บททั้งหมดของ A Wife For Seven Days : บทที่ 81 - บทที่ 90

The office door opened without a knock. David stepped in. His steps felt heavier than usual.“It better be something useful, Hart.” Xander’s voice cut through his silence.David froze. For a heartbeat, it seemed he could answer easily, like this was just another report. But the words stuck in his throat until he swallowed and forced them out.“Mr. Ratford has accepted the invitation. He’ll be at the party tonight.”Xander nodded, satisfied, already moving back to his papers. “Good.” His pen scratched steadily across the page. Then he paused, his eyes narrowing slightly, “I will finally get to know if he is the Liam I've been hunting.” He leaned back, “Anything else?”David wished he could end it there. Deliver the safe news, walk out, pretend he hadn’t seen what he saw this morning.But his hands betrayed him, clasping too tightly in his pocket.“Hart,” Xander looked up briefly. “Have the driver pick Tatiana up later. Don't keep her waiting.”The words twisted something inside David.

When the dress arrived at the mansion, Tatiana had thought it a dream sent from heaven itself. The moment she laid eyes on it, her heart soared. An elegant green gown, strapped with ambers of gold, shimmering as though spun from the very essence of starlight. The glitter echoed louder each time she shifted it in her hands, its reflection gracing her face with a beauty she had never dared claim for herself. She pressed the fabric against her skin, her lips curving into a smile so wide it hurt. Standing before the mirror, she twirled slowly. The dress swirled about her, catching the light, clinging to her frame in perfect embrace. She felt like more than what the world named her—a queen. She felt adored. She felt chosen. The gown was not merely fabric; it was a promise—his assurance. Xander’s. She believed in that. Believed in the love she had seen flicker in his eyes the night before, the tenderness in his touch, the warmth that had softened the walls he built around his heart.

DAVID’S POV Xander’s voice cut through the air like a blade. “David, the ring.” My fingers tightened around the velvet box. For a moment, the noise of the hall dissolves. All I heard was the sharp hitch of Tatiana’s breath. It wasn’t loud. It was the kind of sound that slipped through a person’s defenses, soft enough to be missed by most, but piercing enough to slice through me. She cheated. As much as I hated Xander’s approach, as much as it made my stomach knot, I had told myself she needed to learn a lesson. Yet, my resolve faltered like a candle in the wind at that moment. She stood there—shoulders hunched as if the weight of invisible chains held her down. Her hair, usually pinned and flawless, had fallen loose in strands that framed her tear-streaked face. Her hands shook as they clutched at the fabric of her dress, fingers digging into the material trying to hold herself together, to keep from splitting apart in front of everyone. Something inside me pause

“Not so soon, Tatty, we will meet again.” Liam turned back, his bodyguards surrounding him once more. Within seconds, he disappeared from sight. Tatiana stood frozen. Her body trembled. Her fingers clenched the handkerchief. What was he talking about? Her mind spun as his voice kept echoing in her ears. But she didn’t have time to dwell on it. A movement ahead snapped her out of her trance. Tony. His smile was slow and menacing—the kind that made her skin crawl. She knew that smile. She had grown up around it. It was the look of someone who enjoyed watching her squirm. Tatiana stiffened where she stood. Her tears had dried but her instincts flared. Whatever mercy or comfort she had briefly felt shattered the moment his eyes met hers. Tony’s gaze swept over her slowly, like a hunter sizing up wounded prey. She took a careful step back, then another until they became hurried.Tony didn’t move at first; he just watched her, his eyes dark and knowing, as if savoring her discom

TATIANA'S POV“If you touches me with your filthy hands again, I will kill you.”A chill ran through Tatiana’s veins as the words sank in. It wasn’t just what he said—it was how he said it. Cold. Final. Like she was nothing but dirt beneath his shoes. Her chest tightened painfully. How had she become this to him? Filth. She, who had once stood by his side, who was now trying—desperately—to protect him, was the very thing he wanted to erase. A flicker of disbelief crossed her face, but beneath it bloomed a raw, quiet agony.Even when she was trying to protect him from danger, he wanted to end her.What wrong had she done in her life? Why was everything against her?He had humiliated her, and now he didn’t even want to see her again.Fine. She would give him that.She let her hand slip away but not before catching the cold glare in his eyes. He turned without a care, as if she had never existed.But then—She felt a sharp, hot punch in her chest—like fire exploding beneath her skin. For