Too Late To Apologize, Mr. CEO のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 31 - チャプター 40

“Derek!” Savannah sauntered up to me, more than slightly tipsy. “They’re playing Cards Against Humanity… the naughty version.” She winked at me. “Come on, it’ll be fun!” She dragged me into the den, where everyone hailed me loudly. There was a noticeable cloud of alcohol hanging over the room, which got worse when Bernard called for his birthday champagne. They were already red-faced and had started slurring their words. Bernard pulled me down into a chair and gave me another drink. Savannah sat down beside me, the hem of her skirt brushing against my thigh as she adjusted herself. Her face was shiny and she had strands of hair sticking to her cheeks. She poured herself a glass of champagne and toasted the table. “Deal a new hand!” she said.They were playing some unholy hybrid of adult card game and truth or dare. The rules were simple: If you lost, you paid. If you won, you made someone else pay. And it didn’t take long for Savannah to start losing. When they added strip poker in

I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until after I’d slammed the door shut. The aftershocks seemed to vibrate through my apartment, and through my body, too. My lips still tingled from Derek’s kiss. His passionate, desperate kiss that I definitely did not ask for and certainly didn’t want.“Are you sure about that?” whispered a voice deep in my heart. My mind, and my body, kept replaying the scene. His violent embrace, the feverish intensity of his kiss.What did he think he was doing? What was I doing, thinking about him? I took a deep breath and scrubbed my hand against my mouth, trying to get rid of the sensation. I was with Adrian now. My pulse should not be racing because my drunk ex-husband decided he wanted a late-night booty call with his ex-wife. “Get it together, Claire,” I muttered. Derek didn’t have the right to touch me. To show up at my house and confuse me, just as I was starting to heal and move forward with my life. He didn’t have the right to matter. Seven

“Oh,” Savannah said, blue eyes open very wide. “I didn’t know you’d be wearing the same dress, Claire. Did Derek send you one too? That is so funny!”It was not funny.I looked at Derek. Expressions of shock, horror, and confusion crossed his face in quick succession. “We’re like twins!” Savannah continued. “Matching sisters. It’s adorable!”Adrian looked back and forth between Savannah and me in slowly dawning understanding. Savannah clapped her hands in delight. “C’mon, Sis. Don’t overthink it. Derek has always had good taste. He said he wanted me to make an impression tonight.” Derek took a step towards me, reaching out towards me in a plea for understanding. “It’s not what you’re thinking, Claire, I—” he said.I had had enough. I looped my arm through Adrian’s and said, “Let’s go.”Adrian, bless him, didn’t miss a beat. We glided smoothly away from the drama towards a quiet corner of the gallery. “Well,” Adrian murmured. “That was quite a performance. Is she always like that?”

I watched Claire walk away from me, arm in arm with another man. She was smiling up at him, like he was the center of her world. When had she stopped looking at me that way? My hands were clenched so tight my fingernails were digging into my palms, but I scarcely felt the pain. My chest was filled with a deeper, older pain. It felt like someone was squeezing my heart in a merciless fist, and I could barely breathe.Her words replayed in my head. “I played for you once.” I cringed at the memory. It had happened shortly after Savannah’s disappearance, and I’d been half-insane with grief. After a long day at the office I’d come home to find Claire dressed and made up as if she were going to a party. I could tell she’d made a great effort to please, but that only irritated me.She told me that she’d learned my favorite song on the piano and wanted to play it for me. Then she’d sat down and timidly fumbled a few notes. I gritted my teeth until the end, then snapped. “Don’t try to be Sa

I looked up and saw my sister staring at me, eyes goggling and mouth open like a goldfish.Shit. This was the last thing I needed. Victor was speaking in a low voice, his tone perfectly controlled, like it always was when he wanted me to listen. Even in a public place his effect on me was undeniable. I had to fight the impulse to submit, to roll over and show my belly. The only man I feared had finally found me, and now here was Claire, thrusting herself into the situation. She could never know I had anything to do with him, otherwise all my plans would fall apart. I had to do something, so I let instinct take over. I shoved Victor in the chest, enough to push him back a step. “Hey,” I said loudly, attracting attention. Then I darted over to Claire, catching her arm and positioning her between me and Victor, acting like I needed her protection. “What’s going on?” Claire asked, clueless as usual. “Nothing,” I said. My heart was hammering so hard I was afraid she could hear it. “I