บททั้งหมดของ HE LEFT ME FOR MY STEPSISTER, I MOVED ON TO THE NEXT: บทที่ 271 - บทที่ 280

Chapter 271 ​As they began to work, I felt a profound shift inside me. For months, my body had been a place of survival. I had focused on the pain of my wounds, the slow process of healing, and the grit I needed to keep standing. I had looked in the mirror and seen a survivor, a doctor, a victim. ​But now, I was being treated gently, lovingly just like a baby. I knew I never made the wrong choice when I picked Nathan as my man. ​"You don’t need to be anyone else today," the silver-haired woman whispered as she brushed my hair into soft, shimmering waves. "You don't have to be the doctor. You don't have to be the girl who has been through a lot......... My darling........ You just need to be you, your authentic self." ​I swallowed hard, a lump forming in my throat. I had forgotten who "just me" was. ​I picked one of the dresses laid out. It was a simple dress but the embroidery and careful beading on it screamed luxury. They dressed me slowly and thoughtfully. The fabric of the

Chapter 273 ​Nathan Cain approached wedding planning with the same ruthless, terrifying focus he once used to dismantle multi-billion dollar companies. In the past, his war room was filled with monitors, secret files, and grim-faced bodyguards. Now, it was filled with silk swatches, floral arrangements, and stacks of ivory cardstock. ​I watched him from the sofa, a book forgotten in my lap. He was pacing the length of the living room, a tablet in one hand and a phone pressed to his ear. ​“No, the ivory is too dull,” he said, his voice firm and commanding. “It looks like old paper. She likes warm tones. Soft gold. And I want the flowers to be real—freshly cut, delivered the morning of. If a single petal is wilted, send the whole batch back.” ​I couldn't help but smile. It was strange and wonderful to see this side of him. The man who had faced down assassins was currently arguing over the shade of a tablecloth. ​“She,” I said lightly, catching his eye, “is sitting right here. And

Chapter 275 ​“Carmen,” he said, stopping her mid-sentence. “I didn't bring you here to talk about the docks.” ​She went still, her wine glass halfway to her lips. “Oh really????? Then why am I here?” ​“I’m tired of the act,” Lucian said, leaning forward. “I care about you. And I don’t mean as a partner or a colleague. I mean as a man who can’t stop thinking about you the moment you leave the room.” ​Carmen’s breath hitched. She set her glass down, her fingers trembling just enough for him to notice. She crossed her arms, trying to regain her defensive posture. “Lucian, don’t… We have a good thing going. Don’t ruin it with… feelings.” ​“I’m not ruining it; I’m trying to save it,” Lucian countered. “I love you, Carmen. I love your stubbornness. I love how you never back down from a fight. I love the woman you are when the world isn't watching.” ​Silence stretched between them, thick and emotional. Carmen swallowed hard, her eyes shimmering. “I like you too,” she admitted, her voic

Chapter 277 The hallway was quiet for a moment, just Nathan and me leaning against the cool plaster walls, breathing in the gravity of what had just happened. Inside the bathroom, I could still hear the low, rhythmic sounds of Lucian whispering to Carmen—sounds of a man who had just found his North Star. ​"Ready to go back in?" Nathan asked, his thumb tracing a soothing circle on the small of my back. ​"Let’s give them a minute," I murmured, checking my watch. "A reveal like this needs a proper entrance." ​ ​A few minutes later, the bathroom door creaked open. Carmen stepped out first. She had washed her face, and though her eyes were still rimmed with red, she looked radiant. The sallow paleness I had noticed earlier was gone, replaced by a flush of pure, high-voltage joy. Lucian followed her, his hand firmly planted on the small of her back as if he were guarding a treasure chest. ​We walked back into the living room together. The gathering had gone eerily silent. Frank was st

Chapter 279 “Liam?” Ava whispered, her voice breaking before she could stop it. “Is that… is that really you? My God, what happened to you?” He flinched at her voice like I had struck him. “I was released this morning,” he said hoarsely. He didn’t step inside. It was as though crossing the threshold required courage he no longer possessed. “I had nowhere to go. But I couldn’t sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see the look on your face, Elena. The day the board called you in. The day your career almost ended because of me.” His chest hitched violently. “I was so weak,” he choked, pressing a fist to his sternum as if trying to keep his heart from tearing itself apart. “I admired Mia. I wanted to be her lover so badly that I let her use me. When she told me to plant those drugs in your bag….. to frame you for being an addict while we were interns… I did it.” The words felt like knives all over again. “I wanted her to notice me,” he continued, voice cracking completely. “Just on