Semua Bab All I want for Christmas is my ex husband’s twin brother : Bab 41 - Bab 50

MONICA I was in the living room, pretending to scroll through my phone, though I hadn’t read a single word in the last ten minutes. My mind kept circling back to the same thing. The notification. *Order confirmed.* Flowers. A lot of them. Same-day delivery. I knew the amount because I saw the total before the screen went dark. It wasn’t a casual order. It wasn’t a “one bouquet, thinking of you” kind of thing. My fingers tightened around my phone as I listened to the faint sounds of water running upstairs earlier, then stopping. Drawers opening. Closing. I was cautious, listening to his every move. I wasn’t snooping actually… or was I ? But curiosity had teeth, and once it sank in, it didn’t let go. I’d lived with Adrian long enough to know his habits. He didn’t do random gestures. He didn’t do softness without a reason. And he definitely didn’t spend money without intention. Especially not on flowers…. He’s not that kind of person. The front door finally opened, and hid

ADRIAN I left the boxing club right after marcus gave me the perfect idea I could ever think of. I parked my car by the road, snow still hitting heavily as I sat by a bench, I lit a cigarette, letting the bitter smoke curl around me, making my lungs ache in the cold. I inhaled slowly, watching the tip glow. The winter definitely didn’t bother me. The cold was nothing compared to the hot pain of rejection. “She trashed the flowers?” I scoffed yet again, remembering how much I’m trying to get back the girl I once trashed. I held the cigarette between my fingers, letting it burn out. She didn’t just throw them away, she publicly rejected me. Not in front of anyone, yet in her mind, she turned me down. Brian had already planted a lot in her. My carefully orchestrated gesture, meant to reach her heart, had been crushed before it even landed. I exhaled, smoke curling around me. No!! I clenched my fist around the empty cigarette, sparks flying into the air. *She won’t get the chan

MONICA The lights in the studio flashed on my face, I was having a night shoot with a brand that needed my face to showcase their products. I tilted my chin slightly, letting the photographers capture my gorgeous face, with the skin care product on my hands. I could hear the soft clicks from the cameras around me, the soft sounds of assistants moving in the background.. this was what I was born for. “Monica, you’re stunning, as always,” the stylist said, adjusting the hem of my dress. She glanced at the assistants, who all nodded in agreement. “Seriously, I don’t know how you do it every single time.” I smiled softly. Charm was an art, and I was a master. “Thank you,” I said softly, almost a whisper actually, letting them lean into the compliment just a little. “But really… it’s nothing special. Just routine.” Inside, I allowed myself a tiny laugh. Routine. Sure. In reality, everything I did was carefully crafted, every glance, every movement and every word designed to control t

ADRIAN It’s actually quite bad that I haven’t been consistent in my office for weeks. I stepped into the office, my coat still dusted with frost from the snow, trying to push the image of Lisa out of my mind. But just like her, the thoughts of her was to stubborn to get off my mind. My manager, Ms. Hamilton, caught sight of me almost immediately. Her brow raised as she approached with a clipboard in hand. “Adrian,” she began. “We really need to talk. Your team… they’re facing a lot of challenges because you haven’t been consistent lately. There’s confusion, missed deadlines, and frankly…” She hesitated, glancing at the documents in her hand. “…it’s affecting the company.” I nodded mechanically, offering a smile that didn’t actually reach my eyes. “I understand. I’ll address it.” But even as I spoke, my mind was elsewhere. Every word Ms. Hamilton said felt different, It all sounded muffled like I was underwater. Lisa… what would she think if she saw me now, she’ll probably… no

BRIAN The bell above the coffee shop door jingled as I stepped in. I’ve had my eyes on Monica for the past few hours and I knew where exactly she’d gone, right after the gym. I spotted her immediately, sitting at a corner table, scrolling through her phone in a relaxed manner. I approached her gently, every instinct warning me that this conversation could go sideways fast. But I had no choice. Lisa was… the competition was coming up, and I couldn’t let Monica pull any stunts that would complicate things. That’s not happening on my watch. “Monica,” I said, sliding into the seat across from her without waiting for an invitation. My voice was calm but cold. She looked up, her eyes narrowing slightly, and a smile slowly showing at the corners of her lips. “Brian,” she greeted calmly. “Didn’t expect to see you here.” I leaned forward slightly, lowering my voice. “I know you know about Lisa’s competition. I’m here to warn you. Don’t do anything… Else you won’t like how I’ll follow