บททั้งหมดของ Beneath His Cold Vows: บทที่ 21 - บทที่ 30

Edward's POVMy hand closed around her wrist before I thought about it.The room was still watching. Whispers rippled outward like water. Lucy stood frozen, wine dripping down the front of her gold dress. Dark red against bright gold. Impossible to miss. Her mouth opened in shock that looked almost real.Almost.I pulled Alicia toward the hallway. She stumbled in those ridiculous heels but I didn't slow down. The marble floor stretched ahead, empty and echoing. I needed distance. Space. Somewhere the board couldn't see this disaster unfold.The hallway curved. I stopped near a service entrance, far enough from the ballroom that voices were muffled.I let go of her wrist and turned."What the hell was that?"She stared at me. Her dress was wet down the front, navy fabric dark where the wine had soaked through. It didn't show the way Lucy's did. Just looked damp. Like water, not wine."Did you hear me?" My voice came out harder than I meant. "What were you thinking?""She spilled wine o

Alicia’s POVI pushed through the bathroom door.The hallway was empty. Music drifted from the ballroom. Voices layered over piano.I walked back, heels clicking against marble.Deep breath. Smile. Perform.The ballroom opened before me. Still packed. Still glittering under chandeliers.I scanned the crowd.Edward stood near the bar talking to someone I didn’t recognize. Older man. Silver hair. Expensive watch.I started toward him.He glanced up. Saw me. His jaw tightened. He excused himself.“Where were you?”“Restroom.”“For twenty minutes?”“I wasn’t feeling well.”He studied my face as if he were reading a contract for loopholes.“Are you alright now?”“Fine.”“Good.” He set his drink down. “The photographer needs us. Official portraits.”Right.Because we were Edward and Alicia Valentine. The stable marriage. The polished image that needed to be captured before anyone could question it.I followed him through the crowd.Near the terrace doors, a backdrop had been set up. Cream a

Alicia’s POV The hospital smelled like antiseptic and bad coffee. I’d been here too many times before to count, long enough to know which elevator was faster, which nurse worked which shift, which vending machine actually worked. I was familiar with the pattern of the polished linoleum tiles. The hum of the fluorescent lights. The air felt scrubbed of warmth, like even the oxygen had been disinfected. I knew all of it. But today it felt different. Denser. Like the air itself carried the memory of everything that had happened here before. I stopped outside Lily’s room. Pressed my palm flat against the door. Breathed. Smiled. Then, I pushed through. “There she is!” Lily’s voice was bright. Too bright. The kind of brightness that came from spending too many days in a hospital bed with nothing to do but overthink. She was sitting up, hair in a messy bun, a little more herself than she’d been a few days ago. The steady beeps beside her filled the silence, constant and reassur

Alicia’s POVI stepped inside. The room smelled of leather, old books, and the faint trace of his cologne. The desk lamp cast shadows across his face.I didn’t sit. Just stood there with my arms wrapped around myself.“About last night,” I started. My voice was smaller than I wanted. “About that document you found.”He leaned back in his chair. Waiting.“I don’t know how it got in my purse,” I said. “I swear I don’t. I never went to the hospital for any tests. I took a home test. That’s it. I don’t understand where that paper came from.”“It was in your purse, Alicia.”“I know. But I didn’t put it there.” I took a breath. “Lucy gave me an envelope at the gala. She said it was from your mother. Documents for your board meeting. I put it in my purse and forgot about it until you—” I stopped. “Until you took it.”He didn’t respond. Just watched me.“That’s all I had in there,” I continued. “Whatever you found, I don’t know where it came from. Something doesn’t feel right about it.”“Are

Alicia's POVThe house was lit when I pulled into the driveway.Every window glowed warm against the dark.Edward’s Mercedes-AMG GT63 sat in its usual spot, engine cold. Sleek—immaculate, like everything else he owned.I killed the ignition and sat there for a moment, hands still gripping the wheel.Through the front window, I could see him. Standing in the living room. Glass in hand. Staring at something on his phone.I got out. Locked the car. Walked to the front door.Inside, the air was still. Quiet except for the faint hum of the refrigerator and the tick of the hallway clock.Edward looked up when I stepped into the living room."You're back.""Yeah."He set his phone on the side table. Took a sip from his glass. Whiskey, probably. Neat."I called earlier," he said, voice smooth. Unreadable. "Wanted to ask how Lily was doing."I stood near the doorway. Hands in my pockets.Was that true? Had he actually called to check on my sister?Or was this just another script in a marriage