Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 121 - Chapitre 130

Teresa stood still for a moment after Leonard’s tall frame disappeared down the corridor, the soft click of the suite door sealing behind him.Something prickled at her, a faint unease that refused to go away.She had spent enough time around people to know when a gesture was too polished, too perfectly timed.The gift, the way he crouched down to Mira’s level, the smile that never once faltered. It was all… rehearsed.Her eyes drifted to the nightstand where the comb had been, where just moments before a few of Mira’s hairs had clung stubbornly. It was gone. Teresa frowned. No, not gone, shifted slightly, like someone had touched it. Her lips pressed together, doubt curling in her chest.“Elara?” she ventured softly.Elara sat at the desk, chin propped on her hand, her laptop screen open but untouched for several minutes. Her eyes were glassy, her body present but her heart far, far away.“Yes?” Elara’s voice was flat, like someone dragging herself through a long night.Teresa hesita

The thought struck him like a knife. His vision blurred as bile rose in his throat. Unless she lied. Unless, after me, she went to someone else. Someone else touched her. Someone else...“No.” His voice was hoarse, broken, and he realized too late he had spoken aloud. People on the sidewalk gave him sideways glances, some wary, some pitying.He ignored them, his gaze darting blindly up and down the street, desperate for something to anchor him. Another cab slowed this time, pulling to the curb. He gripped the door handle but didn’t get in immediately. His reflection stared back at him in the glass, eyes red, face pale, jaw tight like a man about to shatter.He slammed his fist against the roof of the taxi, the driver jumping in his seat. “You’re wrong,” Leonard whispered to the reflection. “The test is wrong. It has to be. Mira is mine. She has to be mine.”His hands shook violently as he slid into the backseat, clutching his temples. The driver asked for a destination, but Leonard ba

Julian’s throat burned. He forced a smile he didn’t feel, shaking his head slightly. “It’s not that simple, Milo.”“Why not?” The boy frowned. “You’re my dad. Mommy said one day we’d be a family again, once you remembered us. You remember now, right? You came. You’re here.” His voice cracked with a childish certainty that ripped Julian apart. “So when do we move in with you?”Julian leaned back, exhaling hard. His mind screamed never and it can’t work like that but the sight of Milo’s hopeful eyes chained the words in his chest. Instead, he placed a steady hand on the boy’s shoulder.“Milo, I want to know you better first. We’re going to spend time together, just you and me. Step by step, alright?”Milo’s mouth twisted into a pout. “But that’s not what Mommy said. Mommy said families don’t wait. Families stay together.”Julian shut his eyes for a moment, Diana’s manipulations whispering through every syllable the boy spoke. Rage flared deep in him, but it wasn’t aimed at Milo, it was

Leonard adjusted his cufflinks, the gesture sharp and deliberate, his eyes skimming over her but not lingering.“I wanted to remind you, we have the gala tonight. It’s one of the bigger fashion events on the circuit. Next year, you’ll be expected to work on the planning side of things, so consider this… a study run. Pay attention to the details, the coordination, the partnerships. It’s not just an event, it’s a statement piece for our brand.”Elara set the pen down slowly, her gaze steady on him.He was too calm, too businesslike. It almost unsettled her. This was Leonard, the man who used to lace his words with sharpness, with jealousy, with accusation. The man who fought her and tore at her defenses until she wanted to scream. And now… this.“Understood,” she said finally, her voice clipped.For a moment, silence hung between them, the kind that threatened to pull something raw out into the open. But Leonard only gave her a brief, professional nod and glanced toward the corner.“See

The manager was sweating now, nodding quickly. “Yes, yes, of course. I’ll handle it immediately...”Leonard’s glare didn’t ease. He tugged his cufflinks straight, a gesture of control, of dominance, though his pulse was still raging. “And if anything like this happens again, anything, you will answer directly to me. Not to anyone. Not to the company. To me. Are we clear?”“Crystal,” the manager said quickly, bowing his head.Leonard didn’t wait for another word.He turned sharply on his heel, his shoes clicking against the floor, his fury leaving a wake behind him.His mind was racing, still replaying Mira’s small, broken voice telling him she was being replaced.No child should ever have to feel that way.And as he stalked toward the elevators, Leonard vowed silently, he didn’t care what it cost him, or how much restraint it took, he was going to make sure Mira never felt unwanted again. Not by strangers. Not by Julian. Not by anyone.Elara had been upstairs, going over the last of h