Divorce and Regret: Chasing My Famous Lawyer Ex-Wife のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 201 - チャプター 210

Brandon’s POVShe shook her head immediately. “No—this is for Arthur’s wedding,” she said, nudging the bag lightly with her foot. “I was shopping for a dress in this boutique, and Dylan just… happened to be outside.”Relief hit first. Quick. Unwelcome in how obvious it was.“But yes, he bought the dress for me,” she added, making me frown. I wanted to question that, but I didn’t. I had no right, after all. So I nodded, forcing my shoulders to relax. “Right. Still… he must’ve wanted to see you.”She shrugged, almost too casually. “I don’t think so. He was with a date earlier.”Earlier.She didn’t elaborate. Didn’t look at me. Just said it and let it sit there.Silence followed after that. I took a breath, choosing my words carefully—like I was stepping around something volatile.“You two seem really close,” I said. “Has he… never had feelings for you?”The effect was immediate.She froze.Not visibly—not in some dramatic way—but enough that I felt it. Her fingers tightened on the pa

Brandon’s POVThe photographer’s voice lingered in the air, bright and expectant. “Go on,” he said cheerfully. “Just a quick kiss.”For half a second, I forgot how to breathe.Natalie was right there—too close to pretend otherwise. I could see the small faint freckles near her collarbone, the way her lashes dipped when she inhaled, the faint smile she was clearly trying to suppress. It would’ve been so easy. One step forward. A tilt of my head. Let the moment decide for us.I felt the pull sharply. Intimately.And that was exactly why I stepped back.I lifted my hands in mock surrender and smiled at the photographer. “I think it’s a little early to start our engagement with a lie.”There was a beat of silence.Then Natalie laughed—an apparent sound of relief and amusement, light and real. She shook her head at me, eyes bright. “Well,” she said, “there goes our free wedding invitations.”The consultant looked mildly disappointed. The photographer sighed dramatically and lowered his cam

Carmilla’s POVThe SEC notice sat open on my screen, stark and impersonal, outlining the scope of the external compliance review now formally assigned to Maison Vivra. Third-party oversight. Full access. No room to maneuver once it started.I skimmed it once.Then again.And then I saw the firm’s name.Kessler & Rowe Compliance Group.My fingers stilled on the trackpad.For a long moment, I just stared at it, my coffee untouched beside me, my reflection faintly visible in the darkened screen like a warning I chose to ignore.I let out a low whistle. Of all the firms the SEC could have tapped.I leaned back slowly, exhaling through my nose. I knew Kessler & Rowe’s reputation—clean, ruthless, allergic to shortcuts. Vivian would hate them. Which meant she’d already underestimated them.But that wasn’t why my pulse had picked up.It was because Mara was there.Mara Kessler.My sorority sister. A good friend from college. We hadn’t spoken in years—not since York International, not since m

Emma’s POVAn ocular inspection. His words, not mine. A quick look at a possible incentive venue for Ardent Group’s middle managers—something outdoorsy but refined and morale-boosting. I suggested the lodge because it made sense.Lucas had laid out the objectives clearly—an incentive retreat that felt restorative and lavish in a casual way. By the time we rounded the last bend and the lodge came into view, I understood exactly why I’d put it on the list—despite the two-hour drive, during which I had to admit, I’d enjoyed myself.“Wow, is this the place?” Lucas said in awe. “Yes.”Log and stone rising naturally from the slope. Floor-to-ceiling glass catching the light from the river gorge below. Fire pits spaced along wide terraces. Rope courses strung between old pines—visible, but not screaming for attention.“This is where you bring people when you want them to forget they’re being managed,” I said quietly.Lucas pulled into the gravel lot and shut off the engine. “Or when you wa

Nathan’s POV“—sorry.”The word came out of both of us at the same time.I stopped short as someone nearly barreled into me in the corridor, my shoulder jolting back half a step. Files shifted under my arm. Coffee sloshed dangerously in her cup.Carmilla.She looked exactly like I felt—wired, alert, moving too fast for anyone who wasn’t already in her head.“Didn’t see you,” she said quickly, eyes already flicking past me as if she had somewhere urgent to be.“Likewise,” I replied. “You look… busy.”She let out a sharp breath that might’ve been a laugh. “That’s one word for it.”I studied her for a beat. Carmilla only got that look when she’d found something she wasn’t supposed to. And judging by the way she was gripping her phone, she’d barely contained herself long enough to walk.“What’s going on?” I asked.She hesitated—just a fraction—then leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. “I’ve been embedded. Compliance side. Quiet access.”“What are you talking about?”“Long story, but I