All Chapters of Breaking Her at Thanksgiving: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Ronan spun slightly in his chair, his eyes fixed on the laptop on the desk in front of him. A pen twirled between his fingers in one hand, while the other gently stroked his neatly trimmed beard.Around the table stood three people, all waiting at attention for the past six minutes for him to lift his head.“Well,” he finally said, pulling his chair closer to the desk. His voice was even as he tapped on the laptop. “Mr. Dalton, explain why we’re down eight percent.”The man, middle aged and clearly uneasy, fumbled with the file in his hand, adjusting his glasses. “There were…fluctuations in the currency exchange and—”A finger went up.Ronan’s gaze flickered to man. “Your interruption better be valid, Adrian.”Adrian straightened. “Currency fluctuations don’t erase eight percent, sir.” His voice was overly confident. “Bad decisions do.” Ronan raised a brow but remained calm. Trying to understand what was going on.Dread spread across Dalton’s face. But then it vanished quickly, repl

“Why didn’t you tell me all of this, and I had to hear it from Hannah?”Solene nearly rolled her eyes. “That’s because I wasn’t bothered about it. Why would I want to burden you with something that’s in my past, Mom?”“And when that past surfaces, is it still the past?” the woman asked on the other end of the line.Solene leaned closer to the laptop, squinting at what she’d typed. Then she hit send.“Lewis still is to me.” She replied.Her mom paused.“And this Linda—you said she used to be Atlas’s girlfriend?”“Yep.” Solene took out another file and flipped it open in front of her.There was a shuffle on the woman’s end. “How come I’m the only one who has never heard of her?”Solene shrugged, even though her mom couldn’t see it. But she didn’t answer.“What does he want now? He clearly left to chase his sweetheart, and he’s dating that girl. What does he want from you?”“Apparently, Mom,” Solene scribbled something on the paper. “He wants to be in Ari’s life or something.” Her mom s

“Sir, she hardly stays in one place. But she should be in the city tonight.” Ronan raised a brow at the man seated across from him at the table and swallowed. “Really?” The man nodded once. “I texted the location and details. There’s a high chance you can’t miss her.” Ronan turned back to the steak in front of him and forked the last piece into his mouth. He chewed slowly, then reached for the rum on the table and sipped. “Time?” The man glanced at his phone. “In about thirty minutes.” “Bill,” Ronan called towards a waitress, dabbing his mouth with a napkin. “If you leave now, you can catch her before what they call rush hour.” Ronan just forced a small smile towards the waitress as she ran his card. And in no time, he was walking out of the building, one hand shoved into his pocket, the man trailing behind him like a shadow. He stopped by his car. “I’ll go alone. You head back to the house and be sure Solene and my baby are home.” The man shot him a look that

Solène pulled open the small drawer in the corner of the room, stuffing in the tiny folded clothes she’d brought in from the laundry. She turned, her eyes catching Arianna’s chest rising and falling in steady rhythm, full hair, which they tried to control but failed to, heaped around the shawl at her head like extra neck support. Solene smiled faintly, remembering how much Arianna used to tug at it and cry when she was younger, like it was some inconvenience that wasn’t supposed to be there. Even now, it took effort to make her sit still long enough to style it. Gently, Solene reached forward and released the piece of blanket she’d been clutching. Ari shifted slightly, letting out a small sound. Solene froze immediately, then slowly she backed away, moving like she was stepping away from a live bomb. Her back hit a surface—hard, warm, and tall. “Shhh,” she muttered, her eyes on Ari, who had changed her lying position and was still slightly moving. But Ronan still wrappe

The occasional bell jingles and the corky tune from the tablet in Ari’s hands were the only things reminding Solene that this wasn’t her first showcase, and she didn’t have to be nervous.But this one was different.Aside from how well they were doing in Tokyo, this was her city. Whatever the outcome of this showcase was, it’d follow her everywhere.She was already well known as a designer amongst the locals, and a lot more were going to know after tonight.And on top of that, this was her first public appearance with her daughter. She was anxious—more than she wanted to admit.But Ronan had kissed her on the forehead that morning and told her it wouldn’t make Ari a target.Still…Solene glanced at Ari, who sat comfortably beside her, eyes glued to the bunnies hopping around, her finger tapping the screen occasionally like she wanted to pick them out.She smiled.“Ma’am, we’re here.” Solene looked up at the driver’s voice, just noticing the flood of reporters who were normally flocke