All Chapters of Belonging to Lockhart: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Did this mean our contract no longer held weight? Was this his unspoken way of saying he wanted us to be real? The questions clawed at me, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask them. Before I could even try, a cluster of eager businessmen surrounded us, their attention fixed on Theron. So much for a much-needed moment of privacy. The wry smile tugging at Theron’s lips told me he wasn't thrilled about the interruption either. But this was why we’d come to show him off as the future CEO of the Lockhart Consortium. Our relationship reveal had only been a strategic bonus, a cherry on top, trivial to some. Still, it shifted something for me. That public announcement our engagement offered me something I hadn’t realized I was missing: power. The very men who had overlooked me just this morning were now bowing their heads, graciously inviting me into the conversation. Theron welcomed me without hesitation, his hand sliding around my waist like the ring on my finger hadn’t been proof enoug

I locked eyes with Ami. Her hands had started to tremble, and her breathing came in fast, uneven bursts. “He wants to come clean,” I murmured, eyes flicking back to the message. “But what exactly does he mean by that?” She inhaled deeply, brushing her hair behind one ear. “Maybe… maybe it’s about that assault.” Her voice shook despite her attempt at composure, and I knew she was anything but calm. I could only imagine the shadows racing through her mind. My brows drew together. “It sounds shady. Why would he suddenly decide to talk to me? I thought I’d have to drag it out of him hell, beat it out of him if I had to.” Ami managed a faint, bitter smile. “We both saw how shaken he was. Maybe he’s trying to get ahead of it give you his version of the story before it blows up.” Plausible. But this was the same man who had once threatened her life, the same one accused of a violent felony. I took a breath and reached for her hand. “I should go hear what he has to say.” She

THERON POV I charged down the corridor beside the banquet hall, barely registering anything but the pounding of my footsteps. Zebulon kept pace behind me. Amaris had told me she and Manny planned to meet at the café above the auditorium. That was our first stop. I prayed I was wrong that she’d be sitting there laughing, calling me paranoid. But every instinct screamed otherwise. If that bastard was here, he would’ve gone straight for her. "You should’ve kept your brother on a damn leash!" I barked, sprinting up the stairs. "I tried!" Zebulon snapped behind me. "I made sure he didn’t know you or Amaris were even attending." I gave a bitter laugh. "Well, looks like you failed." "Fuck you, Theron!" he shouted. I whirled around, grabbed his collar, and slammed him into the wall. “Your brother should be rotting in prison. Instead, you and your father kept his sins buried. If anything happens to Ami if she so much as bleeds because of him I swear to God, I’ll make your whole

AMARIS POV The faint, rhythmic beeping stirred me from the depths of unconsciousness. It was like floating up from cold, endless waters, only to be met with the searing sting of reality. Pain came crashing in, radiating through every inch of my body. I think I groaned at least, I tried to as I forced my heavy eyelids open. Light pierced through my vision like blades, sharper than even the pain in my ribs. Everything was too much. Too bright. Too loud. Too real. But then, I felt something else. Warmth. A touch. Theron. He was there, beside me, holding my hand. I lifted my head slightly, lips curving weakly into a smile meant just for him. “Ami?” His voice was hoarse, cracking with emotion. My heart ached at the sound of it. “Theron…” My voice broke, and a hot tear slipped from the corner of my eye. “Don’t cry, my little daredevil,” he whispered, leaning in to kiss the tear away. But his tenderness only made the dam inside me break. The tears came harder, fasterwa

AMARIS POV The clacking of keys echoed through the room, rhythmic and relentless but it wasn’t my fingers on the keyboard. That honor belonged to Manny, who’d unofficially moved into my room ever since Theron left. With Theron away the past few days, Manny had immersed himself in work, typing furiously like the keys had personally offended him. "Am I intruding?" I asked dryly, lifting a brow. "Should I be the one to leave?" His head jerked up at the sound of my voice, blinking as if waking from a trance. After a beat, he offered me a sheepish smile. "Sorry... I’m almost finished." I sighed, shifting carefully toward the edge of the bed, testing how much weight my leg could bear. "What do you think you’re doing?" he demanded, already on his feet with a disapproving scowl. "Trying to get up," I replied flatly, unfazed. He crossed his arms. "Why?" I rolled my eyes. "Because I have two legs and they aren’t purely decorative." His frown deepened, arms tightening across