All Chapters of In the name of vows: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

Chapter 82Christine Christine’s boots clicked softly on the wooden floor as she stepped into the lake house. The place was all too familiar. The walls smelled faintly of pine and old wood, the kind of smell that pulled memories forward before she was ready for them. Her arms were crossed over her chest, not to keep warm, but to keep herself steady. She was here for one reason only that was answers. Not forgiveness. Not reconciliation. Answers.The room was dim, lit by the dying embers of the fire Adrian had carefully prepared. He stood near the fireplace, his posture rigid but his face softer than she remembered. He looked up when she entered, and for a moment, the years they had known each other, the years of friendship and tension and love, pressed into the space between them.“Christine,” he said quietly, almost as if saying her name alone could make everything right.She didn’t answer. Instead, she let her eyes travel across the room, noticing the way he had arranged the chairs,

Chapter 84Christine’s povChristine stepped off the train and felt the city swallow her whole. The familiar hum of traffic, the low chatter of people on the sidewalks, the smell of wet sand and early coffee all this should have felt comforting. It didn’t. Instead, it left a hollow ache in her chest. The emptiness she had carried since leaving the lake house felt sharper here, where every building and street corner reminded her of him.She hugged her coat closer around her, though the weather was mild. Her mind replayed every word from their conversation from the confession to the truths, the pain in his eyes, and the weight of her own. She had come seeking answers and had received them. But answers didn’t undo hurt. They didn’t erase betrayal. They didn’t make her trust him again.In thst lake house she has almost let her guard down and wanted them to go back to how they were before everything but she couldn’t still get past the betrayal and the lack of trust in her in not allowing h

Chapter 86Christine The morning sunlight slid gently across Christine’s bedroom window, quiet and warm, the kind of light that usually made her feel calm. She stood in front of her mirror, brushing her hair slowly, trying to steady her thoughts. She looked at the framed sketch Adrian sent her last week was on her vanity table, leaning against her jewelry box. She had moved it there temporarily, only because she wanted to see it before leaving for work.It still surprised her how something so small could soften her heart.She picked it up again, touching the edge of the frame with her fingertips. The sketch was simple it was the first design she ever made in DreamSpace’s even when working with her dad but it carried memories she didn’t know she still held onto. Adrian had seen her dreams before everyone else. He had believed in her talent even when she doubted herself. That truth, no matter how painful, still warmed her.She lifted the frame slightly and smiled. A small smile, but a

Chapter 88Christine Christine didn’t speak as she walked back into her office beside Adrian. The office was quieter now, the gossipers stiff and pretending to work, eyes flicking up and then away from her. She felt the heat of their stares, the heavy silence, the tension that always came whenever Adrian entered the room.She hated that silence.And she hated even more that Adrian saw it.He walked a little behind her, his voice lowered.“I didn’t know they were talking like that,” Adrian said. “I didn’t know it had gotten this bad.”She didn’t answer. Her chest felt too tight.They reached her office door, and she turned to him slowly.He softened his voice even more. “Christine I came because your message scared me. And because… I just really had to” He paused, letting out a breath. “I needed to defend you. You didn’t deserve any of that.”She swallowed quietly. “I didn’t expect you to rush here.”“I know.” His eyes held a quiet ache. “But I still care about what happens to you. Sp

Chapter 90ChristineMorning sunlight spilled through the curtains, warm but somehow unable to reduce the heaviness that had been sitting in my chest since yesterday. I reached for my phone with a sleepy sigh, expecting emails, maybe an early message from Angela or Katy.Instead, the headline slammed into me like icewater.“Adove Stock Continues to Drop After CEO Adrian Kellerham Rejects Billion Dollar Contract.Is the Business Titan Losing His Edge Over Love?”My heart clenched.Love.Me.I sat up instantly, breath catching. The article was everywhere all feeds, notifications, aggregated summaries. All spinning the same narrative: Adrian walked away from a massive international deal because it clashed with DreamSpace’s interests. Because of me.My stomach twisted painfully.I immediately dialed him.The number you have dialed is currently unreachableI tried again. Same response.“Come on, Adrian,” I whispered, pushing out of bed. I hurried to the bathroom, brushing my teeth with on