine, warm and unhurried, like Xavier had all the time in the world and intended to use it. My eyes fluttered open, meeting his amused gaze hovering above me, dark hair slightly rumpled, confidence etched into every relaxed line of his face.“Good morning,” he murmured, kissing me again, slower this time.I sighed into it, enjoying the familiarity, the safety of his arms around me. I had slept over, again, and despite how natural it felt, reality crept in quickly. The shoot. The schedule. Responsibility.After a few more stolen seconds, I placed my palm against his chest and gently pushed him back. “Xavier,” I said, trying not to smile. “I don’t want to be late for the project.”He propped himself on one elbow, entirely unbothered. “Fifteen minutes late isn’t bad.”I chuckled, swinging my legs toward the edge of the bed. “Today is the last day of the shoot. I can’t stroll in late today of all days.”He smiled like he’d been waiti

Darla’s POVXavier chuckled softly. “Fear not. I’ll make sure they don’t get involved.”I studied his face, trying to decide if that reassurance was meant for me or for himself. “You’d better,” I said quietly.He nodded. “I mean it.”The rest of the drive passed in a more comfortable silence. Despite everything swirling in my head, being with Xavier still felt… safe. Complicated, but safe. And that was part of what scared me. Comfort had a way of lowering your guard, of making you ignore the small cracks forming beneath the surface.Soon, we pulled into the driveway of my house.“Already?” Xavier said, glancing around. “That was fast.”“Traffic was kind today,” I replied, unbuckling my seatbelt. “I won’t be long.”“I’ll wait.”I nodded and stepped out of the car, the familiar sight of my home grounding me a little. Inside, everything smelled like me, my detergent, my candles, my space. I kicked off my shoes and headed straight for the bedroom, pulling the dress bag from the wardr

Darla’s POVThe city lights blurred past the window as Xavier drove, one hand on the steering wheel, the other resting casually on the console between us. The radio hummed softly, some slow instrumental piece that usually calmed me. Tonight, it did the opposite. My chest felt tight, thoughts stacked one on top of the other, refusing to settle.“Xavier,” I said quietly.He glanced at me. “Yeah?”“I want to talk to you about something.”He exhaled lightly, eyes still on the road. “I thought we agreed we’d wait till we get home.”I shook my head. “No. Now is the best time. If we get home, you’ll brush it aside or we’ll pretend everything’s fine. I don’t want that.”He was silent for a few seconds, then nodded. “Alright. Talk to me.”I drew in a breath. My fingers curled into my palm, nails pressing lightly into my skin. “Earlier… when you asked me if there was anything between me and Sam, what did I tell you?”He didn’t hesitate. “You said there was nothing.”“And when I said that,” I

Darla's POV“So all this time,” I said, more to myself than to him, “she was hiding behind Richard… judging everyone else.”“I didn’t want to tell you like this,” Xavier said. “But you deserved to know. Especially since Sam’s name keeps coming up around you.”I closed my eyes briefly. The irony was bitter. I had been fighting to prove I was innocent of something that had never existed, while the real affair was happening right under everyone’s nose.“I didn’t expect this,” I admitted. “Not at all.”“I know,” he said softly.There was a moment of silence between us, different from the tense silence in the car earlier. This one felt heavy, thoughtful.“So now you know,” he continued. “That’s the full story.”I let out a slow breath. “Thank you for telling me.”“I’m not saying this to win an argument,” he said quickly. “Or to justify what I did. I know I went about it the wrong way.”I didn’t answer immediately. My emotions were too tangled for quick responses.“I need time,” I said fin

Melanie’s POVI stood there long after Darla walked out, staring at the door like it might open again and tell me this was all some twisted joke.Sleeping with Sam.The words echoed in my head, sharp and poisonous.My heart was racing so hard it felt like it was trying to escape my chest. I lifted a hand to my throat, swallowing, forcing myself to breathe. I had laughed it off in front of her. I had acted calm, amused, superior.But inside?Inside, panic was clawing its way up my spine.“How did she know?” I whispered to myself.I turned sharply. “Everyone out.”The room went quiet.One of the guys frowned. “What?”“The party is over,” I snapped. “Now.”They didn’t argue. One by one, they grabbed their things, murmured awkward goodbyes, and filtered out of the house. In less than five minutes, the space felt too big, too empty.Too loud with my thoughts.I slammed the door shut and leaned against it, chest heaving.Mandy was still there, standing awkwardly by the couch, her brows dra