Semua Bab My Southern Lover: Bab 21 - Bab 30

BELLE"You're going to scare the entire renovation crew with that killer stare," Selena said calmly, as she looked at me over the top of her sunglasses.I glared at her. "They said it would be done by Friday. It's Monday, Sel. That's not a delay. That's bloody sabotage.""They're men, sweetie,” she replied. “Say Friday and they'll commit Friday of next month."I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Remind me again why we didn't just fire the lot and bring in the firm I recommended?”"Because you're a softie and think everyone should be given a second chance," she replied, shuffling through architectural plans as if it mattered. "And because my people thought local labor would be good for relations with the community.".I pushed her aside and turned to the foreman. "Julius, can you explain why the west wing still looks like a horror movie set?"Julius scratched the back of his head, his eyes darting between me and Selena. "We, uh, ran into some issues with the old pipes. It slowed

CASSIAN"No, Devon," I said into the phone, my voice as strained as the grip I had on the device, "I don't care what the board says or thinks right now."The hallway lights were too bright, and the air felt cold on my skin due to the dripping wet shirt that still clung to my chest from everything that had just happened.I stepped back, ran a hand through my hair and cursed under my breath.What the devil just happened?"You weren’t clear when I called you earlier," Devon's voice cut into my thoughts. "I figured you were too busy emotionally blowing up.""I am not emotionally—" I paused and bit down on a swear word. "Just tell me the full update."Devon sighed. "Fine. Lewis holdings apparently pulled out of the Belle’s company. According to them, there were too many delays and internal issues on her company's side."My brow furrowed. "Internal issues?""It sounds too much like a missed presentation,” he continued. “Poor communication. One of their team leaders said she was distracted."

CASSIANI watched Belle walk away from Savannah as if she hadn't just been ravaged open in public.She didn’t blink or even flinch. But even if I didn’t want to, I'd known Belle long enough to notice the slight jerk of her fingers at her sides. To see the pain that shone in her eyes for one brief second before she masked it with that stoic, professional facade she always wore around my mother.She didn't react to Savannah's venomous comment and somehow, I regretted not saying anything. No one, not even Belle, deserved to be on the receiving end of my mother’s sharp tongue. I should have walked up behind Belle, slipped my hand into hers, and made it crystal clear that the only one doing the choosing was me even though it was to make her suffer.But I didn't.We were in the study later on, the two of us working in an uncomfortably tense environment. Belle was at the large table where blueprints and estimates lay spread out in front of her and I was in my chair by the fireplace, scrollin

CASSIAN"You're late," I growled, looking down at the lukewarm cappuccino on the table in front of me. The service was thirty-minute late on delivering the one thing I'd ordered exactly thirty minutes ago."You know how I love being fashionably late," said an all-too-familiar voice behind me.I spun around and there she was.Callie Monroe, strutting into the café as if she still owned a piece of me. As if I hadn’t let her because all she wanted was my name, money and legacy.She wore red lipstick and higher heels, her blazer tightly wrapped around her. Her strawberry blonde curls were styled in an elegant bun and she wore that smile I hated."Still mooning alone in public, Cass?" she said, leaning down to hug me.I didn't move fast enough and her body pressed too forcefully against mine. I stiffened and the scent of her expensive perfume crept its way up my nostrils irritating me further."Don't," I whispered, backing up. "Let's just sit."She pouted but sat across from me, crossing h

CASSIANHer message came in at midnight.Belle: Tell me when you're ready to be honest.I stared at it like it was a snake.Honest?What was she saying I wasn't being honest about?That I was trying to maintain this whole setup professionally? That I wasn't thinking about her every other second I wasn't with her? That I hadn't been replaying that kiss, that bathtub, the sound of her crying in my arms on repeat?Or maybe she was talking about Callie.Damn it.I tossed the phone onto the empty couch and stood up, striding across the rug of the library. Devon's words from moments before echoed in my head."This isn't about business for you anymore."He was right. But I wasn't quite ready to admit it to myself yet. I barely was now.I didn’t mean to go back to the manor that night. But there was something in Belle's message that indicated I wouldn't sleep otherwise. I needed to go see her. Not to talk, or argue about things but to just make sure she was still the woman who tormented me.-