Semua Bab Kisses, Lies and Blurred Alibis : Bab 41 - Bab 50

CHLOE POV Gold still held me tight. Her hands were the only thing keeping me upright and sane. The words on the mirror burns itself into t my skinWHORECarved deep. Aggressive. Purposeful.Someone wanted me to see it. Someone wanted me to bleed from it.My breath shudders out of me, violent and uneven.Gold grasps both my arms. “Chloe, look at me. Look at me, not the mirror. You’re safe. You hear me?”Safe.I wish that word meant something.I feel the panic rising like smoke inside my lungs. My throat tightens. My vision blurs around the edges. It feels like the universe is tilting, and I’m sliding right off the center.“Gold… Gold, I…I can’t…” I stammer, clutching her shirt. My nails dig into her. “Who would, why would..”“Hush.” She presses my head to her chest. “Don’t talk. Breathe.”But breathing feels impossible. Every inhale comes out jagged. I feel watched, like shadows have eyes.The carved word seems to pulse on the mirror. Like it’s alive.A tremor slithers down my spine,

CHLOE POV Ethan finally falls asleep on the couch, still sitting upright, still guarding the doorway like he expects someone to break it down any moment. The lamp in the living room hums softly, throwing a tired gold halo across the walls. My hands cradle a cup of warm water Gold insisted I sip before she left hours ago. But the warmth does nothing to steady my heart. Jake threw me out. The man who once kissed me like I was breath itself… Looked at me like I was poison. And the worst part? Gold said he hasn’t been himself since. A sharp knock breaks the silence. I freeze. Ethan straightens instantly. “Stay behind me.” But when he opens the door, relief floods my chest. Gold. She slips inside, breathless, her eyes darting like she expects spies crawling in the shadows. The moment she sees me, she grabs my hand. “We have to talk. Now.” Ethan hesitates. “Gold…?” “I need ten minutes alone with her.” Ethan reads the seriousness on her face. Then nod

CHLOE POV Everything happened too fast. One second Jake was choking, his eyes rolling back, him begging me to stay by his side, the next Antonio was shouting commands into the hallway, “Call the emergency team! Now! Bring the medical kit!” The guards scrambled. The room spun. My heart pounded so loudly it drowned out the chaos. Jake’s body jerked once, twice, Then stilled. A stillness that nearly stopped my own heart. Him throwing me out of the mansion was painful, but if he dies, I’ll feel more pains than this. “No. No, Jake…Jake, look at me!” I yelled, hot tears flowing down my cheek. Antonio dropped beside us, pressing two fingers against Jake’s neck. “Slow pulse,” he muttered. “Weak. He’s fading…” “I… I know what to do!” The words ripped from me before thought could stop them. My hands were trembling violently, but I pressed them to the center of his chest and began CPR. “Come on,” I whispered between compressions. “Come on. Don’t do this.” Antonio hovered, pani

Jake’s POVThe drive home felt like being locked inside a soundproof coffin, it was silent, yet noise inside my head so loud it nearly shattered me. Chloe sat beside me, one hand unconsciously resting against her stomach, her breathing quiet, controlled… too controlled. She was holding herself together with threads.I kept my hands on the steering wheel, stiff, unsure. The headlights cut through the night roads, but nothing cut through the tension between us.The baby is mine.That should have settled everything. Ended the anger. Ended the war between us. But the truth was more complicated than DNA on a paper. I didn’t know which part terrified me more, that I wanted her despite everything… or that she looked like she was already slipping through my fingers.We reached the mansion late. Too late.The staff bowed as we entered, but even their greetings felt hollow. Everything felt like a lie tonight. Every surface, every memory, every breath.“Your room is still yours,” I said quietly.

Jake’s POV For a moment, the world froze. Antonio was too close to her. Chloe’s shoulders were tense. Her eyes wary. Her breath too fast. Something instinctive and primal rose in me.“Chloe” I said. It was more like a question nor or sentence.I looked at her and saw how tensed she was” Zoe are you good?” I asked. That was the only bae I knew calling her. She did not answer. Her eyes went towards Antoni. “Step back,” I snapped. Antonio jolted, his brows shooting up. “Sir…” “Now.” My voice was a warning growl I barely recognized. Antonio blinked twice, stunned, then immediately stepped back from her. He raised both hands slowly. “Apologies. I didn’t mean to… intrude.” I moved between them, placing myself directly in front of Chloe without even thinking about it. My fingers brushed her wrist, checking if she was shaking, if she was afraid. She was. “You can leave,” I said coldly. “But, sir..” “Leave. And next time you have something important to say, put it in an email.”