บททั้งหมดของ Stepdaughter by Day, Wife by Night: บทที่ 231 - บทที่ 240

Roman's POVSeveral years later.I used to think silence was empty.Now I know it’s heavy.It presses against your chest when you wake up in the morning and reminds you of everything you no longer have. The office was quiet when I arrived that day, the kind of quiet that only exists after you lose power. No assistants rushing in. No phones ringing endlessly. No one waiting outside my door for instructions.Just me.I placed my briefcase on the desk and sat down slowly, like the chair might disappear if I moved too fast. The desk wasn’t the one I used to have. Smaller. Scratched at the edges. No expensive wood polish. No family crest carved into the corner.But it was mine.Again.My assistant knocked lightly before entering, her posture careful, respectful but no longer afraid. That was new. People used to fear me. Now they just… worked with me.“The contract has been finalized, Mr. Wolfe,” she said, handing me a folder. “They’ve agreed to the terms.”I opened it, scanning the pages e

LENAThat night, the villa felt different.Not quieter, not louder—just charged, like the air itself knew something was about to change.I stood in front of the mirror in my room, staring at my reflection, barely recognizing the woman looking back at me. The black dress hugged my body just enough to remind me that I was still a woman, not only a mother, not only someone’s ex-wife, not only someone who survived heartbreak. My hair fell softly over my shoulders, my makeup light but intentional. I didn’t look like someone who had been broken and stitched back together.I looked… alive.And that scared me.I lifted my hand and touched my collarbone, grounding myself. Billy had invited me to a colleague’s birthday party. At first, I wanted to say no. Parties came with questions, with glances, with assumptions I wasn’t sure I was ready to face. I didn’t want to go alone, and I didn’t want to pretend I was braver than I actually was.But Billy hadn’t pushed.He had simply said, “You don’t ha

LENABilly insisted on taking me somewhere else after the party, no matter how many times I told him it wasn’t necessary.“I’m fine,” I said for the third time while he drove, the city lights sliding past the window like blurred stars. “Really. You don’t have to make it up to me.”“I know I don’t have to,” he replied calmly, eyes still on the road. “I want to.”That simple sentence made me stop arguing.The restaurant he chose was quiet and elegant, tucked away from the main streets. Soft music floated through the air, and the lighting was warm, almost intimate, without being overwhelming. Candles flickered on each table, their reflections dancing on polished silverware and crystal glasses.It felt like a place people came to celebrate anniversaries, engagements, things that lasted.Billy pulled out the chair for me, and I sat down slowly, smoothing my dress over my knees. When he took the seat across from me, the candlelight softened his features, making him look younger, gentler.“I

LENAI took a slow breath, trying to steady my heart before everything spilled out in front of the children.“Ava,” I said quietly, not taking my eyes off Roman. “Can you take the kids back to the room for a while?”Ava hesitated. I could see the worry in her eyes, the silent question of whether I was really okay with being alone with him. I nodded slightly, reassuring her.“Come on, angels,” Ava said gently, crouching down. “Let’s get ready for bed, yeah?”“But Daddy—” Isabella started.“I’ll come say goodnight in a bit,” Roman said softly, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.The twins followed Ava obediently, still half-confused, and Isabella looked back at us a few times before disappearing down the hallway. The sound of the bedroom door closing echoed louder than it should have.Suddenly, it was just the two of us.Roman and me.The silence settled between us, heavy and uncomfortable. I crossed my arms over my chest, more to protect myself than anything else.“I’m so

LENAMorning came softly, filtered through pale sunlight and the quiet hum of a house that was just waking up. I moved through the kitchen on autopilot, preparing breakfast like I always did—toast, eggs, fruit, warm milk for the twins. My body knew the routine even when my heart was still somewhere else, tangled in last night’s emotions.The kids sat around the table, their small voices filling the space, but something felt off. Isabella was quieter than usual, poking at her toast instead of devouring it like she normally would.She looked up at me suddenly, her big eyes searching my face.“Mommy,” she asked, her voice innocent but sharp enough to pierce my chest, “why didn’t Daddy stay? He was home last night. He should’ve eaten breakfast with us.”My hand froze mid-motion.Benjamin looked up too, his lower lip trembling just slightly. “Yeah,” he added softly. “I thought Daddy would be here when I woke up.”Nataniel didn’t say anything, but he leaned closer to Isabella, listening car