Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 511 - Chapitre 520

"Oh, Vance is back!" Jocelyn cheered. "Didn't you say you weren't coming back today?"Rebecca caught the keyword: "Back."It sounded as though Vance belonged here."Good thing we made enough food!" Andrew said, having planned a big meal since Rebecca and Jenny had come over as guests.Rebecca rolled her eyes. Why did this guy show up everywhere?Jocelyn went out to greet him, her happy voice carrying into the living room. "You're back at just the right time! Your old classmates are here. Let's eat together.""Classmates? Which ones?""Two girls."Their voices reached the doorway. "Rebecca? Jenny? It's you two?"Jenny rolled her eyes. "Don't even say 'nice to see you.' It's not."Vance smiled and told Jocelyn, "We used to bicker all the time in school. We still do it out of habit whenever we meet."Jocelyn laughed. "Oh, I know. Andrew and I are the same way. We can't go a single day without teasing each other."Rebecca was surprised by how close the couple was to Vance, whil

Rebecca suddenly felt drained. She didn't want to answer, but with Jenny there, she kept her smile."You're still smiling?" Desmond protested. "Who else from your class was there?"Rebecca hesitated about mentioning Vance, knowing that if she did, he would get upset. Besides, it wasn't planned but was a sheer coincidence.But lying didn't feel right. He minded so many things. Did she have to lie about everything for the rest of her life?That pause was all it took. His expression shifted. "Don't tell me Vance Bradford was there, too.""Yes," she admitted. "But we didn't go together. He visited on his own.""Really?" The jealousy in his voice grew thicker. "You two surely have great timing."She sighed inwardly and tried to stay patient. "He and Darren were close. Now he treats Darren's parents like his own. Whenever he's back in the States, he basically stays with them.""Oh." Desmond's tone got even more acidic. "He's such a good guy in your eyes? Taking care of the elderly li

Vance stayed calm and gentle. "I wouldn't come if it weren't important."He held out a dust-proof garment bag. "Your bag. The police found it. Everything is still there, including your phone. I don't know if anything's missing. Check it yourself."She took it and quickly looked through. Everything seemed to be there."I don't have your number, and the shop was busy during the day. That's why I came at night," he explained, his voice carrying a note of helplessness. "Besides, he's with you all the time. He wouldn't be happy if I showed up then."She frowned. "You have Gabriel's number. Why come to me?"He gestured with palms up. "I only have his U.S. number, and he's not in the States right now.""Then why didn't you just drop it off at the clinic? I'm there every day," she countered.He smiled bitterly. "What would I say if I dropped it off there? Whose bag is this? Why do I have your purse, your phone, and your wallet? Should I tell them you're my ex-wife?""That's enough," sh

Rebecca used to believe that as long as they loved each other, they could compromise, understand, and work through any non-deal-breaker problems. Now she wasn't so sure.When they got home, she ate quickly, showered, and went straight to bed. She needed time to think and calm down. At least for that night, she wasn't ready to figure it all out.The next morning, Desmond showed up with breakfast."I already ate," Rebecca told him.She had made herself a simple bowl of milk and cereal with a small piece of toast."Are you still mad at me?" Desmond came over and hugged her. "Don't let problems fester overnight. Let's solve them right away."She forced herself to stay calm. "Okay. Let's fix it. The way I see it, the only person you can really demand things from is yourself. I've never mistreated you. Every day with you, I've been completely devoted. But life is long, and the world is big. I can't only know you. I can't avoid interactions with other men, including Vance. They exist in

A loud series of crashes cut off Vance's words.Desmond had spun into a roundhouse kick and swept every decorative item off the shelves onto the floor."I don't need your advice! You'd better disappear by tomorrow!" he spat, storming out.The floor was a mess.Anna walked over and asked softly, "Are we really closing the shop?""Yeah." Vance crouched down to clean up the broken pieces. "We're done."Anna looked upset, but she helped him anyway. "But..."In the end, she didn't finish the sentence.That same day, the cookie shop put up the free-everything sign. Neighbors spread the word, and the shelves emptied in no time.Some people asked where they were moving. Vance smiled and answered, "We might not reopen. Thank you for everything."When Desmond got back to the rehearsal studio, the troupe was in the middle of a run-through. The understudy was covering his part."Babe, I'm back." Desmond flashed his usual sunny smile, gave Rebecca a quick hug, and called a stop to the re