All Chapters of After Divorce, I Married His Half-Brother: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

I didn't linger. Groaning softly, I reached for my phone on the bedside table.I opened my Instagram page, checking for the latest update but it was still buzzing with the trending topic—me. Annie's wedding announcements and perfume endorsement deals were plastered everywhere, but surprisingly, my scandal hadn't been buried. It was still top of the search list with endless debates and speculation, mostly about my relationship with both brothers.Just then, a message from Leah popped in. {Hey, girl.} I tapped into our chat and typed back a quick reply.Seconds later, another message popped in. {You wouldn't believe what happened this morning at work.}{What's Up?} I replied.Leah was always a drama queen, always ending her statements with cliffhangers. {Annie was showing off her endorsement deal—like, duh, it’s all over the internet—then her horrible manager, Brooke, came over to insult me!}Typical Brooke. She was Annie’s loyal lapdog and one of the most condescending women I’d

"This isn't all about me, is it?" I asked quietly. "You want to bruise Derek's ego."Ryker didn't say anything.Of course not. For him, silence seemed to be easier than honesty.So that's what this was. It wasn't about me, but about his brother. I was just another move in whatever war the Holland brothers were fighting."Am I just a tool to you as well?" I sneered."You're overthinking this, Lamb," he said, tone deceptively calm. "I only want what's best for you.""I know what's best for me, Ryker! And it doesn't involve being dragged into whatever mess you and Derek have going on.""Who said you were in the middle of anything?" he snapped. "I never put you there.""Then what's this?" I raised the file up to his face. "This plan of yours. Global. Your 'first step.' You want me there to serve whatever goal you've cooked up. What does that make me? A sacrificial lamb?"His brows arched. And like a flipped switch, his gaze chilled, cold radiating from every corner of his eyes.He closed

"What makes you think I'd want to come back to Global after you made me end my career, put my sister in the front while turning me into a molested housewife?" My jaw trembled as the words rolled out of my tongue, heat rising in my chest. Derek's jaw tensed, not saying a word. I continued."And all of a sudden, you show up like this?" But my words fell short when the waiter came by, asking if we were ready to place our orders. Derek was silent, still looking at me like my words had slapped him. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I forced out a small smile at the waiter and placed my order. "Sparkling water. No lemon." I said, not looking at the menu. Derek ordered the same, then added a burrata starter "for the table" How generous. As soon as the waiter walked away, I added, squinting my eyes at him. "If you came here to convince me, then you're doing a poor job, Mr Holland." His lips twitched like I was giving him a hard time. He reached into the inside pocket of his blazer

And that was how I ended up at the police station.At first, I thought it was some sick prank. But it wasn’t. The officer on the phone had clearly asked me to come pick up Ryker.So, I did.The entire drive to the station, my mind kept spinning questions.What did he do? Was he involved with those heavily pierced men from the other night? Was he into something illegal?I kept asking myself questions I had no answers to. I expected to see him behind bars, face covered in mud and sweat, looking like a criminal.But no.I pushed open the station doors and walked into a large, open room filled with cubicles. Officers were behind their desks, tapping away at their computers, some hovered around the screens, others moved around with files in hand.Apparently, Sunday was a busy day for them.As I stood there, wondering who to approach, an older officer walked over.“Miss Vanessa?”“Yes. Where is he?” I asked quickly.“Please, come with me.”I followed behind him, my eyes darting around the

I didn’t expect the fight to look like that.The ring was a real ring, but slightly different because of the iron cage around it and a crowd that closed in around like hungry wolves. People shouted, cheered, and placed bets. Some were already halfway drunk. The music had been turned down, but the tension? It was louder than anything.I stood beside Miles, who had his arms crossed and a serious look on his face now. Even he wasn’t joking anymore as his eyes followed every activity in the ring.Across the ring stood Grant Miller.I recognized him on sight. His body was covered in tattoos that looked more like paintings. He was smirking like he’d already won. Like this was just a warm-up.Ryker stood still, rolling his shoulders, bouncing lightly on his feet. He looked different now. Not the Ryker I knew as the typical ruthless CEO and Derek’s older brother. Not the man who called me his little lamb or fucked me against a counter. This Ryker looked like he belonged in this place. Like