บททั้งหมดของ Better Brother, Better Life: บทที่ 511 - บทที่ 520

Gideon was usually the picture of cool detachment. He was quiet and almost unnerving in his composure, never showing the kind of frantic energy most people let slip. Right now, though, his breathing came in short, uneven bursts.He'd clearly run to the hotel, even leaving his bodyguards behind. He'd rushed over with raw panic and urgency just to find Phoebe.When she saw him, her lips parted, but no sound came out.The moment Gideon locked his eyes on her, he took in everything—her ghostly pale face and the raw, bloody mess of her knees. His expression didn't shift, but he lunged straight at Connor in the next heartbeat.Connor hadn't expected him to show up this fast. He'd been just about to drag Phoebe off when Gideon had shown up to stop them. Strangely, it didn't make him feel worse. He'd already braced himself for this and knew Gideon would come, so that kept him steady and almost calm.Even though Gideon's expression had stayed mostly blank, Connor caught the flicker of real

Phoebe kissed Gideon. She did it on purpose and as a show for Connor—she knew that he could see them.But if anyone were to ask her why she did it, she couldn't answer right then. Her body had moved before her brain could catch up. She'd just kissed Gideon.The moment her lips brushed against his, she was still thinking about the performance for Connor's benefit. But maybe about three seconds later, he vanished from her mind. All that remained was the soft warmth against her mouth.She already had her arms looped around Gideon's neck. When their lips met, his body went rigid for a split second. Then, his hands clamped onto her waist, hard and sure. Suddenly, she wasn't the one in control anymore.What started as a light, fleeting touch turned into something else entirely the instant he pulled her closer and leaned in. He took that innocent, almost childish peck and made it adult, hungry, and full of passion.Phoebe's lips stung a little from the way Gideon sucked and nipped. There

Morgan knew that none of this was Phoebe's fault, so he wasn't about to blame his injury on her. Still, there was a tiny thread of connection.He almost laughed out loud at how perfect the timing was. He'd been racking his brain for a good excuse to get closer to her. Now, getting his head split open had just handed him the ultimate icebreaker. If he couldn't turn this into an advantage, he might as well just drop out of the game.He silently thanked the "kind gentleman" who'd done him this favor. If he actually managed to win Phoebe over, his wedding vows were definitely going to include a special shout-out to this guy.Morgan wasn't delusional or out of his mind to already be imagining such a future. He was 31 that year. The wild, no-strings phase had been fun when he was younger, but he now wanted something real. That was why he'd thought of going on blind dates and meeting other people with marriage as their endgame.Then, Phoebe had come into the picture. He'd fallen for her a

Gideon didn't read too deeply into it. Phoebe had always been polite with him, but at that moment, that same politeness grated on him more than anything.His gaze lingered on her lips for a beat. He swallowed the urge rising in his chest and led her to his room.The presidential suite was as lavish as ever, but the atmosphere had shifted completely from before. Phoebe followed him inside. Her knees were bandaged now, and the crusted blood was out of sight. Her wrist was free and no longer throbbed as though it might snap at any second.The person beside her had changed, too. Gideon, a man who made her feel truly safe, was now with her.She walked over to the couch and took a seat, a sense of deja vu washing over her as the scene mirrored what had happened earlier.But this time, she didn't have the desperate urge to escape. She wasn't frantically searching for something heavy to swing at Connor's head, only to have him catch her and tighten his grip even more. There was no suffoca

Gideon didn't react when Phoebe finished speaking. She took a deep breath and continued, "On the helicopter, I told you I would come to you once things settled down. It wasn't because I wanted to explain what happened with Connor or who Morgan is. It's not about any of those things."I just wanted to tell you that I want us to be together for real. No more pretending. We'll date for real and be with each other like every other couple out there."Her heart had been racing when she started speaking, but she felt strangely calm by the time she got it all out. Once she'd confirmed how Gideon felt about her, she'd been at a complete loss for a while. She was unsure of how to even act around him with that knowledge.She couldn't possibly say that she didn't like him—that would be a lie—but her "like" had always been built on friendship. She'd rarely let her mind drift in a romantic direction with guys, so while she hated the idea of pulling away from Gideon, she also couldn't just flip a