All Chapters of Choked And Claimed By My Brother’s Best Friend : Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

It’s been three days since Alexander left.The apartment feels wrong.Too neat.Quiet.Hollow.I move through it like a ghost, my steps muffled against the hardwood floors.His coffee mug sits in the sink, a faint lipstick smudge on the rim.I’ve been using it as if it could connect me to him. To make him feel closer.I should move on.Instead, I stand there, staring at it like it might give me a reason to breathe again.I fold the T-shirt I’ve been sleeping in, his T-shirt, pressing it to my chest before tucking it away in a drawer I know I won’t open for a long time.He’s everywhere and nowhere all at once.The air tastes stale without him.The walls seem thinner.He’s texted me a few times.Little things like, How are you feeling? Thinking about you. Miss you.I answer, sometimes.But it’s not the same.It’s not him here, holding me through the wreckage he helped create.And even though I miss him so muc

Then, breezy as anything, she says, “My friend from yoga wanted to wait outside the doctor’s office with me. But Hailey was already going to be there anyway.”I swallow hard.The idea of her going through all this without me kills me in ways I don’t have the words for.We wrap up the call with more small talk.She says she’s tired. That she’ll text me tomorrow.When the line goes dead, I stare at the screen too long.And for the first time in my life, I wonder if distance really protects you from shit.Maybe it just makes you forget what you’re supposed to be fighting for.The next morning, my father finds me brooding over a cup of bitter coffee and tosses a pair of work gloves onto the table.“Earn your keep. We’ve got a heavy week ahead. Harvest tours. Private tastings. Full vineyard prep. I’ll need you out there.”I want to argue. To tell him I didn’t come back to be put to work like some kid on a summer internship.But honestly? I need the distraction.So, I pull on the gloves and

Alexander The headline burns a hole through my skull.He’s not at war with the Bratva. He’s colluding with them.I read it again. And again. Every word feels like it's searing into my skin.The photos. The timing. The way the world is already swallowing it whole.It’s too perfect. Too calculated. Like someone was fucking setting me up.And all I can think about is Josephine.The baby.This must be hell for her.The thought guts me worse than any bullet could.She’s out there, carrying our child, fighting battles that should be mine to fight.And I’m here, halfway across the world, too fucking far to hold her. To shield her.This was supposed to protect her. Not destroy her. I pace the study. The old wood floors creak under my restless steps. My phone is clutched so tightly my knuckles burn.Three calls. Three straight trips to voicemail. I could blame the time difference. The headlines. Or maybe the fact that she's pissed at me. B

He doesn’t flinch. Just nods slowly, his eyes glassy.He also doesn’t respond right away, his eyes searching for mine, for the right things to say.“I wasn’t there when I should’ve been. Your mom deserved better. So did you.” He pauses, struggling. “And the truth is, I can’t explain it. Not in any way that would make sense to you. Or make it right.”My eyes burn, but I keep my expression neutral.He sighs. “I was grieving. I let the job swallow me. I let the bottle numb me. And when that wasn’t enough, I made choices that broke everything I claimed to care about.”He shakes his head. “If I could go back, I’d do it all differently. I’d tell your mom how much she meant to me every damn day. I’d be a father you could count on, not just the one who wrote checks.”I blink hard, the tears fighting their way to the surface.His voice is low but sincere.“I let money, power, control make all my decisions for me. I told myself I was doing it for you. But it wa

The publisher shifts uncomfortably. The lead attorney stiffens.Eva’s face drains of color, but her mouth stays twisted into a sneer as the video recording plays."Spectacle. The only spectacle here is your family, and your refusal to acknowledge what’s rightfully mine."Her gaze flicks to the publisher as the video continues."My grandfather’s name was on that land title too. You think you can erase that? Erase me?"The publisher narrows his eyes. "What the fuck, Eva?""They’re lying like they always do. That's bullshit.""No," the lead attorney says sharply. "It’s conflict of interest. You used your position here to try to settle a personal vendetta."Silence slices the room wide open.And for the first time, Eva doesn’t look so invincible.She bolts up from her chair, hands planted on the polished glass table."You think this is about some article? Your family destroyed mine. My grandfather worked those vineyards! My father lost everyth