Todos los capítulos de Billionaire's Regret : Capítulo 191 - Capítulo 200

Jeff dialled the number the next morning with his coffee going cold beside him, his hand tighter around the phone than he expected it to be.Vivian answered on the third ring."Hello?""Vivian, it's Jeff." He said. "Your Nephew, I just wanted to check in, see how Zane is settling."Her voice shifted instantly, warmth flooding into it so smoothly Jeff didn't notice the transition at all."Jeff, what a lovely surprise." She said. "He's doing wonderfully. Really settling in nicely out here, you'd be so proud of him."Jeff exhaled, relief loosening something tight in his chest."That's good to hear." He said. "Really good. How's he doing at school? Making friends?""Oh, plenty of friends." Vivian said easily. "He's out helping a neighbour with some farm work most afternoons, learning responsibility, growing into a fine young man. The fresh air out here does wonders.""Is he eating well? Sleeping alright?""Eating like a horse." She said, a small laugh in her voice now. "Sleeping just fine

Claire woke to sunlight filtering through the curtains and Jeff's arm draped heavy and warm across her waist, his breathing slow and even against the back of her neck.She lay still for a moment, simply feeling it, the steady rise and fall of his chest against her back anchoring her in a way that made her eyes burn with a sudden, aching gratitude.The house was quiet, the particular quiet of a Saturday morning before anyone else stirred, and Claire let herself stay exactly where she was, wrapped in the warmth of him, unwilling to disturb the profound peace of it just yet.Jeff shifted behind her, his grip on her waist tightening just enough to pull her impossibly closer."Morning." His voice came out low and rough with sleep, his lips brushing against her shoulder, leaving a lingering, tender heat."Morning," Claire said, her voice a fragile whisper, turning slightly in his arms to face him properly.He looked at her with something so soft, so completely unguarded in his expression, th

Zane lay awake listening to the house settle into its late night quiet, the particular relief that came after Frank's snoring had finally evened out into something steady and Vivian's careful footsteps had stopped moving between rooms checking that everything was locked and safe for the night.A suffocating, heavy loneliness pressed down on his chest, making every breath feel like a struggle against the suffocating air of the small bedroom.He waited another hour just to be certain.The exhaustion sat heavy in his body, the kind that had become part of him now, woven into every day between school and farm work and the careful, terrifying navigation of Frank's unpredictable moods. But tonight, a desperate, aching restlessness pushed against that exhaustion, refusing to let him simply close his eyes and endure another soul-crushing, identical day.He slipped out of bed and dressed quietly in the dark, pulling on the same clothes he'd worn earlier that day, his hands trembling slightly wi

Zane slipped out of the house hours after Frank walked away, He couldn't sleep, couldn't stay still anymore.The road into town suddenly felt excruciatingly long, stretching into the dark.His mind kept spinning out of control circling back to Frank's mocking laughter, to the cold, casual cruelty in his voice, to Vivian sliding down the wall behind him whimpering in absolute terror. Underneath all of it, his mother's face kept surfacing, fragments of memory he hadn't let himself touch in months: the soft turn of her voice, her worn hands, the fierce, protective way she loved him before everything fell apart.He reached the alley faster than he expected, his legs moving on pure instinct.The fire was already burning in the rusted bucket, sending harsh orange light dancing against the brick. The acrid smell of cheap cigarettes and something sharper, chemical, hung thick in the air. Darius sat sprawled across an old car seat someone had dragged in weeks ago, a can of warm beer danglin

The school gymnasium buzzed with a nervous, electric energy. Long rows of tables lined with science projects stretched down both walls. Parents and judges shuffled slowly between them, clipboards clutched tightly in their hands.Adrian stood beside his paper-mâché volcano, his palms damp with sweat. He checked one final time that everything sat exactly where it belonged, his chest tight with anticipation."You're going to be great," Lisa said, appearing beside him. She held out two small paper cups of punch from the refreshment table. "Stop fidgeting.""I'm not fidgeting," Adrian said, his voice tight. He immediately pulled his hand back from adjusting the small flag at the volcano's peak for the fourth time.Lisa smiled softly, pushing a cup into his hand."The judges are three tables away," she said, watching him closely. "You've got this, Adrian. I know you do."Near the back of the room, Claire and Jeff stood together. Maya was balanced on Jeff's hip, chewing on her thumb. Claire