All Chapters of In the name of vows: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Chapter seventy one Christine’s POVThe morning started like any other. The air was still cold from the night, sunlight spilling gently through the curtains of the New York townhouse. The buzz of the city outside felt far away. For once, Christine didn’t wake up to the rush of emails or board messages. Instead, she woke to quiet morning the kind of quiet that felt earned.She had been feeling lighter these past few weeks. The banquet had changed something between her and Adrian. She could admit that now, even if only to herself. He had defended her in front of everyone, stood by her when others whispered. The memory of his sharp voice cutting through the chatter of other voices “You will not speak of my wife that way” still echoed in her head.And though she wouldn’t say it aloud, she had started to look at him differently since that night.Now, he was away in a virtual meeting in his office down the hall, and she was sitting in the living room with a cup of coffee, trying to finis

Chapter seventy threeChristine’s POVThe morning begins with chaos.Christine’s inbox is flooded with urgent messages, her phone vibrating nonstop with missed calls from DreamSpace’s board members. The rival company’s smear campaign what only started as whispers of financial instability has turned into a full blown corporate assault. Articles questioning her competence as CEO trend on every major business site.She stands by the window of her office, fingers trembling around her coffee cup as she watches reporters gather outside the building. Through the glass, the city feels very distant like she’s watching someone else’s disaster unfold.“Christine.”Angela’s voice breaks through the noise. “ Adrian is here.”Her heart reacts before her mind does. It takes one sharp beat, then silence. She turns just as Adrian steps in, tall and composed, his usual confidence shadowed by something heavier. His suit is immaculate, but his eyes, those steady gray eyes they carry a weight she can’t n

Chapter seventy fiveChristine’s povThat weekend felt like a dream she wasn’t meant to have.For two days, Christine forgot the chaos of the city. She and Adrian shared breakfasts by the lake, they had quiet walks beneath olive trees, and conversations that don’t begin or end with business. For the first time in months, she laughed without caution. She almost lets herself believe they could work.Almost.But dreams have a way of ending.By Monday morning, the villa feels too still. Adrian’s phone buzzes relentlessly on the table, but he ignores it, still watching her as she packs. His hand lingers against her back when he murmurs, “We could stay another day.”She smiles faintly. “If we do, the board might stage a coup and another round of headlines will come up again..”“Let them.”His tone is teasing, but the look in his eyes isn’t. It’s tender. It’s so tender she has to look away before it breaks her. “We’ll be late,” she says instead.The drive back is quiet. Comfortable, but fra

Chapter 77 Adrian KellerhamThe sound of the rain is relentless.It’s been hours since she walked out of my study, yet her scent still lingers in the room. The scent of faint jasmine and something that feels like home. I’ve stared at the door so long my vision’s blurred around the edges.I’ve faced hostile boards, acquisitions worth billions, men who would ruin empires and others to win. But nothing has ever terrified me more than the way Christine’s silence does.I hurt her. Again.I drop into the chair behind my desk, drag my hands through my hair, and breathe out the truth I’ve been carrying for a long time now and the one that’s been rotting inside me.I did everything because I loved her.Not the kind of love that asks to be returned, but the kind that consumes quietly. It’s in that sacrifices itself for a smile, a laugh, a glimpse of light in her eyes.The night I discovered what Brian was planning, I saw the full picture.The hidden accounts. The shell company under his cou

Chapter 79 AdrianI’ve been called ruthless more times than I can count.Calculated. Cold. Strategic. Scheming.But none of those words feel big enough to describe what it takes to stand still when the person you love looks at you like she doesn’t know you anymore.Christine’s voice has been echoing in my head since she walked away this morning.“You never trusted me enough to fight beside you.”She’s right so much and that truth burns more than anything Brian ever did.So when Mark told me where Brian was meeting his “investors” this afternoon at a high-end restaurant downtown, the kind that thrives on secrecy and ego. I didn’t hesitate. Some truths have to be confronted face to face, without lawyers, without press, without anyone to clean up the mess.Because this time, I’m not protecting her.I’m ending this.The restaurant is quiet when I arrive. Rain drizzles against the tall glass windows, the sun light cutting through the modern steel interior. Brian is already seated in a p