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All Chapters of In the name of vows: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

142 Chapters

CHAPTER 31

CHAPTER THIRTY ONEChristine was up before dawn once again , eyes fixed on the ceiling, chest tight with the kind of ache that doesn’t go away with sleep.She hadn’t really rested just drifted in and out of a haze all night, mind circling the same anxious loop. Adrian’s stare across the boardroom. The sound of whispering behind half-shut folders.She blinked up focusing on the cracks in the ceiling like they could give her all the answers she needed.It was not yet fully daylight when her phone rang on the nightstand. The screen glowed:Dad.Her heart sank a little in her chest.She sighed, reaching for the phone. “Morning.”“Chrissy.” Her father’s voice was thick, groggy. But there was something else something quiet and urgent threaded through. “Can you come home this morning? Just come for breakfast. Please.”She sat up slowly. Her body felt heavier than usual.“Alright,” she said.She didn’t take long. Showered in silence. Pulled on black cigarette trousers and a pale blue blouse

CHAPTER 32

CHAPTER THIRTY TWOADRIAN’s POVAdrian stood alone on the porch long after Christine’s car vanished from view. The breeze brushed against his face, cool and indifferent, shaking the leaves above him as if the world had moved on without waiting for him to catch up.But he hadn’t moved. Couldn’t.He stared down the road as if she might change her mind and return. She wouldn’t.Not after what he’d done.The words still rang in his ears. “You’re selfish. You’ve always been selfish.” And yet she hadn’t slammed the door. She hadn’t screamed. She’d just walked away trembling, broken, furious.That was worse somehow.He let out a low breath, placing a hand through his hair, his jaw tight. He didn’t blame her. He wouldn’t have blamed her too if she’d slapped him. But the way she looked at him as if he had taken something sacred and cracked it open it was unbearable.Inside, her father still at the kitchen table. Adrian walked back in quietly. The movement of a teaspoon in a mug was the only

CHAPTER 33

CHAPTER THIRTY THREEChristine’s PoVChristine spent the rest of her day in her office working, the window blinds shut, her desk buried beneath with so many unopened papers and also unopened folders. The room, once her sanctuary, now felt like a pressure chamber silent, airless, and suffocating.Her phone buzzed every minute with different calls some from her father, she got texts from Angela, a few emails from board members wanting “clarification” on the clause that had changed her entire world. She ignored them all. The weight in her chest wouldn’t let her speak, and the noise in her head was louder than anything anyone else could say.She couldn’t stop seeing Adrian’s face. The steady gaze, the calm expression, the way he had delivered betrayal like a business memo polished, professional, detached. As though she were just another deal to close. Not the woman who was once the closest to him and kept his secrets even if they bickered constantly . Not the woman who once made him lau

CHAPTER 34

CHAPTER THIRTY FOURAdrian’s povAdrian sat alone in his office, staring out at the city lights below. The windows stretched across two walls, offering an endless view of New York’s skyline. But he barely saw any of it. His thoughts were filled with Christine.He leaned back in his leather chair, running a hand through his hair with a frustrated sigh. The merger documents lay open on his glass desk, highlighting notes and signatures. Everything was falling perfectly into place. He should feel satisfied. Triumphant, even.But instead, he felt empty.She hadn’t called him back. Not a single message. Not even an angry voicemail screaming at him for what he’d done. He almost wished she would. At least her anger meant she still cared enough to fight with him.His phone vibrated on silent mode. He glanced at it, his legal advisor.“Yeah,” he answered gruffly.“Final board meeting for approval is set for Friday morning, sir,” said briskly. “They’re filing the last amendments tomorrow. Sh

CHAPTER 35

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVECHRISTINEs povChristine sat cross legged on her living room floor surrounded by different papers and folders spread around her like a chaotic sea. It was almost midnight, but sleep felt far away from her tonight.Polite business talk that’s clearly hiding something shady.She ran a hand through her hair, pushing the loose strands away from her eyes as she reread the merger clause again reading in between each lines for the third time. Each time, the words became more and more blurry to her.She reached for her cup of tea, now cold and tasteless , and took a small sip anyway.She was completely worn out, her thoughts racing, and her chest felt tight from all the anger and fear building up inside her. Angela was sat also curled up on the sofa nearby, laptop balanced on her knees, typing furiously.“Here,” Angela said quietly, turning her screen to face Christine. “I cross-referenced the merger clause with the original family charter agreements. If the voting restr

CHAPTER 36

CHAPTER THIRTY SIXCHRISTENEs POVChristine sat alone at her desk, long after the office lights had gone dark.The soft hum of the building was the only sound left. Outside her window, the city stretched wide and glowing. Tall buildings stood like quiet sentries under the night sky, their windows flickering like stars.Her eyes were dry and sore. She’d been reading for hours, but none of it helped her sleep. Every document, every number it all led to one person. Adrian.She sighed and pushed the board meeting agenda aside. Her fingers found a stack of old Dreamspace annual reports instead. These were her father’s years old, but worn at the edges from how often she’d read them.In the margins, his handwriting danced in neat, careful strokes. He had always been like that precise, thoughtful. She smiled sadly as she traced a note with her fingertip.“Integrity is profit that lasts.”That line, written beside a strong quarter, made her throat tighten. He’d believed in more than numbers. H

CHAPTER 37

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVENAdrian povAdrian sat alone in his car with his driver in front , staring blankly out at the evening traffic. His phone buzzed with Marks updates on board compliance filings, but he ignored them. His mind was completely consumed by one thing:Brian.He clenched his fist tighter on his thigh, his jaw ticking with anger. He’d seen Brian’s name pop up on the shareholder influence reports today. Brian had been reaching out to minority investors, pushing his own funding proposal for Dreamspace.And worst of all, he’d been calling Christine again.“Turn around,” Adrian told his driver suddenly. “We’re making a quick stop before home.”Twenty minutes later, he walked into a private lounge downtown, flanked by two security staff. Brian sat alone in a corner booth, typing into his laptop. His eyes widened slightly when Adrian slid into the seat opposite him without invitation.“Adrian,” Brian said carefully, setting aside his drink. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”Adria

CHAPTER 38

Chapter thirty eight Christine’s povChristine sat in the quiet corner of her father’s hospital room, staring at the dim glow of the bedside lamp. Outside, the sky was still dark, but daylight was gradually creeping in to brighten the day.Her father was sleeping soundly in his bed, his breathing slow and raspy. Machines beeped steadily beside him, filling the silence with an anxious rhythm.She had spent half the night here, unable to sleep, her mind spinning with strategy drafts and board clause analyses. She felt raw inside, her chest hollow from exhaustion and grief she couldn’t yet afford to feel.Finally, his eyes fluttered open, focusing on her through the haze of sleep and medication. He smiled faintly. “Chrissy.”“Hi, Dad,” she whispered, forcing a smile as she reached for his hand. His skin felt thin and cold in her grasp.“You’re here early.”“I couldn’t sleep.”He watched her for a long moment, his dark eyes clouded with pain and wisdom. “What’s wrong, princess? Tell me.

CHAPTER 39

Chapter thirty nineChristine’s POV Christine stood in front of Adrian’s penthouse door, her hand hovering over the brass handle. She hated herself for being here. Hated that after everything, his invitation still pulled her in like a tide she couldn’t fight and she had not hesitated at all.His text had been brief:Dinner. My place. 8PM. We need to talk.No threats. No commands. Just quiet finality. And despite her fury, curiosity burned inside her. What could he possibly say now?Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open.He stood near the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring out at the glittering Atlanta skyline. The lights bathed him in a pale gold glow, casting his sharp features into an unreadable mask.“Christine,” he said softly, without turning.She stepped inside, closing the door behind her. The scent of rosemary chicken and garlic butter wafted through the air, mingling with the faint woodsy cologne she had always hated for how it made her heart twist.He turned to face

CHAPTER 40

Chapter forty Adrian’s povAdrian stood in the doorway long after Christine was gone, staring at the empty hallway as if willing her to turn back. To reappear.She didn’t.Slowly, he closed the door and leaned his forehead against it, his chest rising and falling with ragged breaths. The soft scent of her perfume still lingered in the air roses and vanilla twisting the knife deeper in his heart.He turned around, his eyes falling on the untouched plates of food, the candles still burning sadly between them. He’d planned everything tonight. The dinner, the quiet conversation, the confession he’d rehearsed a hundred times in his mind. He thought if she saw his vulnerability, his truth, she would finally understand.He thought she would stay.Adrian moved towards the dining table and blew out the candles one by one, the smoke curling into the dim penthouse air. His hands trembled slightly as he gathered the plates and carried them to the kitchen sink.He didn’t know why he bothered.

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