All Chapters of Better Tides Than Love Turned Hate: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

I fell in love with a man I should never have touched—my brother-in-law, Lucas Zahn.The first time he came to our home with my sister, Quincy Stone, they looked like the perfect couple. He smiled at me, held out a peace talisman bracelet, and said it would keep me safe.I wore it like it was the most precious thing in the world.When the old injury in my ankle flared up, he would scoop me into his arms and rush me to the hospital without a second thought.When thugs tried to harass me, he made them scatter with a single look, then spoke to me in a voice so gentle it made my heart tremble.I told myself I understood—that everything he did was only because I was Quincy’s younger sister.Even so, I clung to those rare moments when I could be near him.Until the night Lucas was drugged by an enemy, his life teetering on the edge. If no one acted, he would die.So, I acted.On that reckless, desperate night, my sister walked in. The sight struck her like a lightning bolt, and she

Chapter 2

Lucas and Quincy slept straight through to noon.My parents exchanged knowing glances toward the tightly shut bedroom door.“Ah, young people have energy to spare,” my father chuckled. “But they really ought to pace themselves.”The serving dish in my hands trembled. The porcelain slipped through my fingers and shattered across the floor.Mother’s brows drew together in irritation. Then, as if remembering something, she sighed. “Layla, I know you blame us. But Quincy… she’s not like you. Without this strange twist of fate, how many men would truly be willing to care for her for a lifetime? You still have so many years ahead of you…”I didn’t answer. I crouched and gathered the jagged shards, sweeping them into my palm.The bedroom door opened. Lucas stepped out, his collar loose, faint kiss marks trailing along his skin. I froze. A shard bit into my finger, and blood welled bright red.A flicker of disgust crossed his eyes.Once, I used every little injury as an excuse to draw

Chapter 3

So that was why they stayed out so late. They were attending one social gathering after another.Lucas’s expression was dark as a storm cloud, but he said nothing.I didn’t want to ruin the last two days before I left by turning things into a fight, so I simply nodded.At dinner, Quincy tapped my shoulder, her smile bright and calculating, and made sure every man present knew I was single.One by one, they raised their glasses to me, joking that I’d have to “look after” them in the days ahead.Glass after glass went down. My stomach churned until I thought I might be sick. Covering my mouth, I slipped toward the restroom.One of the men who’d been most eager with his toasts followed. An arm snaked around my waist, his breath hot against my ear before his teeth grazed my skin.“Layla, why didn’t you drink a few more with me?” Weakly, I tried to push him away, but he continued to press against me and murmured, “That’s naughty of you. Now, how should I punish you?”The hallway s

Chapter 4

All eyes in the room locked on me. The weight of their silent judgment pressed down until I could barely breathe.Somewhere in the crowd, whispers slithered through the air.“The Stone family’s been prestigious for decades. How did they raise such a shameless daughter? Seducing her own brother-in-law, tsk tsk.”“If she can betray her own sister, whose man will she steal next?”“Isn’t Quincy in poor health? Poor girl, to have her own sister take her man.”“Lucas is the Zahn heir. The Stone family is nothing compared to them. No wonder Layla would stoop so low—she’s after money.”Lucas’s brow furrowed. “Layla, hand over the ring now, and I’ll pretend none of this happened.”Tears welled in Quincy’s eyes.“Layla, if you have something against me, we can talk about it at home. Why must you embarrass me like this, make me unable to hold my head up in front of everyone?”Her voice was soft, her fragility so artful that even her questioning sounded delicate and pitiable.Lucas slipp

Chapter 5

When I arrived at the reserve, the staff handed me a rugged satellite phone built for snowy mountain regions.I locked my old phone in a box. It stayed there, gathering dust—never to be opened again.From that moment on, I was cut off from the outside world, severed from every messy entanglement of love and hate.On my first survey assignment, the snow-capped mountains stretched endlessly into the horizon. Their glistening white peaks held a quiet, mysterious power that stilled my restless heart.My work was simple yet purposeful—counting rare animals, collecting plant samples.To capture a photo of a wolverine, I once slept only three hours a night, living alone in the mountains for nearly two weeks.When I finally got that image, every sacrifice felt worth it.In my fifth month at the reserve, I saw a face I hadn’t seen in a long time.Landon Torres—my junior from the same research program.Sunlight caught in his eyes, making them glimmer like snow.He grinned, wide and boy

Chapter 6

The moment Lucas spoke, memories slammed into me like a tidal wave—being thrown out of the wedding, humiliated and shamed, the sting of his slap, the burning pain across my face.My face drained of color. I instinctively clutched Landon’s hand.My legs felt like they were filled with lead. I couldn’t move—only watch as Lucas closed in, step by step.“I realized the Stone family had lied to me after reading your message. That wedding should never have happened. I confronted your parents with the photo, and when they couldn’t hide it anymore, they admitted the truth. Quincy’s heart condition is congenital. She never attempted extreme activities, let alone saved me in that avalanche.“I targeted the wrong person from the start.”Lucas’s voice was hoarse.A year apart had hollowed him out. He was thinner, almost gaunt. Red veins streaked his eyes; stubble shadowed his jaw. I barely recognized him.He grabbed my wrist. His cold fingers made me flinch.“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?

Chapter 7

I’d already made my position clear that day. I thought Lucas would take the hint and leave.To my disbelief, he stayed outside the institute for the next ten days.A senior colleague asked if someone was bothering me and offered to help.I glanced at Lucas’s thin, stubborn silhouette and declined.Sometimes, I truly couldn’t understand what went on in Lucas’s mind.When he was with Quincy, he treated her like fragile, precious porcelain, terrified she might break. He would have given her the world just to make her smile.Yet once her lies were exposed, he severed every tie without hesitation. Years of affection vanished in a heartbeat, leaving him cold, as if he had never loved her at all.That kind of sincerity… That kind of love… It was poison sweetened with honey.I intended to ignore Lucas until his mind cooled, and he left on his own. So, I set off alone into the mountains on a mission. I never expected him to follow me.When heavy snow suddenly came down in the mou

Chapter 8

A year later, Landon finally proposed.Even though we knew each other inside and out, the moment still hit me hard. Tears welled up and slipped free before I could stop them.Landon knelt on one knee, hands trembling as he held the ring.“Layla, from this day on, I want to spend every single day with you. I want to be with you for the rest of my life.”I extended my hand, and he gently slid the ring onto my finger.On our wedding day, my mentor smiled warmly.“When you took that leave of absence, I saw right through Landon. He couldn’t focus on anything else. Sure enough, he applied to the nature reserve—obviously for you.“Seeing you two married fills my heart with joy. You’re both wonderful. Cherish each moment together… Oh, and I’ve saved a spot for you as a doctoral student, Layla. You’re brilliant, diligent, and have a true gift for research. Please, think about it seriously.”Her tone was solemn. I looked at her with deep gratitude and took her hand.“Thank you.”The we

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