All Chapters of Blood Ties and Billionaire Lies: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

The house was too quiet.It was the kind of silence that pressed against my chest, heavy and sharp, like it wanted to remind me that someone was missing. Richard’s jacket was still hanging by the door. His coffee mug sat on the counter. I couldn’t bring myself to move them. If I touched them, maybe it would feel like I was admitting he wasn’t coming back.I sat on the couch with my knees pulled to my chest, staring at the floor. The clock ticked, steady, cruel. My chest ached in that slow way that comes when you’re not only sadyou’re empty.He had left because of Damien. That truth cut me deeper every time I thought about it. Damien’s selfish games, his way of trying to pull me back when I was finally happy, had pushed Richard away. And yet, I couldn’t even put all the blame on Damien. I kept asking myself if I’d done enough, if I’d said the right words when Richard stood at that door. Did he know how much I loved him? Did he know I would’ve chosen him again and again, no matter what

Cassandra’s eyes didn’t move. She just sat there, staring at me like she wasn’t sure what she’d heard. My heart thumped so hard it hurt. The words I’d spoken still hung in the air: I miss you.For a moment, I wanted to take them back. My chest tightened with regret. But then Cassandra’s lips parted, slow, unsteady.“Don’t,” she whispered.I blinked. “Don’t what?”“Don’t say things you don’t mean.”Her voice cracked on the last word. She looked down at her plate, her shoulders trembling.“I do mean it,” I said quickly. My throat burned. “I miss you. More than you think.”Her fingers tightened around her glass. She lifted it like she wanted to hide behind it, then set it back down. Her nails tapped the rim in a restless beat.For years, we had lived in a storm. And now here we were, sitting across from each other like strangers, trying to decide if we wanted to step out into the sun or stay drowning in the rain.Mom broke the silence with a sigh. “This is your chance,” she said. “Don’t

The city was alive outside the glass walls of Selena’s apartment, lights burning like a thousand stars pulled close. But inside, it was quiet. Too quiet. She sat curled on the couch, her hands holding a blanket tight around her shoulders as if it could guard her from the emptiness pressing in.The events of the day clung to her the sharpness of Damien’s eyes, the hurt in his voice, Emma’s anger like a knife cutting through the air, and then… Cassandra’s hand, steady in hers. Cassandra said with no hesitation, She’s my sister.Selena had replayed those words over and over, trying to believe they were real. She had wanted them for so long, needed them like air. Now that they had been spoken, they didn’t feel fragile. They felt strong, like something meant to last.Her phone buzzed on the table. A text from Cassandra:Can I come over?Selena’s heart jumped. She didn’t even type back. She just sent a quick “yes” and got up to make tea.Minutes later, the knock came. Selena opened the door

The morning light spilled through the tall glass windows of Roth Enterprise, gold spilling over the marble floors. Selena clutched her notebook to her chest as she walked past the familiar rows of desks, the murmur of voices, the soft click of keyboards. Mondays were usually slow, heavy with yawns and coffee cups. But today felt different, like the air itself carried a pulse she couldn’t name.Her heels tapped against the floor as she made her way to the boardroom. She caught glimpses of glances from coworkers, some curious, some indifferent, a few still heavy with the old whispers that used to follow her. She straightened her shoulders anyway. After all the storms she’d faced, she’d learned that silence could be as sharp as words.The boardroom was already buzzing when she entered. Men in suits leaned close to whisper, women checked their phones, papers shuffled. Selena slipped into her chair near the end of the long polished table. She smoothed her skirt, her hands damp despite the

The afternoon light streamed into Cassandra’s living room, soft golden beams warming the pale curtains. She sat on the edge of the sofa, half-leaning on the armrest, her phone in her hand. She had just ended a call with Selena, who sounded brighter than she had in months. That alone was enough to make Cassandra’s heart swell her sister was slowly rising again.A sharp knock broke through her thoughts.Cassandra frowned. She wasn’t expecting anyone. She stood, walked to the door, and opened it.Emma stood there, her perfume heavy in the air, her smile stretched wide like painted glass.“Cassandra,” Emma said sweetly, brushing past her without waiting to be invited.Cassandra closed the door slowly, tension already tightening her chest. Emma had been distant for weeks, her eyes sharp whenever they passed at the office. Now she looked… too eager.“Emma,” Cassandra said carefully. “What brings you here?”Emma dropped her bag on the couch and sat down as though she owned the space. She cro