All Chapters of All Shades of Passion: Chapter 241 - Chapter 250

297 Chapters

Chapter 52: Zuki's Birthday II

Sheila's POVI returned to the party.The doorbell rang twenty minutes later.A courier. Two packages.The first was a shoebox. Christian Louboutin heels in Zuki's size with a handwritten card from my mother tucked inside. "Happy Birthday my darling niece. Wear them somewhere fabulous. Love, Aunty."The second was an envelope in my father's handwriting. Inside was a cheque for twenty thousand dollars and a card that said simply: "Enjoy your youth. Love, Uncle."I carried both to Zuki and set them on the table in front of her.She opened the shoebox first. Lifted out one heel and held it up to the light the way people hold up newborn babies. The room gathered."Are those—" one of the girls started."Louboutins," Zuki confirmed, in a tone that suggested the conversation was over.She set the shoe down reverently and opened my father's envelope next. Read the card. Looked at the cheque. Looked at it for a long moment."Twenty thousand dollars," she said quietly."Yes," I said.She set it

Chapter 53: Being Brave

Sheila's POVBy eleven the guests had trickled out. Bringing the party to an end.The house was quiet again.Zuki was in the living room, sitting on the couch with her shoes dangling from one hand, scrolling through her phone with the other. The fairy lights were still on. The remnants of the cake sat on the table. It looked like the aftermath of something that had almost been perfect.It was time.So I went upstairs. Took off the robe.Looked at myself one more time in the mirror. The pink lace sat against my skin like a second thought I had decided to commit to. I had bought it for this. I had known, somewhere underneath all my confusion and cowardice, that I was buying it for this exact moment.I connected my phone to the bluetooth speaker downstairs, queued the song, and walked back down.Zuki looked up when I appeared in the doorway.Her eyes traveled over me slowly. The lace. The way I was standing. Something shifted in her expression immediately — a crack in the careful distan

Chapter 54: Christmas Day

Sheila's POVMorning came in slowly through the curtains.I lay there for a while just watching the light change on the ceiling. Gold at first, then pale, then the soft flat white of Christmas morning. Somewhere outside a bird was making noise.For a few seconds, before my brain caught up, everything felt okay.Then it caught up.I closed my eyes and just breathed. Last night came back in pieces. The music. The lace. Her hands on me and then gone. The way she had looked at me before she went upstairs.I stayed in bed until I couldn't anymore.Downstairs the living room still looked like a party that had ended too soon. Balloons leaning against the wall. Empty cups on the side table. The cake with only a few slices missing sitting under its glass cover. The fairy lights were still on, blinking quietly like they hadn't gotten the memo that the night was over.I made coffee and stood in the kitchen listening to the house. It was strange how loud a big house could be when it was empty. U

Chapter 55: Two Days Left

Zuki's POVDecember 30th.Two days before the new year. Two days before my flight home.By now I had finished packing my suitcase.There was something final about a fully packed suitcase that words could not quite explain.I got up early today, brushed my teeth, pulled on my leggings and a hoodie. Then opened the Uber app.I had two days left in Las Vegas and I was going to use them properly.The gym was the first stop.It was early enough that the morning crowd had not fully arrived yet. I stood outside for a moment just looking at the entrance. Same sign. Same potted plant by the door that was somehow still alive.I thought about the first time Sheila had come here with me. How she had run on the treadmill like it had personally offended her. How she had worked hard on the bikes, so focused on her daily exercises as though she was training for the Olympics.I went inside and did a light workout. Nothing serious. Just enough to feel it. The familiar burn in my legs, the rhythm of my

Chapter 56: Two Days Left (II)

Sheila's POVI slapped my hand flat over my mouth as I watched the lip gloss disappear into her jacket pocket. Smooth as anything.And then she turned toward the exit, walking majestically, totally unbothered, like she had not just shoplifted a lipgloss.I raised my eyes to the roof. Lord help me.I was already moving.I came around the corner fast, spotted the security guard closing in from the left and made my decision without even thinking about it.I turned into her aisle, spread my arms wide and opened my mouth."Oh my God. Zuki. There you are. I have been looking everywhere for you."The look on her face when she turned around almost made me lose it completely right there.I held it together.I smiled at the guard like a woman with nothing to hide, touched his arm, apologized warmly for my wandering cousin, walked us to self checkout, scanned the lip gloss, tapped my card and had us out the door in under ninety seconds.Then we were walking fast.Then faster.Then we were runnin

Chapter 57: Steven is Gay?

Sheila's POVI blinked.Then I blinked again.Because either the cold December air was playing tricks on me or Greg's very serious, very efficient, always three steps ahead PA was standing on this pavement holding another man's hand like it was the most casual thing in the world.Steven.Who wore pressed shirts with an air of superiority. Who managed my brother's entire life without breaking a sweat. Who I'd never once seen look anything other than completely professional.That Steven.Was on a date. With a man."Since when?" I blurted out with total disbelief.Not my finest comment. But I genuinely didn't know what else to say.Steven never struck me as the type to be bothered with anyone, male or female.Especially not male.He always just gave me the impression of "leave me the fuck alone" and "keep your bullshit to yourself."Yes, that Steven was strolling along the streets of Vegas, casually holding hands with a guy.What the hell?Steven didn't even blink. If he noticed my shock

Chapter 58: The Night Before She leaves

Sheila's POVDecember 31st. New Year's Eve.9:45 p.m.I stood outside her door for a full two minutes before I knocked.I'd been telling myself all evening to just go to bed. To let her pack. To let her sleep. To stop being the person who always showed up at the wrong time with the right feelings and ruined everything.I knocked anyway.There was silence. Then shuffling. Then the door opened and Zuki stood there in her sleep shorts and an oversized Tee, hair loose, face completely bare. No performance. No bright easy smile. Just her. The version of her that nobody else got to see."Sheila—" she began."I know," I said quickly. "I know it's late. I just — I can't sleep and you're leaving tomorrow and I can't just go to bed and pretend everything is fine."She looked at me for a long moment.Then she stepped aside.I walked in and sat on the edge of her bed. The room already felt different. Stripped back. Her suitcase sat by the door fully zipped and ready and just looking at it made so

Chapter 59: Airport Morning

Sheila's POVI didn't sleep.I lay awake in my bed and watched the room get lighter by degrees. That pale flat light that meant morning had arrived whether you were ready for it or not.I wasn't ready for it.It was New Year's Day. The 1st of January, 2026. The day that was supposed to feel like a door opening. It just felt like one closing.And I wasn't excited about it.By six I gave up and went downstairs to make coffee I didn't really want.I heard her door at six twenty. Her footsteps on the stairs. The quiet efficient sound of someone who had already said their goodbyes to the house in their own way and was now just moving through it.She came into the kitchen and we looked at each other."Happy New Year," she said."Happy New Year," I said back.I poured a cup of coffee and handed it to her without being asked. She took it without a word. We stood in that kitchen together one last time and drank our coffee and didn't talk about any of it.By six forty five I took her suitcase.

Chapter 60: Empty House

Sheila's POV— Day 1I came home from the airport and stood in the middle of the living room for a full minute doing nothing.The fairy lights were still up.I'd forgotten about them. They were still strung along the ceiling from her birthday party, blinking quietly like they hadn't gotten the news yet.I took them down.Folded them up neatly and put them in a drawer and told myself that was just tidying up. Normal post-holiday tidying.After that, I got the Christmas tree and decor and put them away in the basement. Until the next Christmas.Then I sank onto the couch and didn't move for two hours. Just felt the time slip by.— Day 2I made two cups of coffee that morning before I caught myself.Stood there looking at the second one for a moment. Then poured it down the sink and didn't think about it.I texted Bobby.Not because I had anything particular to say. More because I needed to know if there was still something there to salvage. We'd been friends for years before everything

Chapter 61: London Loneliness

Zuki's POV— Day 1London hit me with grey skies, drizzle and that particular January cold that gets into your bones before you've even left the airport.My flatmate Simone was waiting outside arrivals in a bright yellow coat, arms wide open, grinning like I'd been gone for a year."My Vegas baby is back!" she screamed.I laughed and hugged her, then let her take my suitcase, and we talked the whole ride home.I talked about the food, the weather and the birthday party and how the strip looked at Christmas.I talked for forty minutes.Said nothing true.— Day 2I unpacked my suitcase.Everything came out fine until I got to the bottom and found the lip gloss.Then the memories came rushing back.I stood there holding it for longer than was necessary.Then I put it on my dresser and finished unpacking and told myself very firmly that it was just a lip gloss.Except it wasn't.It was Sheila's last gift to me.— Day 3Simone dragged me to our usual Saturday brunch spot. The whole group w

...

23 24 25 26 27

...

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP