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Lahat ng Kabanata ng Killed By My Husband But Reborn A Supermodel: Kabanata 21 - Kabanata 30

131 Kabanata

CHAPTER 21: MEETING LUCAS

The day of the gala arrived and I could not eat.My stomach churned with nerves. Tonight I would see Lucas. Not from across a street or through a coffee shop window. I would stand in front of him. Speak to him. Touch his hand when we were introduced.And he would have no idea who I really was.Kieran sent a team to help me prepare. Hair stylists, makeup artists, a woman whose only job was to help me into the dress without wrinkling it.The dress was Kieran's choice. Deep emerald green that made Raven's eyes glow like jewels. It hugged my body in ways that were elegant rather than obvious. The fabric was silk that moved like water when I walked.The jewelry was borrowed from Kieran's collection. Diamond earrings that caught the light with every movement. A matching bracelet that must have cost more than Rachel's entire house.The makeup took two hours. Subtle but transformative. The artists enhanced Raven's natural beauty until she looked like something from a painting. Not quite real.

CHAPTER 22: THE PAIN OF INVISIBILITY

I made it inside the apartment before the full weight of the evening crashed down on me.My hands shook as I locked the door. I walked to the bedroom on autopilot. The beautiful dress suddenly felt like it was suffocating me. I tore at the zipper, yanking it down with shaking fingers. The silk pooled at my feet like spilled emerald water.I stood in front of the mirror in my underwear and stared at Raven's reflection.This was the face Lucas wanted. This was the body he found attractive. This was the woman he had asked for a phone number.Not Rachel. Never Rachel.The sob came from somewhere deep inside. I pressed my hand to my mouth, trying to hold it back. But it was too late. The dam had broken.I sank to the floor, my back against the bed, and cried like I had not cried since waking up in this body.Lucas had not known me. He had looked directly at me. Shaken my hand. Smiled that charming smile. And he had no idea. No recognition. No flicker of memory.Three years of marriage. Thr

CHAPTER 23: LUCAS'S PURSUIT

The text came at ten in the morning, just as I was drinking my first coffee."Good morning, Raven. This is Lucas Hart. I enjoyed meeting you last night. Would you have dinner with me tonight? I know a place you might like."I stared at the message for a long time.I should make him wait. Diana and Jade had both taught me that. Men like Lucas enjoyed the chase. If I seemed too available, too eager, he might lose interest.But I could not wait. Every day that passed was another day Ethan was with Lucas and Alice. Another day my son was being raised by people who had murdered his mother.I typed back. "Tonight works. What time?"The response came immediately. "Seven. I will pick you up. Send me your address."I gave him Raven's address and set the phone down with shaking hands.Tonight. I would have dinner with Lucas tonight.I spent the day preparing. I chose a dress that was elegant but not too formal. Black with a high neckline. Sophisticated. The kind of dress that said I was worth t

CHAPTER 24: DANGEROUS ATTRACTION

Lucas called the next day."I cannot stop thinking about you," he said. His voice was warm, intimate. The voice of a man falling in love. "When can I see you again?""When would you like?""Tonight. Tomorrow. Every night." He laughed softly. "I sound desperate, do I not?""You sound interested.""I am more than interested, Raven. There is something about you. Something I cannot quite name. But I feel drawn to you in a way I have not felt in a long time."The words were so familiar. Lucas had said similar things to Rachel when they first met. Back when he was pretending to love her so she would marry him and give him access to her trust fund.Now he was pretending again. But this time, he did not need money. He already had Rachel's fifty million dollars.What did Lucas want from Raven? Just sex? Companionship? A beautiful woman to show off?Or was there something else? Some calculation I could not see yet?"Dinner tonight?" Lucas asked. "I know a place.""Actually, I was hoping you mig

CHAPTER 25: THE FIRST CRACK

The photos appeared online three days later.I was drinking coffee and scrolling through my phone when I saw the first article. "Society Scoop: Lucas Hart Steps Out with Stunning Model."The photo showed Lucas and me leaving the restaurant from our first dinner. He had his hand on the small of my back. I was smiling up at him. We looked like a perfect couple.My stomach twisted.I clicked on the article and read."Businessman Lucas Hart, 32, appears to be moving on after the tragic loss of his wife Rachel earlier this year. Hart was spotted having an intimate dinner with model Raven Craslow, 26, at the exclusive Bistro Laurent on Tuesday evening. Sources say the two looked very cozy and left together."The article continued with background on both of us. Lucas, the successful CEO mourning his wife. Me, the model rebuilding after scandal.It painted us as two wounded people finding comfort in each other. A beautiful love story rising from tragedy.I wanted to throw my phone across the

CHAPTER 26: MEETING ALICE

I spent the entire day preparing to see Ethan.I practiced my expressions in the mirror. The look of pleasant interest when meeting a baby for the first time. Not too emotional. Not too detached. Just the right amount of warmth.I chose my clothes carefully. Nothing too revealing. Nothing that screamed "trying too hard." A simple dress in soft blue. Elegant but approachable.I was going to meet my son. And I had to pretend I had never held him before.The taxi dropped me at Lucas's building at exactly seven o'clock. Robert, the doorman, opened the door with a professional smile. He did not recognize me from my scene weeks ago. Or if he did, he was too polite to mention it."Miss Craslow for Mr. Hart," I said."Of course. He is expecting you. Go right up."The elevator ride to the penthouse felt like it took forever. My heart pounded. My palms were sweaty. I wiped them on my dress and took deep breaths.I could do this. I could see my son and not fall apart. I could stand in my old hom

CHAPTER 27: ALICE'S SUSPICION

The nursery door opened and I saw my son.Ethan was asleep in his crib, tiny chest rising and falling with each breath. He had grown so much. His face had filled out. His hair was thicker. He looked healthy and perfect.I wanted to run to him. Scoop him up. Hold him against my chest and never let go.But I forced myself to stay calm. To move slowly. To act like this was the first time I was seeing this child."He is beautiful," I whispered.Lucas stood beside me, pride evident in his expression. "He looks like his mother. Rachel's eyes, her mouth. Sometimes it hurts to look at him."Another lie. Lucas had never cared about Rachel's features enough to notice them.I moved closer to the crib. Ethan stirred but did not wake. I reached out and gently touched his tiny hand.His fingers wrapped around mine instinctively. The same grip he had the day he was born. The same connection.My baby. My son."Can I hold him?" I asked."He is sleeping. Maybe we should not disturb him.""Please. Just

CHAPTER 28: ETHAN'S NANNY

I met with Kieran's lawyer at ten the next morning.David Chen was exactly what I expected. Sharp suit, sharper eyes, the kind of confidence that came from winning cases others thought were hopeless."Detective Martinez called me this morning," he said after we settled in his office. "She wants to question you about your relationship with Lucas Hart and anything you might know about Rachel Hart's death.""I did not know Rachel. I only met Lucas a few weeks ago.""That is what you will say. Nothing more. Do not elaborate. Do not try to be helpful. Answer only what is asked and volunteer nothing." David leaned forward. "Do you understand? The police are fishing. They have something but they do not know what it means yet. Your job is to give them nothing.""What do they have?""I do not know. They will not tell me until the questioning. But my guess is someone raised suspicions about Lucas. Maybe about his wife's death. And now they are looking at everyone connected to him."Alice. This

CHAPTER 29: THE BIRTHDAY PARTY

Lucas arrived at my apartment at exactly seven, carrying expensive wine and flowers."You look beautiful," he said, kissing my cheek. "You always do.""Thank you."He walked through the apartment, looking at everything with obvious interest. The expensive furniture Raven owned. The designer clothes visible through the open closet. The art on the walls."This is nice," he said. "Very sophisticated.""I like my space.""I can tell." Lucas poured us both wine. "So tell me more about your life. Your childhood. Your dreams. I feel like I am always talking about myself and I know so little about you."We sat on the couch and I told him carefully constructed lies. Stories from Raven's life mixed with vague details that could mean anything. I deflected personal questions with the skill Jade had taught me.Lucas listened with apparent fascination. Or maybe he was just good at pretending to care. It was hard to tell with him."I am having a party this weekend," he said during dessert. "For Etha

CHAPTER 30: KIERAN'S INVESTMENT

The police questioning happened on Monday afternoon.Detective Martinez was a woman in her forties with tired eyes and a patient demeanor. She sat across from me and David Chen in a small interview room at the police station."Thank you for coming in, Miss Craslow," she said. "This is just routine. We are looking into the circumstances surrounding Rachel Hart's death.""I understand.""How long have you known Lucas Hart?"I looked at David. He nodded slightly."About a month. We met at a charity gala.""And you are dating him?""Yes.""Did Lucas ever talk to you about his late wife?""He mentioned her. He said she died from complications during childbirth. He seemed very sad about it."Detective Martinez made a note. "Did he say anything specific about her death? Any details?""Only that it was sudden. That the doctors could not save her.""And you never met Rachel Hart? Never had any contact with her?""No. I did not know Lucas when she was alive."The questions continued for forty m

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