Semua Bab Dear husband I can live without you : Bab 61 - Bab 70

“So what exactly are you saying?” Penelope asked sharply, uncrossing her legs as tension coiled in her chest. The attorney, Mark Anthony, shifted in his seat, clasping his briefcase. “The children of the late Mr. Williams King have decided to contest the will.” Penelope blinked, trying to keep her composure. “What?” Her voice wavered slightly. “On what grounds?” She had been counting down the days, expecting to claim the remainder of Williams’ estate. And to her twisted satisfaction, he had indeed left her eighty percent of everything—though she had used manipulation and subtle coercion to make that happen. Mark adjusted his glasses. “They claim the will was made under undue influence. Additionally, they say there’s a more recent, valid version that was intentionally overlooked.” “Nonsense,” Penelope snapped, her composure cracking like thin ice. “Williams loved me,” she insisted, her voice rising. “He gave me everything because I earned it. Those spoiled brats just want to frust

“Do you think you can just kiss me and then run away like nothing happened?” Gerald’s voice cut through the silence, low and edged, his eyes narrowing into slits.Anna’s throat bobbed as she swallowed, her pulse pounding like a drum beneath her skin.“Do you have any idea,” he went on, his tone softer now but laced with a raw intensity, “how long I’ve wanted to kiss you? To hold you? To feel you in my arms… to touch you?”Those piercing blue eyes fixed on her with the kind of reverence reserved for rare treasures. Anna felt as if he were gazing straight into her soul, weighing her, wanting her, claiming her without a word.Gerald Smith is admitting he’s wanted me? The thought lit up something inside her, a surge of joy she wanted to scream into the air.But just as quickly, reality tugged her back. Her mind flashed to the threatening letter. She still didn’t know if it had anything to do with him—or if it was a cruel coincidence.I shouldn’t be this happy just because my boss says he

“I think I’ll get a sandwich today,” Anna said with a soft smile to the breakroom attendant. Maya, the ever-cheerful older woman behind the counter, returned the smile warmly. “Alright, dear. How about a double-loaded one today?” She gave a playful wink. Anna’s eyes lit up with genuine delight. “Oh, I think I need that.” “Of course, my darling.” Maya chuckled. “An extra layer of turkey and mayo makes it even better.” “Absolutely,” Anna grinned, already imagining the taste. She always looked forward to her encounters with Maya. The woman’s golden-toned skin and silver hair—usually tucked neatly under a crisp white bonnet—gave her an air of grace. Her lashes curled lightly over kind eyes, and her wrinkled smile somehow made her look younger, as though joy had kept a piece of her youth preserved. Maya was a storyteller, a joker, a bringer of light in an otherwise tense workday. You could tell, just from the way she carried herself, that her younger years had been full of life

Vivian stared at her phone’s screen. The name Anna – my bestie stared back at her.One arm wrapped tightly around her knee, she tapped the send button again. Silence. The same silence she’d been met with every time she dialed the number.“Did she block me?”A long, heavy sigh escaped her lips.Frustrated, she tossed her phone aside. Anna’s number had not been going through for days now.She couldn’t stop regretting her actions from that day. Regret sat heavy on her chest like a stone.The sound of her doorbell jolted her back to the present.“Who could that be?”Quietly, she climbed down from her couch and slipped into her fluffy fur rabbit flops.She tugged her bumshort up a little before walking to the door.Peeking through the door hole, a small smile curved her lips, easing the worry on her face when she saw a head of dark curls turned toward her.She flipped her black waves to the side and unlocked the locks.The early evening sun kissed her skin, bathing it in a golden glow as s

Does he know I’m pregnant? Did the doctor say anything to him? Anna’s thoughts tumbled over each other, sharp with panic.The way Gerald’s gaze lingered on her stomach made her pulse hitch.“I mean, you need to eat something,” Gerald said at last, his voice firm but gentle. “You’ll need the energy.”Anna let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Relief washed through her, loosening her chest. Thank God. For a second I thought he knew I was pregnant.He shifted closer, his tall frame taking up too much space in the little hospital room. “So,” he continued, “what do you want to eat? I can run down to that bistro on the corner.”“I’m not hungry.” She tucked her hand under the blanket, trying to ground herself. “But… I need you to help me with something else.”Gerald’s brow arched, curiosity flickering in those piercing blue eyes. “What’s that?”Anna hesitated, throat tightening. “I don’t want to bother you…”Before she could shrink back further, Gerald leaned in. The subtle h