In the name of vows のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 61 - チャプター 70

Chapter Sixty TwoChristine’s POVIt had been two weeks.Two weeks since his lips touched mine, and my entire world tilted.I told myself I could forget it. That it was just a mistak. It was just one moment of weakness that could be locked away like some reckless secret. But the problem with secrets is that they don’t stay buried, not when they live inside your chest, hammering against your ribs every night.I had become an expert in avoiding him.I worked late hours at DreamSpace, drowning myself in board documents, expansion reports, anything to keep me away from the mansion until I knew he’d retreated to his study or his bedroom. At home, I slipped away early, closing my door before he could knock. I even started eating breakfast earlier, telling the staff to serve me before he came down.I told myself it was my strategy to keep the walls high, keep the distance wide. But in truth, it was cowardice.Because every time I thought of that kiss, I remembered the way my heart had stutte

Chapter sixty fourChristine’s POVChristine woke to quiet.Not the ordinary kind of quiet, but the heavy, loaded silence of a room that remembered too much.Her eyes blinked open slowly, adjusting to the dim light filtering through the curtains. For a moment, she thought she was still dreaming until she turned her head and saw him.Adrian.Lying right there beside her.Her breath caught in her throat.His chest rose and fell in slow rhythm, lips parted slightly as sleep held him still. In the calmness of his face, she saw a softness she never thought belonged to him. His dark hair had fallen across his forehead, and for a moment just one insane, reckless moment she wanted to reach out and brush it back.But then last night came flooding in.The heat. The arguing. The way the fight turned into fire. The way his hands felt on her skin. The way she let herself fall, knowing she shouldn’t.Her heart thudded wildly. She pressed her palm against her mouth to stop the gasp that tried to esc

Chapter sixty six Christine’s POVThe next morning came too fast. I hadn’t slept much. My body felt heavy, like I had been carrying rocks in my chest all night. Every time I closed my eyes, the same images came back the heat of Adrian’s hands, the weight of his body pressed against mine, the way my breath had hitched when he whispered my name.And then the morning after.I had woken up and slipped out of the bed like a thief, afraid of what it meant if I stayed. I couldn’t even look at him. I had told myself I was only protecting my pride. But now, as sunlight spilled through the hotel curtains, I knew the truth I was terrified. Terrified of how much power he suddenly had over me. Terrified that my heart was beginning to soften when I couldn’t afford to let it. This felt so real and i wasn’t ready.By the time evening came, I was still unsettled. My head hurt, my chest felt tight. But I couldn’t stay hidden in the hotel forever. There was a banquet that night an important one that w

Chapter sixty eightChristine’s POVChristine sat on the edge of the sofa, her fingers absently tracing the end of the fabric of her dress as she let her mind wander back to the events of the evening. Adrian had defended her, standing firm when others had questioned or undermined her. She could still hear the strength in his voice, the way his words left no room for debate, the subtle intensity in his gaze that made the world shrink around her and made her feel protected. Relief had surged through her then, almost like a physical force pressing the tension out of her body. It felt different. Felt good being protected like that.Yet now, in the quiet of their home, Christine felt a complicated knot of emotions. Was it gratitude , admiration, lingering doubt, lust or even a touch of fear all mingled together. She had always been cautious, never one to surrender trust easily, but Adrian had a way of making her question even the most deeply held reservations. Could she really believe

Chapter seventyChristine’s POVChristine woke to sunlight spilling through the curtains, soft and warm against her face. For a moment, she lingered in the quiet of the room, listening to the faint hum of the city outside. Her thoughts wandered immediately to yesterday, to the office incident with Adrian’s cousin, and she felt a mixture of amusement, embarrassment, and relief.The jealousy she had felt had burned so sharply she couldn’t deny it, but now, in hindsight, it seemed almost ridiculous. Yet she couldn’t deny it had revealed something important how much she cared, how deeply her emotions were entangled with Adrian. She sat up, letting the warmth of the morning seep into her bones, and smiled faintly. Trust wasn’t something she could force, she realized, but it could grow, slowly, through small steps and honest moments.The sound of Adrian moving about the bedroom caught her attention. He appeared in the doorway with a cup of coffee, hair slightly tousled, suit jacket slung ca