All Chapters of After Divorce, I Married His Half-Brother: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

She was asleep. Or pretending to be.I stood near the window, phone pressed to my ear, my voice low and sharp."Find me the best oncologist in the country. I don't want any delays or waiting list. I don't care what it costs," I said.The person on the other end started stammering something about hospital policy."I said now, not tomorrow," I cut in. "Brooklyn, Manhattan, Boston, I don't care where. And get a private care team prepped to move her home if necessary. She's not spending another night here with amateurs poking around."I hung up before they could respond.My jaw was tight, my pulse hammering. I stared out the window, watching the city from the top floor. Everything felt too surreal. Like this was some part of a nightmare I didn't sign up for.Then, her voice broke the silence. "What right do you have to do that?"I turned. She was sitting up, weak but fierce, her eyes blazing through the exhaustion."What?" I asked quietly."Making decisions for me," I slipped my hands in

For some reasons, Ryker didn’t call the whole day. Like he somehow understood that I needed that space. That I needed rest. Either way, when he finally called later in the evening, he was relentless. Buzzing my phone nonstop. I shouldn’t have answered, but I couldn’t stop myself. “Vanessa,” his voice came, low and sharp, like he could cut through me with it. “Why are you calling?” “Because you ran away.” He replied, more like a question than a statement. “I didn’t. I just needed space.” “Space?” he repeated, incredulous. “There’s space on the first floor at home. Space on the second floor too. You didn’t have to run off.” “I had to because I quit,” There was a pause on the line. I could hear him breathing, slow and deliberate. Then: “Quit what? Being stubborn?” I swallowed hard. “I quit this. Whatever this is between us. I’m done. Let’s break the contract.” “And who said you could decide that? You don’t get to reject me or discard me whenever you feel like it.”

For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. Those words—I love you—felt like bullets. Soft, beautiful, deadly. Ryker didn't say things like that. He didn't do vulnerability. He manipulated, he demanded, he controlled. But this? This was something else. Something terrifyingly sincere. "Ryker..." My voice cracked, and I hated that it did. His hand tightened slightly at the back of my neck, not enough to hurt. But enough to say that he wasn't letting go. "Say something. Anything. Just don't walk away from me." I shook my head, blinking rapidly as heat stung my eyes. "You can't just…throw that at me. Not after everything you said last night." "Everything I said last night was true." "It was cruel," I whispered. "It was honest," he countered, voice low. "You being so defiant and stubborn brings out the worst part of me. But you..." His thumb brushed my cheekbone, slow, reverent. "You bring out the best parts, too. Even if you don't see it." A bitter laugh bubbled out of me. "Yo

> _ _ "I'm so sorry, Van. I was ambushed by that guy working for your fiancé. He was so scary." Leah kept apologizing for the umpteenth time, the words rushing out without her stopping to take a breath. "The moment I pulled up at the hotel's garage, he popped out from behind a pillar like a killer and I almost—" "Okay! Okay! Leah, take a deep breathe." I cut in, stepping out of the bathroom, wrapped in my towel. I heard her inhale and exhale from the other end so fast in an exaggerated manner. "I'm not blaming you. I know it's all Ryker's doing." I placed the phone on the table and tapped on the speaker. Then, I started skimming through my closet in search of something good for a date. Right. My fiancé was officially wooing me and his first idea was a dinner date. "I'm glad to hear that. Getting ready for your date?" Leah asked, just as excited as I was. I paused and hummed, my eyes locked on the rows of dresses. "Yeah. But I've got so many pretty dresses

The next few days went by in a blur. Ryker made it to a point where he got me gifts every day. Always attentive. Helping me prepare for my next signing.Leah and I agreed to work with another company—Star agency—owned by one of Ryker's acquaintances. It was the safer option, knowing Ryker's acquaintance wouldn't treat me badly. I spent time in Ryker's study, as he helped me go through the terms and conditions, explaining and showing me clauses highlighted for change.Currently, I was sitting on his lap in his study as we went through the files together. His deep raspy voice came from behind me as he used the pen to tap a clause."Your comfort should always come first as a public figure, Lamb. You should have a private vehicle for every movement. You don't have to use what the others use." He stated, his voice firm as he used the red pen to circle the clause. "It's nonsense for you to share vehicles with other models.""But it's just a van," I whined.His free hand snaked around my wa