Semua Bab Dear husband I can live without you : Bab 51 - Bab 60

Anna stepped out of the black SUV, dragging her suitcase behind her with slow, deliberate steps. Her heels clicked softly against the stone-paved driveway of the estate, the late afternoon sun casting golden streaks across the pristine front lawn.The flight from London to Los Angeles had been painfully quiet. Anna had spent every second avoiding Gerald’s gaze, pretending to be engrossed in the view outside the window or fiddling with the hem of her dress. The tension between them had grown heavier with every passing mile.She had made up her mind somewhere over the flight. Whatever she thought she felt for Gerald, whatever spark had flickered, needed to be extinguished. She would bury it deep. Her marriage came first. Her son. Her home. Her family. Not her fleeting desires.Now, as the mansion loomed before her like a cathedral of memories and vows, she tightened her grip on the suitcase handle and walked in with quiet resolve.From the balcony upstairs, Adrian’s voice rang out in a

Vivian had just finished setting the dining table with Erick when the doorbell rang.“Babe, are you expecting anyone?” Erick asked, placing the steaming bowl of pasta in the center of the table.“No, I’m not,” Vivian replied with a curious frown, drying her damp hands on a napkin.“Then who could it be?” He arched a brow, the corners of his mouth twitching into a teasing smirk. “Is it one of your admirers?”Vivian chuckled softly. “You’re ridiculous. Always jealous.”“That’s because I love you,” he murmured, stepping behind her and sliding his arms around her waist. His warm breath brushed her ear before he planted a slow kiss on her neck.Her heart gave a little skip. “Wow… you finally said those words.”His brows knitted slightly. “What words?”“That you love me.” She smiled sweetly, her eyes softening.“Of course I do. I’ve always loved you, babe,” he said simply, turning her in his arms so they stood face to face.“Really?”“Absolutely.” His lips curved into a smile before brushin

The morning sun spilled generously through the towering glass windows of the Roberts residence dining room, gilding the polished mahogany table in a warm, golden light. The air hung heavy with the faint scent of coffee and buttered toast, yet something about the morning felt… wrong.At the head of the table sat Andy, his fingers curled loosely around a porcelain coffee cup. His gaze lingered on the plate before him — scrambled eggs, toast, and a few tired slices of avocado whose green had surrendered to a murky brown.It wasn’t that he was ungrateful, but Andy knew at once this was far from the breakfast he had grown accustomed to. The eggs were dry, the toast bore uneven scars from the heat, and the coffee — pale and uninspired — was a cruel impersonation of the dark, bold brew that used to rouse him like a whispered promise at dawn.Across from him, Penelope reclined in a silk robe the colour of champagne, her long legs crossed beneath the table. She sipped delicately from her cup w

“The blog pictures didn’t do justice to your beauty,” Xander said with a grin that carried more weight than his casual tone suggested. Anna’s smile was polite, but she turned to Gerald with a quick sideways glance, mouthing silently, What blog is he talking about? “Now I know why Gerald can’t stop—” “Grandpa…” Gerald’s voice cut through sharply, low but edged with warning. The look he sent Xander could have frozen the Pacific. Xander stopped mid-sentence but didn’t lose his smirk. Anna’s gaze bounced between the two men, curiosity knitting her brow. She didn’t know what was going on, but the air between them felt charged with something unsaid. “Anna, can you join us for dinner tonight?” Xander asked smoothly, as if the awkward interruption had never happened. Anna offered a warm but apologetic smile. “I’d love to, but I’ve got somewhere important to be tonight. Maybe next time.” “Alright,” Xander nodded, leaning back. “I have to be on my way now.” She reached for Aide

The moment Anna stepped into the motel with her luggage in one hand and Aiden’s small fingers curled into her other, her knees nearly buckled. She crossed the thin, worn carpet to the bed and dropped like a stone, the mattress catching her as if it knew she was seconds away from breaking apart. Her body trembled with silent sobs. Vivian had called her over and over — her phone vibrating like it was possessed — but Anna hadn’t picked up. She couldn’t. Not yet. Not after what had happened. What had started as a bright, golden California morning had ended in a storm she never saw coming. Of all the people in the world, she never thought her best friend would speak to her that way… look at her like she was nothing. Vivian — the friend who had once sworn they’d be like sisters forever. She had lost her marriage. Now she had lost a friend. The emptiness pressed in from all sides, as though the walls of the motel room were closing in. “Mummy… why are you crying?” Aiden’s small v