Chapter 121

Jace’s POVI saw the smirk on Derek’s face before he even spoke.It was the same one he had worn a hundred times before, lazy, entitled, sharpened with the certainty that he could still walk into any room Lana occupied and bend the air around her. He stood near the edge of the ballroom like he owned the space, one hand curled around a glass of champagne he hadn’t paid for, the other tucked casually into his pocket. Predator was the only word for it. Not the kind that lunged without thought, but the kind that waited, watched, calculated.The foundation’s annual gala was supposed to be celebratory. Soft music floated through the room, laughter rising and falling in polished waves. Donors clustered in expensive suits and dresses, their conversations light, charitable, self congratulatory. Lana had spent weeks preparing for this night securing sponsors, refining speeches, ensuring every detail reflected the mission she cared so deeply about.And Derek had chosen this moment to show up.

Chapter 122

Lana’s POVThe suite door closed behind us with a soft, decisive click, sealing out the noise of the gala, the laughter, the clinking glasses, the murmured conversations that had followed us like echoes even as we had retreated upstairs. The silence that greeted us felt almost sacred. Plush carpet muffled our steps, and the lights were dimmed low enough that the city beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows glowed like a distant constellation rather than a challenge waiting to be faced.Only then did I feel it, the weight of the night settling into my bones.I slipped off my heels by the door, my feet aching, my calves tight. The moment I straightened, the adrenaline that had carried me through the evening finally began to ebb, leaving behind a strange mixture of exhaustion and exhilaration. My heart was still racing, but it wasn’t fear driving it anymore. It was something close to triumph.Jace watched me quietly as I moved farther into the room, his jacket already discarded over the ba

Chapter 123

Lana’s POVThe morning after the gala arrived wrapped in a calm so deceptive it almost felt cruel.Sunlight streamed through the tall windows of my office, warming the polished wood of my desk and casting soft reflections across framed photographs from past foundation events. Smiling faces. Grateful families. Children holding backpacks and books as though they were treasures. Everything looked exactly as it should, untouched, unbroken.And yet, something inside me refused to settle.I sat upright in my chair, scrolling through emails with practiced efficiency, answering donor inquiries, approving schedules, scanning reports. The foundation hummed along as it always did. Volunteers checked in downstairs. Phones rang. Coffee brewed somewhere in the hallway.Normal.Too normal.That subtle unease pricked at the edges of my thoughts like a persistent whisper. The kind that never raised its voice but never went away either.I tried to ignore it.I told myself I was just tired. The gala ha

Chapter 124

Lana’s POVBy evening, the office had settled into a rare, reverent quiet, the kind that felt earned rather than imposed. The volunteers had trickled out hours ago, their laughter and footsteps fading down the hallway one by one. The hum of the city outside pressed faintly against the glass windows, distant horns and the low murmur of traffic reminding me that the world beyond these walls never really slept. Inside, though, time seemed to slow, stretching itself thin in the soft glow of the desk lamps.Ethan had gone home with the nanny for the night. I had kissed his forehead longer than usual before he left, inhaling the clean scent of his shampoo, memorizing the weight of him in my arms like I always did when a day had been too heavy. He had wrapped his arms around my neck and whispered, “I love you, Mommy,” as if it were the most important thing in the world to say. Maybe it was.Now it was just Jace and me.I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes, rubbing my temples with sl

Chapter 125

Jace’s POVThat night, after the last of the office lights were dimmed and the echo of footsteps faded down the hallway, I closed the door of the suite behind us and let the silence settle. It wasn’t an empty silence, it was the kind that breathed, that wrapped itself around you like a familiar blanket. Outside, the city was alive, restless, unrelenting. Inside, everything finally slowed.Lana stood near the window, her back to me, arms folded loosely around herself as she stared out at the distant glow of streetlights. The faint reflection of her face in the glass looked tired but strong. Always strong. Stronger than she ever gave herself credit for.I watched her for a moment before speaking, letting myself really see her. The woman who carried everyone else’s burdens like they were her own. The woman who fought battles quietly, often alone. The woman I love.“You don’t have to keep holding everything together in here,” I said softly, tapping my chest once. “Not tonight.”She turned

Curvy Girl Returned With His Best Friend’s Baby のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 121 - チャプター 125

Chapter 121

Chapter 122

Chapter 123

Chapter 124

Chapter 125