Lahat ng Kabanata ng You Watched Me Break, Now Watch Me Rise: Kabanata 221 - Kabanata 230

The door swung inward, and Beverly's warm gaze turned frosty the moment she laid eyes on Evan. His heart tightened at her show of animosity, and before he could speak, the door slammed shut in his face."Honey, I'm here to apologize. I've also come bearing gifts!" Evan softened his tone, even as bitter resentment welled up in him. "I was impulsive, but I swear I didn't hurt Professor Reed or Timmy."Evan's long fingers touched the door as if he were caressing something precious. He'd seen how thin Beverly looked earlier, her face pinched and pale after she'd fallen into the sea the other day. His eyes darkened with longing. He wanted nothing more than to embrace her.Just then, the door opened. Evan's eyes widened slightly, his heart thumping hard in his chest, only for him to be greeted by the sight of Damien's smug face."This is a toy robot for Timmy, and here's the contract for our collaboration," Evan said stiffly, lowering his gaze. He then peered past Damien into the villa

James claimed the seat beside Beverly, his hand resting on her thigh with a natural, protective grace. He looked like an eagle guarding its eggs, as though the man across from him were a shifty-eyed hunter.He gave Evan a cursory glance just as Tabitha stood next to the latter and explained, "James, Beverly, Evan came to apologize. He saw how worried Beverly was about James and decided to take her to the hospital via helicopter. But he hadn't expected her to fall into the sea mid-flight."Wanda visibly cheered up at this explanation. "Well, how thoughtful and generous of you to have offered your help, Mr. Gray.""Mom, Heather took great care of me while I was attending college in Alterra. Now that Evan's here on a visit, I was hoping we could let him stay here," Tabitha said.Beverly tucked closer to James when she heard this, the chill in her bones forcing her to instinctively shift toward the closest source of warmth.James cupped the side of her thigh, the heat from his hand wa

Beverly recalled the first time she met Carly, who'd come off as hostile and condescending. But now, as she stared at the words that summarized Carly's terrible affliction, she didn't think the latter was intimidating at all. If anything, she felt sorry for Carly.Beverly's fingers curled into fists as she rested her head beside her laptop. For a moment, she was at a complete loss.Some time passed before the smell of ink and spice filled her nose, prompting her to open her eyes. At once, her bleary gaze met James' impassive one."Why are you sitting on the floor?" James reached out a hand to her. Last he checked, she'd been on the bed when he left for the meeting.Beverly pulled her hand back like she'd just been electrocuted by his touch, then backed away by a step. "No reason."James withdrew his hand, which had hung awkwardly in the air between them for a fraction of a second. Then, he straightened up and stared at Beverly.He caught the faint scent of cedar and tobacco lin

Did Beverly get the message? James stared at her, his gaze cool and steady.Beverly nodded. In James' defense, he wouldn't have gone all the way to Alterra to help her if he had questionable moral standards. But the fact remained that Carly could no longer conceive after her ectopic pregnancy and the massive blood loss. But who had she suffered for?James gripped Beverly's wrist. He pulled her up to her feet, then scooped her into his arms. "I'll carry you back to your room."He moved so quickly and seamlessly that Beverly could only gasp in response, her slender hand clutching the collar of his shirt. "That won't be necessary, Chief Bronson."Normally, James caved in to her requests, but he refused to budge this time. She'd given him the cold shoulder earlier, and seeing her walk the few steps across the hall irked him for some reason. "Helping you is part of my duty as your husband."Husband? Beverly lowered her gaze at the word, her lashes casting shadows over the tops of

As he watched the scene unfold, Evan clenched his fists at his sides so tightly that his knuckles cracked. But with the two plainclothes special forces operators guarding them, there was nothing he could do.Noticing that Justin was intimidated by James' imposing presence, Marvin encouraged him. "Don't be afraid. Just tell the truth."Justin pointed at Beverly. "She…" he said, shifting his finger in Evan's direction, "and him—they…"Justin knew that no matter what, things wouldn't end well for him today. The police were already outside. Even so, he was determined to drag someone down with him. "They are—"But before he could finish speaking, at James' signal, one of the operators knocked him out cold with a single blow."James, what is the meaning of this?" Marvin demanded angrily."He slandered my wife and insulted her. I will not tolerate any further disrespect. Take him away."James was referring to Carly's earlier words, when she'd called Beverly "a shameless woman who aba