She Stole My Husband I Married His Brother のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 31 - チャプター 40

Hardin’s POV:I had prepared for her.Booked a private dinner just for the two of us because I'd noticed she didn't really enjoy her meal at the cafeteria earlier... not with Hailey sitting there staring daggers across the table.I could see it in the way Harper had pushed her food around on her plate... in the way her shoulders had stayed tense the entire time.She wanted to take things slow.She'd told me that and I was trying... God, I was trying so hard to give her space when all I wanted was to pull her close and never let go.So I'd deleted the lunch invitation text."She might think I'm pressuring her." I'd stared at the message on my phone screen for a full minute before hitting delete.But that decision backfired because I couldn't focus on work after that... couldn't concentrate on anything except the fact that Harper was just down the hall and I wasn't with her.I'd called Roman."Come keep me company." I didn't even wait for him to answer before telling him to get his ass

Harper's POV:“Dad?”My eyes strained staring at the man standing on my porch... his clothes were tattered and hanging off his frame, his jaw was clenched so tight I could see the muscles jumping, and his eyes were bloodshot red with pupils so dilated they looked black.His lips were dark... almost black themselves, and I knew that color from the men who used to sit outside the bar where I'd worked washing dishes.Smokers.Heavy smokers who drank even heavier."No." The word came out as a whisper.He wasn't supposed to be here... he'd left Montana years ago, left me alone in this house with nothing, and I'd thought... I'd hoped he was gone for good.I slammed the door in his face.Or tried to.His hand shot out and caught the edge before it could close... shoved it back so hard the wood cracked against the wall."Fuck you!" His teeth were gritted and spit flew from his mouth. "Who do you think you are to lock me out of my house?""This isn't your house anymore." My voice shook but I k

Harper's POV:"The day is here."The words left my mouth the second my eyes opened and I stared at the ceiling of my bedroom.I hadn't slept.Not really... just laid there all night with my eyes closed while my brain ran through every possible scenario of what could happen today.Should I cancel it? Should I fake an emergency and disappear?But I'd worked too hard to get here... fought too many battles to build Lane Industries from nothing into something people actually cared about."I wouldn't sabotage myself because of..." I couldn't finish the thought.Couldn't let myself think his name.I dragged myself out of bed and my legs felt heavy... like my body knew what was coming and was trying to protect me by refusing to move."Yay!"Jessica burst through my door without knocking and pulled me into a hug so tight I could barely breathe."It's finally here... the day my best friend gets recognized by the entire country is here!""Jess... Jessy..." I tried to push her away but she just s

Harper's POV:I was happy.The word kept repeating in my head while I smiled and nodded at people congratulating me... while I shook hands and accepted compliments and pretended my skin wasn't crawling from feeling Hardin's eyes on me.Happy.Proud.This should have been one of the best days of my life.The US Secretary of Commerce was standing in front of me now presenting some award and his mouth was moving but I couldn't hear a single word he was saying because Hardin was somewhere behind me and I could feel his stare like heat on my back."Gosh." I pressed my fingernails into my palm.I wouldn't let him see that he still affected me... wouldn't give him that power.It's in the past and I can get over it... I've been telling myself that for six years and eventually it has to become true."Harper, you have to thank him!" Jessica's voice crackled through the earpiece hidden under my hair.I'd almost forgotten I was wearing it... the tiny device disguised as an ear accessory that let

Hardin’s POV:"Let me out!"Her voice almost made me laugh... the feisty part of her was still there, just more intense now than it used to be.The memory jumped at me without permission... the last time we'd been together like this, the last day I'd had her at my side.I'd locked her in my car that day too... ran out to beat Jerry Robb to a pulp while she screamed at me to stop.I wished that day had never happened.If it hadn't, Harper wouldn't have left me... wouldn't have gone back to Montana, and what happened to her that night... what changed her into this cold version of herself... none of it would have happened."Fine!" She was still talking and her voice was sharp. "Do what pleases you... just know this is the last time you'll be able to get me like this. It was my fault I mistakenly entered your car."She stared at me so intensely I could feel it even with my eyes closed.I didn't respond.My head was still resting against the seat and I kept my eyes shut because if I opened