All Chapters of VOWS OF DESIRES (DS1): Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

I woke up to the sound of my phone. I glanced at the side table; it was 3 PM. I scanned the room, but Bryle was nowhere to be found. He must have gone out to get something or was taking a shower.I touched my body, and I wasn't wearing any clothes—only a blanket covered me. I sighed and got out of bed, walking over to the robe hanging on the side of the bed and putting it on. I started looking for Bryle all over the room, but he wasn't there. He must really be out.I decided to take a bath and soak in the tub. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply.So much had happened. I knew there would be consequences for what Bryle and I were doing. I didn't even know what was going on with the mess I left behind. I had no news about everything I left in Rome. I wanted to know how Blu Arte's was doing, Lee Corp, and the hotel I managed. I also had no idea what happened at the event I attended. Was Grandma mad at me? What kind of scandal was posted about me in the news?

The moment CJ and I stepped into the grand ballroom, a quiet sense of unfamiliar anticipation settled over me.Crystal chandeliers shimmered overhead, scattering warm light across the polished marble floors. The air carried a blend of expensive perfume, aged wine, and low murmurs of conversation. I had attended countless business gatherings before, yet tonight felt strangely different—though I could not quite explain why.CJ walked beside me with the effortless poise she had perfected as a professional model. Her posture was flawless, her expression calm and observant. Despite the elegance of our surroundings, neither of us was entirely clear about what exactly this event was meant to entail.“I still have no idea why the entire family insisted we attend,” CJ murmured, glancing around the hall.“Neither do I,” I replied, keeping my tone light. “But judging by the guest list, whatever it is must be important.”It did not take long to reali

I woke slowly, my senses adjusting to a place that immediately felt unfamiliar.For several quiet moments, I remained still, staring at the high ceiling above me. The room was spacious, far more refined than any hotel room I remembered checking into. Sunlight filtered through sheer curtains, casting soft golden patterns across the polished wooden floor. The faint scent of blooming flowers drifted through the slightly open balcony doors, carried by a warm breeze.This was not Chengdu.The realization settled into my mind gradually, like fog lifting after a long night.I pushed myself upright on the bed, my hand pressing lightly against my temple as if doing so would help organize the scattered memories from the previous evening. My thoughts were slow to assemble, but the moment they did, the events of the night returned in fragmented flashes.The event.The stage.The announcement.Jacob.A dull ache set

I noticed the shift in the room the moment the host finally began speaking. Conversations softened, glasses stopped clinking, and the attention of the guests slowly gravitated toward the stage.Yet despite the subtle command of the moment, my eyes refused to stay fixed on the man holding the microphone.They wandered.Again and again.I scanned the hall—across the elegantly dressed guests, past the familiar faces of the HGS Clan members seated around our table, over the dim golden lights that hung above the venue like quiet stars. My gaze searched every corner with a strange urgency that I could not suppress.But Bryle was not there.The simple absence of his presence created a quiet disappointment in my chest that I tried to ignore.'Is he not coming?' I asked myself silently.The thought lingered longer than I intended.My attention snapped back toward the stage when the host called a name that was we

The following morning, the members of the HGS Clan gathered to discuss the matter that had lingered in their minds—the identity of the so-called Mr. Scammer.We were seated around the long table in the lounge area, the atmosphere unusually serious. The usual laughter and teasing that often filled the air were absent. Instead, a quiet tension hung in the air.Kurt was the first to speak.“Zeke already conducted an investigation about the scammer that we discussed last time,” he began, his voice steady but firm. “He managed to trace the identity of the man we’ve been talking about.”The room grew even quieter. I felt an inexplicable tension build within my chest, though I did not understand why. Something about Kurt’s tone made my pulse quicken.“And?” Haze prompted, breaking the silence.Kurt exhaled slowly before continuing.“The man who pretended to be a pastor… the one responsible for those fraudulent donatio